Found on
Phish's 1988 release
Junta, this track was an instant classic, not just for its
inanely silly lyrics, but a musical feel and style that is, in a word, brilliant. Encompassing
jazz,
funk, and even
childrens' songs, even if you don't usually like
Phish, this track will get you hooked. Coming in at a meager (for them at least) 6:41, the song still manages to show the broadness of sound that has made
Phish famous. If you want to like
Phish, or if you want to get someone hooked on them, this is the first track to play.
Starting off with Mike strumming bass chords, interspersed with Trey noodling on light chords starting at 0:18, Page comes in at 0:33 with gentle chords on the piano. At 0:48, Fishman kicks in with the rest of the band as they slide into a gentle bossa nova. This part of the song, while executed perfectly, has the simplistic feel of a high school jazz band.
It begins with this simple chorus:
The tires are the things on your car
That make contact with the road
The tires are the things on your car
That make contact with the road
The tires are the things on your car
That make contact with the road
The car is the thing on the road
That takes you back to your abode
1:22 Page plays a wicked bossa nova piano solo, with just a dash of silliness. At 1:57, the main lyrics come back in, a little funkier.
chorus
2:28 Key change up a whole-step, and the song gets a little funkier with more wild bassline.
The tires are the things on your car
That make contact with the road
The tires are the things on your car
That make contact with the road
The tires are the things on your car
That make contact with the road
Bummed is what you are
When you go out to your car and it's been towed
3:03 After a little funky riff on bass for 8 times, they bounce into an all-out jam, with typical Mike bass popping and thumping and a rocking piano solo by Page. At 4:05 everyone falls out except Mike strumming bass chords again with typically Phishy harmonies.
I woke up one morning in November
And I realized I love you
It's not your headlights in front
Your tailpipe, or the skylight above you
It's the way you cling to the road
When the wind tries to shove you
I'd never go riding away
And come back home without you
4:37 A slow build up begins back into the main section with the jazzy bossa nova feel, this time, a litle funkier.
chorus
5:41 now a group of children joins them in singing the main verse,
chorus
And one more time with the children, laughing and giggling all the way through, for good measure.
chorus
At this point, the song bleeds out and fades into the following track on the album, Union Federal (This is only, of course, on the Elektra records version. On the original cassette, this was the last track)
NOTE: Edited on 9 May 2005 for copyright compliance with the permission of the author.
CST Approved