| Phish – Sample In A Jar Lyrics | 15 years ago |
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Here's a quote I've heard from a reliable source: Sample in a Jar is about a time Trey got really drunk at a bar. The "Sample in a Jar" is Trey on the ride home from the bar as all his buddies were taking car of him. The "binding belt enclosing me" is a seat belt. "The glances and glares" probably refer to people being worried about him, and to those who are angry at him. If anyone has ever taken care of an extremely drunk friend it can be very annoying and frustrating. He speaks of being "foggy, rather groggy," which probably describes being intoxicated. All the other strange lines are about things he saw on the ride home, staring out the window. "The marketplace unfolding with all their willies and their ware" could mean the ride home took them through a main strip/town square/strip mall/center of commerce. "Elihu," and "Leemor" and other strange nonsense in the song refer to signs and stores he saw on the ride home. I think the most definitive lines are towards the end of the song: "And I think of you unheeding All the times I've raised my cup It's now I know that you knew that I'd soon end up end up." Basically, this seems to say: "I know you don't like drinking, but I've been drunk a lot in my life. I guess now I know you were right, I did end up flat on my face." The person to whom he is speaking could be someone who disapproves of drinking, a friend, or Significant Other. Lastly, "The simple smiles and good times seem all wrong," tells me that boozing can be a good time, although sometimes drinking can make you miserable. Of course, if I am wrong and this is a Marshall song, not an Anastasio song, then this whole thing applies to Tom Marshall. However, I remember hearing that Trey personally really liked the song, and that's why it why played so often in '95, right after it was written. |
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