http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/You_Enjoy_Myself
"You Enjoy Myself", known in short as YEM by Phish Heads, is a Phish song written by Trey Anastasio. It was the most frequently played song by the band, having been played at 39% of their 1183 shows[1]. It is also one of the oldest songs in Phish's catalog, having been first performed live on February 3, 1986.
The song was featured on Phish's third album Junta (although a shorter, a capella version appeared on their 1986 self-titled debut known as The White Tape), and was a staple of the group's many live performances. Like The Divided Sky from the same era, the piece is classically structured and fans have dubbed each section of the song with names like "Pre-Nirvana", "Nirvana", "The Note", "The Second Note", and "The Charge." When the song was performed live, one section featured Anastasio and bassist Mike Gordon jumping on tampolines in tandem.
It is reported that the title came from an Italian who said "You enjoy myself, yes?" to Anastasio and Jon Fishman when they toured Europe in 1985, playing in the streets. Supposedly, this was a too-literal translation from Italian into English for "best wishes." After falling down laughing, Anastasio wrote the song.
Halfway through the song are the only clearly comprehensible lyrics in the song: "Boy! ... Man! ... God! ... Shit!," followed by a line whose meaning has perpetually been subject to discussion. One popular interpretation is "Wash uffitzi, drive me to Firenze," referring to the Italian trip, where Anastasio and Fishman lived in a car. The lyrics have also been interpreted as "Wash your feet they drive me into a frenzy" in reference to the lack of Fishman's hygiene on that same trip.
The most probable explanation for this line is that "Uffizi" ('you-FEET-tzee') is a pun on an Italian-accented pronunciation of the words "your feet." Uffizi is a museum the pair visited in Firenze, or Florence, Italy. At a spring near Uffizi, it is reported that they washed their feet. One theory is that the quoted Italian hailed from this area — in which case the meaning of the song as a whole becomes clearer.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/You_Enjoy_Myself "You Enjoy Myself", known in short as YEM by Phish Heads, is a Phish song written by Trey Anastasio. It was the most frequently played song by the band, having been played at 39% of their 1183 shows[1]. It is also one of the oldest songs in Phish's catalog, having been first performed live on February 3, 1986.
The song was featured on Phish's third album Junta (although a shorter, a capella version appeared on their 1986 self-titled debut known as The White Tape), and was a staple of the group's many live performances. Like The Divided Sky from the same era, the piece is classically structured and fans have dubbed each section of the song with names like "Pre-Nirvana", "Nirvana", "The Note", "The Second Note", and "The Charge." When the song was performed live, one section featured Anastasio and bassist Mike Gordon jumping on tampolines in tandem.
It is reported that the title came from an Italian who said "You enjoy myself, yes?" to Anastasio and Jon Fishman when they toured Europe in 1985, playing in the streets. Supposedly, this was a too-literal translation from Italian into English for "best wishes." After falling down laughing, Anastasio wrote the song.
Halfway through the song are the only clearly comprehensible lyrics in the song: "Boy! ... Man! ... God! ... Shit!," followed by a line whose meaning has perpetually been subject to discussion. One popular interpretation is "Wash uffitzi, drive me to Firenze," referring to the Italian trip, where Anastasio and Fishman lived in a car. The lyrics have also been interpreted as "Wash your feet they drive me into a frenzy" in reference to the lack of Fishman's hygiene on that same trip.
The most probable explanation for this line is that "Uffizi" ('you-FEET-tzee') is a pun on an Italian-accented pronunciation of the words "your feet." Uffizi is a museum the pair visited in Firenze, or Florence, Italy. At a spring near Uffizi, it is reported that they washed their feet. One theory is that the quoted Italian hailed from this area — in which case the meaning of the song as a whole becomes clearer.