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."
While My Guitar Gently Weeps
Phish Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
While my guitar gently weeps
I look at the floor and I see it needs sweeping
Still my guitar gently weeps
I don't know why nobody told you how to unfold your love
I don't know how someone controlled you
They bought and sold you.
I look at the world and I notice it's turning
With every mistake we must surely be learning
Still my guitar gently weeps
I don't know how you were diverted
You were perverted too
I don't know how you were inverted
No one alerted you.
I look at you all see the love there that's sleeping
While my guitar gently weeps
Look at you all
Still my guitar gently weeps.
The lyrics of "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" by Phish may seem simple on the surface, but they carry a deeper meaning that reflects on the human condition. The song starts with the singer observing the people around him and their dormant love that's just waiting to be uncovered. He feels the melancholy of the situation, but he can only express it through his guitar playing. As he looks down at the floor, he notices the dust that needs sweeping, but despite his mundane tasks, his guitar continues to weep.
The song seems to reflect on the unspoken emotions that people hold within themselves. The singer wonders why nobody instructed the person he's addressing on how to show their love. He also notes the control and manipulation in the world, where people are bought and sold. The singer comments on the constant turning of the world, and how every mistake we make has a lesson to teach. He reflects on the corruption and deception present in the world as well, where even a person's natural inclinations can be twisted.
Overall, "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" is a beautiful song about the complexities of human emotions and the struggles we face to express them. The guitar serves as a symbol of the singer's longing for a world that can truly love and understand one another.
Line by Line Meaning
I look at you all see the love there that's sleeping
As I observe everyone, I can sense the potential for loving connections amongst them that is being hidden away.
While my guitar gently weeps
As I play my guitar, it emotes and expresses the sadness and despair within me.
I look at the floor and I see it needs sweeping
I notice that there are practical tasks that need to be done to keep our surroundings tidy and clean.
Still my guitar gently weeps
Despite the mundane world around me, my instrument continues to reveal my inner turmoil and unease through its melodies.
I don't know why nobody told you how to unfold your love
It is unclear to me why you weren't taught and encouraged to express and share your love with others.
I don't know how someone controlled you
I am puzzled as to how someone else exerted power and influence over your life without your consent.
They bought and sold you.
Whoever exploited and manipulated you treated you like a commodity or transaction to be traded and profited from.
I look at the world and I notice it's turning
As I observe the constantly changing nature of the world, I am reminded of the impermanence and fragility of life.
While my guitar gently weeps
Even as I contemplate the world's complexities, my guitar continues to express my feelings of sorrow and regret.
With every mistake we must surely be learning
Each time we make an error or misstep, we should be gaining experience and insight that will help us improve and grow.
Still my guitar gently weeps
Despite the lessons we learn from our failures, my guitar remains a faithful conduit for my sorrow and grief.
I don't know how you were diverted
I am uncertain about how you became distracted and lost sight of your true path in life.
You were perverted too
Some external force twisted and distorted your natural impulses and desires into unhealthy or destructive behaviors.
I don't know how you were inverted
I am unsure of how your values and perspectives were turned upside down or reversed from their original form.
No one alerted you.
Unfortunately, there was no one around to warn you or help you recognize the harmful influences that were impacting you.
Look at you all
As I gaze at the people around me, I am struck by the potential for love and connection that is just below the surface.
Still my guitar gently weeps.
Despite this sense of hope, my guitar continues to express the pain and sorrow that I carry deep within me.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: George Harrison
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
tegurley11
trey had such a chip on his shoulder back in the day...came out every night to prove to the world he was the greatest
Leo
Piss and vinegar of his youth and an ego to feed,proof it's not always a bad thing.
David Brown
He was/is
Benjamin Rhule
@Justin Green because he was wired differently then...To his routine now dude FACTS
Benjamin Rhule
Facts EVERY NITE
Carini710
@Heyo Beano You're an idiot
Richk097 0
......and for the people who say that Prince had the best solo on this song......I give you Mr. Trey Anastasio.
tECHNO tODD
Princes solo on this tune nobody can talk bad about, but as soon as it was done I thought, now who else could do a rendition of this song and do it justice after that, immediately I went to Phish, because I know how Trey can rip a guitar solo on a good day….. and Phish’s rendition of this tune rips as well!….
Jay Mccarthy
Gary moore mite have the best but this is the closest!!
Daniel Reeves
Both were very swell so