Taken together with "Wolfman's Brother," this song is indeed partly about the issues of touring and the press of the party crowd. Why? Imagine being any of these guys, even Tom Marshall. I remember being a Phish fan when this album came out (we were a bit bummed-- too commercial, man...ha). The scene was all about how cool of a Phish fan were you? Who did you know in VT? Which of your friends was blowing glass in Eugene, OR? Etc. A recent NY Times article at a more straightedge recent show related some of this intensity.
I can imagine what things were like at the center of the vortex that was Phish circa 1994. Must have been insane.
Anyway, imagine being any of these guys. Hippies from all over the nation would be trying to hang out and party with you 24/7. "Barefoot Children" outside dancing on your lawn. Literally. Who wouldn't begin to wonder when to take a break from that?
So here's my interpretation. These fans, well, they had "Downwith" disease. 'Hey, I'm down with Fish-- he came by our after party at the hotel suite after the show...' 'Ooo you're awesome.' And so on.
Marshall writes a song about being sick, but with the undercurrent of questioning the particular intense social situation that the band found itself in. Double meaning fully intended.
Wolfman's Brother continues the theme, when "many years ago" that first quasi-intrusive phone call came in from some bearded Phish head (God bless 'em) got a hold of say, Mike's phone number.... the song continues on to describe the intense roar of the crowd-- "across between a hurricane and a ship that's run aground" and "the high pitched cavitation of propellers from afar."
I'm so Downwith Phish that I done figured it out! :P Not really, but I'm sticking to my guess/interpretation.
Taken together with "Wolfman's Brother," this song is indeed partly about the issues of touring and the press of the party crowd. Why? Imagine being any of these guys, even Tom Marshall. I remember being a Phish fan when this album came out (we were a bit bummed-- too commercial, man...ha). The scene was all about how cool of a Phish fan were you? Who did you know in VT? Which of your friends was blowing glass in Eugene, OR? Etc. A recent NY Times article at a more straightedge recent show related some of this intensity.
I can imagine what things were like at the center of the vortex that was Phish circa 1994. Must have been insane.
Anyway, imagine being any of these guys. Hippies from all over the nation would be trying to hang out and party with you 24/7. "Barefoot Children" outside dancing on your lawn. Literally. Who wouldn't begin to wonder when to take a break from that?
So here's my interpretation. These fans, well, they had "Downwith" disease. 'Hey, I'm down with Fish-- he came by our after party at the hotel suite after the show...' 'Ooo you're awesome.' And so on.
Marshall writes a song about being sick, but with the undercurrent of questioning the particular intense social situation that the band found itself in. Double meaning fully intended.
Wolfman's Brother continues the theme, when "many years ago" that first quasi-intrusive phone call came in from some bearded Phish head (God bless 'em) got a hold of say, Mike's phone number.... the song continues on to describe the intense roar of the crowd-- "across between a hurricane and a ship that's run aground" and "the high pitched cavitation of propellers from afar."
I'm so Downwith Phish that I done figured it out! :P Not really, but I'm sticking to my guess/interpretation.