The band is known for musical improvisation, extended jams, blending of genres, and a rigorous touring schedule that draws a famously dedicated fan base. Their music blends elements of a wide variety of genres, including funk, progressive rock, psychedelic rock, folk, country, jazz, blues, bluegrass, and pop. Phish were part of a movement of improvisational rock groups, inspired by the Grateful Dead and colloquially known as "jam bands", which gained considerable popularity as touring concert acts in the 1990s.
After 15 years of performing together, Phish went on hiatus in 2000. They resumed touring in December 2002, but disbanded in 2004 after a farewell performance at their Coventry Festival in Vermont. They reunited in March 2009 for a series of three consecutive concerts played in the Hampton Coliseum in Hampton, Virginia, and have since resumed performing regularly.
Although the group received little radio play or MTV exposure, Phish developed a large following by word of mouth during the 1990s, particularly through fan-record tapes of their concerts, which circulated for free online with the band's permission. While often compared to the Grateful Dead, Phish finds their roots in styles such as jazz, funk and alternative rock as opposed to the Dead, who were more influenced by folk, country and blues.
Each Phish concert is different in terms of the songs included and the order in which they appeared, and (for many songs) in the way in which they were performed. Also unique to Phish are their large summer festivals which draw upwards of 70K people to remote areas in Maine and New York State as well as close to 100K for their epic Millennium Show in the Everglades of South Florida.
Along with Bob Dylan and The Beatles, Phish were one of the first bands to have an Internet newsgroup - rec.music.phish - launched in 1991.
In regards to Phish, Rolling Stone magazine proclaimed "Given their sense of community, their ambition and their challenging, generous performances, Phish have become the most important band of the Nineties."
Vultures
Phish Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Cast aside your foolish pride I'll cast the final vote
The feelings you've been waiting for are clawing thru your skin
And if you look above you'll see the vultures moving in
Timing is everything, that much I know.
Sometimes I'm fast(er) and sometimes I'm slow
Some days vacation but some days I'm told
But when I can't be what's expected of me
I look at the clock and say this can't be
Watching it pass without reason or rhyme
I feel I'm suspended in time
(Repeat replacing last line with)
I see the vultures moving in (repeat)
(Fish repeats some phrases in here
"Feel I'm suspended in time")
The opening lines of Phish's “Vultures” seem to paint a picture of a person being blinded by ambition, with their desires becoming so intense that they could be compared to a razor blade being held to their neck. The next line advises the person to let go of their pride and allow the singer to be the one to make the final decision. The lines that follow suggest the person is in the midst of experiencing intense feelings, which are tearing at them from within. The final line of the verse paints a somewhat ominous picture with the image of vultures on the horizon, suggesting that something dark or frightening may be looming just out of sight.
The second verse speaks to the idea of time and our perception of it. The singer acknowledges that timing is everything and that sometimes they move quickly and other times slowly. Days can be relaxing or stressful, and many people feel like they are at the end of the line. When the singer feels like they can't meet society's expectations, they feel like time is passing by without any logic or reason. The final line of the repeated verse again references the vultures, perhaps as a warning that time is running out. The lines "Watching it pass without reason or rhyme / I feel I'm suspended in time" suggest a sense of powerlessness, as if time is something that happens to us rather than something we control.
Line by Line Meaning
Blind me with ambition like a razor to the throat
Your ambition is consuming you, leaving you vulnerable like a razor to a throat.
Cast aside your foolish pride I'll cast the final vote
Let go of your ego because I'll be the decider in the end.
The feelings you've been waiting for are clawing thru your skin
Your long-awaited emotions are finally surfacing, causing you discomfort.
And if you look above you'll see the vultures moving in
If you pay attention, you'll notice people waiting for your failure and ready to take advantage of it.
Timing is everything, that much I know.
The importance of good timing is something I'm aware of.
Sometimes I'm fast(er) and sometimes I'm slow
My pace fluctuates based on my situation and mood.
Some days vacation but some days I'm told
I have days where I can relax and others where I have to take orders.
I've come to to the end of the line
I feel like I've reached my limit.
But when I can't be what's expected of me
When I can't meet someone's expectations of me,
I look at the clock and say this can't be
I realize that time is passing quickly without any real progress made.
Watching it pass without reason or rhyme
Observing time passing without any clear logic or pattern.
I feel I'm suspended in time
I feel stuck and not moving forward.
I see the vultures moving in (repeat)
I see people looking to take advantage of my struggles (repeated for emphasis).
Contributed by Micah G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.