The following was presented at the 5th annual meeting of the Far West and American Popular Culture associations on 1/23/93 in Las Vegas Nevada. Something Phishy in Popular Music Shawn McKenzie Phish, a four piece experimental rock band originally from Vermont, is exploring the frontiers of popular music. A typical Phish concert can range from jazz to punk rock, with side trips through bluegrass, free form acappella, traditional rock, and countless undefinable areas of music. Their spon- taneous improvisation can take the audience through inspiring crescendos and diminuendos, while making it practically impos- sible not to dance. A nationwide subculture has formed around the band, similar to that surrounding the Grateful Dead. Many fans follow the band on tour, forming a nomadic culture centered around Phish concerts rather than a geographic location. The subculture also exists in cyberspace. A computer network, Phish Net, has formed to connect fans of Phish, in an open forum, for the exchange of ideas about the band and culture. Their guitar player Trey Anastasio, a graduate in musical composition, is quoted in their Electra band biography as saying I try to think of music the way the big bands thought of it. They'd take a popular song, and you'd be able to listen to it on every level. Someone who likes show tunes would be able to dance to it. But someone whose ear was more trained would notice the arrangement was pushing the limits of musical language. They are also expanding the role of song writing in popular music. Many of their lyrics are interrelated, revolving around Gamehenge; a mythological place in which an archetypal struggle between an evil ruler and a subjugated people is happening. As the story begins to form in the listener's mind, songs that seemed obscure or meaningless fall into place. These songs form an ongoing and developing mythological rock opera. When coupled with the humor of the band, the Gamehenge concept forms a whim- sical and entertaining system of mythology. The original set of Gamehenge songs and narration was entitled The Man Who Stepped Into Yesterday, and was submitted as Anastasio's senior class project at Goddard College, an experimentally minded, design your own curriculum school. Since then, the band has worked more songs into the Gamehenge theme, and occasionally they will pause in concert to tell part of the narrative. Gamehenge is a vast green forest with a large central mountain. The inhabitants of the forest, the Lizards, had lived at peace and harmony with nature; following the teachings of the Helping Friendly Book. This was their holy book, which was written by Icculus the Prophet. The Lizards had never seen Icculus, who lived at the top of the mountain, but they knew he existed because they had the book. One day a traveler, Wilson, arrived in Gamehenge. Wilson had come from twentieth century America and he knew about greed and power. He stole the Helping Friendly Book, which the Lizards had become dependent on, and declared himself king. He enslaved the Lizards, cut down the trees in the forest, built a huge castle in the middle of the clearing, and locked the Helping Friendly Book in the highest tower. Later another traveler, Colonel Forbin, came to Gamehenge. Seeing the plight of the Lizards he decided to help the revolution- aries, who were trying to overthrow the evil King Wilson. Recogn- izing the futility of the struggle for power, he decides that the only answer is to climb the huge mountain, and ask Icculus per- sonally for the return of the Helping Friendly Book. The song Colonel Forbin's Ascent is a description of the Colonel's climb, and his meeting with Icculus. The song also can be taken as a mythological representation of man's quest for enlightenment. The first verse finds Forbin at the base of the mountain. Colonel Forbin stared up at the mountain And wiped away the beads of sweat That glistened on his brow His tired feet were buried in the quagmire And his bloodshot eyes saw all that lay between him And fulfillment of his vow It was a long slow climb up the treacherous mountain, but when Forbin got to the top there was a loud crack of thunder, and the Colonel stood before the mighty prophet, Icculus. As Forbin huddled in fear, Icculus spoke. He agreed to help, calling on his friend the Famous Mockingbird to steal the book back from Wilson. Icculus, however, left Colonel Forbin with some advice. He told him that A tree of knowledge in your soul will grow And the Helping Friendly Book will plant the seed But I warn you that all knowledge seeming innocent and pure Becomes a deadly weapon in the hands of avarice And greed When the Famous Mockingbird brought the book to the revolutionaries camp the next morning the Lizards were stunned. As soon as the shock wore off Errand Wolfe, the leader of the revolutionaries, saw his chance. He grabbed the book in one hand, the Famous Mockingbird in the other, and went to work. His plan was to kill Wilson and put the Helping Friendly book to work for himself. Then with the help of Rutherford the Brave, an ironclad knight, Errand fastened the Famous Mockingbird to a pole with glue and rubber bands, in order to insure the secrecy of his mission. On all of this the great and knowledgeable Icculus looked down from the mountain and smiled. With no concern for the struggle in the land below, he sings I come from atop the mountain baby Where the people come to pray There ain't no truth in action 'Less you believe it anyway The mythological theme of Gamehenge fills a niche in our thought processes that is almost nonexistent in modern culture. According to Joseph Campbell, in The Power of Myth, "when [a mythological] story is in your mind, then you see its relevance to something happening in your own life. It gives you perspective on what's happening to you." (Myth 4) The main story of Gamehenge, and many of the individual songs, are immersed in the concepts of myth. The song Lizards, for instance, has several different morals in its lyrical content. It is the story of Colonel Forbin meeting Rutherford the brave. Rutherford leads him out of the city and begins to tell him the story of the Lizards, and the plight of Gamehenge. The final verse of the song tells us that The Helping Friendly Book it seemed possessed the ancient secrets Of Eternal joy and never ending splendor The trick was to surrender to the flow We walked along beneath the moon He led us through the bush 'til soon We saw before our eyes a raging river He said that we could swim it if we tried And saying this the knight dove in forgetting that his suit of arms Would surely weigh him down and so he sunk And as his body disappeared before me I bowed my head in silence and remembered all the thoughts that He had thunk The entire content of the Helping Friendly book, which holds all the knowledge inherent in the universe, is summed up with "The trick was to surrender to the flow." After giving us this Taoist- like advice, the song goes on to warn us that the ego, which is the armor of the psyche, is what holds us back and keeps us from "eternal joy." The land of Gamehenge itself is a creation of mythological imagery with Icculus, the God, dwelling on top of the large central mountain. Numerous cultures have myths about sacred mountains. For lack of a better symbol, the mystical experience is often related to being at the top of a mountain. One description of this experience was given by Black Elk, a Sioux shaman. As a youth he entered a trance-like state, and upon awakening gave the following description. I saw myself on the central mountain of the world, the highest place, and I had a vision because I was seeing in the sacred manner of the world. But the central mountain is everywhere. (Myth 89) Colonel Forbin, who climbs this central mountain, is the symbolic representation of the truth seeker on a quest for higher knowledge. After his grueling spiritual path up the mountain he secures the sacred knowledge for his people, which is sent to them via the Famous Mockingbird. Joseph Campbell tells us that "the bird in flight is a pretty nearly universal symbol of the spirit, as in Christianity, of the Holy Ghost." (Myth 178) Anastasio's choice of a mockingbird for this representation is a brilliant amalgamation of wit and understanding. A mockingbird is a bird that mimics the songs of other birds: Messengers of the spirit bring the word of God, and not their own words. When the Famous Mockingbird brings the Helping Friendly Book to the Lizards, Errand and Rutherford fasten the bird to a pole with glue and rubber bands. The strong Christian imagery at this point seems to imply that people in power use symbols of the spirit to control the masses, and keep people from true knowledge. In the song McGrup and the Watchful Hosemasters Phish tell us that All times and seasons are the reasons That people and their clans Have stowed the Famous Mockingbird With glue and rubber bands Although this is a divergence from the original telling of the story, in which Errand and Rutherford fastened the Famous Mocking- bird to the pole, it holds true to the image it is trying to present. People have locked the spirit within symbols of the spirit. The placement of the song Possum at the end of The Man Who Stepped Into Yesterday serves the dual function of both teach- ing an important mythological concept, and leaving the story open for further development. Icculus smiles down from the mountain as Errand makes the shift from leader of the revolutionaries to tyrant of the people. After telling us that there is no truth in action, the chorus continues I was riding down the road one day and Someone hit a possum The road was his end His end was the road So they say The toil and struggle of the people below means about as much to Icculus as seeing roadkill does to us. Icculus is beyond the conflict of good and evil. In The Power of Myth, Joseph Campbell tells us that Heraclitus said that for God all things are good and right and just, but for man some things are right and others are not. When you are a man you are in the field of time and decisions. One of the problems of life is to live with the realization of both terms, to say "I know the center, and I know that good and evil are simply temporal aberrations and that, in God's view, there is no difference." (Myth 66) The concepts in the Gamehenge story, although they present a valid symbolic representation of the human condition, are humorous enough that they can't be taken too seriously. Like clown religions the story points toward certain truths, but is so farcical that it could never be interpreted as a final truth. Campbell states, A key difference between mythology and our Judeo-Christian religion is that the imagery of mythology is rendered with humor. You realize that the image is symbolic of something. You're at a distance from it. But in our religion, everything is prosaic, and very, very serious. (Myth 220) The song Icculus is a mockery of this serious outlook. In a style reminiscent of televangelism, Phish adamantly tells the audience that they "Must read Icculus!", which of course is a play on words for ridiculous. Phish Net, the computer network that interconnects several hundred fans, is a perfect medium for the type of interaction that unifies a community. Through the discussion of ideas about the band and subculture, Phish Net is helping congeal a nationwide phenomenon. Although the net has well over five hundred participants, it is but a small percentage of the number of Phish fans, which is expanding exponentially. This large and growing culture, which sold out a six thousand seat venue this new year's eve, shares an appreciation of excellent musicianship, and a common mythology; Gamehenge. ------- End of Forwarded Message The following was presented at the 5th annual meeting of the Far West, and American Culture Associations on 1/23/93 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Something Phishy in Popular Music Shawn McKenzie Phish, a four piece experimental rock band originally from Vermont, is exploring the frontiers of popular music. A typical Phish concert can range from jazz to punk rock, with side trips through bluegrass, free form acappella, traditional rock, and countless undefinable areas of music. Their spontaneous improvisation can take the audience through inspiring crescendos and diminuendos, while making it practically impossible not to dance. A nationwide subculture has formed around the band, similar to that surrounding the Grateful Dead. Many fans follow the band on tour, forming a nomadic culture centered around Phish concerts rather than a geographic location. The subculture also exists in cyberspace. A computer network, Phish Net, has formed to connect fans of Phish, in an open forum, for the exchange of ideas about the band and culture. Their guitar player Trey Anastasio, a graduate in musical composition, is quoted in their Electra band biography as saying I try to think of music the way the big bands thought of it. They'd take a popular song, and you'd be able to listen to it on every level. Someone who likes show tunes would be able to dance to it. But someone whose ear was more trained would notice the arrangement was pushing the limits of musical language. They are also expanding the role of song writing in popular music. Many of their lyrics are interrelated, revolving around Gamehendge; a mythological place in which an archetypal struggle between an evil ruler and a subjugated people is happening. As the story begins to form in the listener's mind, songs that seemed obscure or meaningless fall into place. These songs form an ongoing and developing mythological rock opera. When coupled with the humor of the band, the Gamehendge concept forms a whimsical and entertaining system of mythology. The original set of Gamehendge songs and narration was entitled The Man Who Stepped Into Yesterday, and was submitted as Anastasio's senior class project at Goddard College, an experimentally minded, design your own curriculum school. Since then, the band has worked more songs into the Gamehendge theme, and occasionally they will pause in concert to tell part of the narrative. Gamehendge is a vast green forest with a large central mountain. The inhabitants of the forest, the Lizards, had lived at peace and harmony with nature; following the teachings of the Helping Friendly Book. This was their holy book, which was written by Icculus the Prophet. The Lizards had never seen Icculus, who lived at the top of the mountain, but they knew he existed because they had the book. One day a traveler, Wilson, arrived in Gamehendge. Wilson had come from twentieth century America and he knew about greed and power. He stole the Helping Friendly Book, which the Lizards had become dependent on, and declared himself king. He enslaved the Lizards, cut down the trees in the forest, built a huge castle in the middle of the clearing, and locked the Helping Friendly Book in the highest tower. Later another traveler, Colonel Forbin, came to Gamehendge. Seeing the plight of the Lizards he decided to help the revolutionaries, who were trying to overthrow the evil King Wilson. Recognizing the futility of the struggle for power, he decides that the only answer is to climb the huge mountain, and ask Icculus personally for the return of the Helping Friendly Book. The song Colonel Forbin's Ascent is a description of the Colonel's climb, and his meeting with Icculus. The song also can be taken as a mythological representation of man's quest for enlightenment. The first verse finds Forbin at the base of the mountain. Colonel Forbin stared up at the mountain And wiped away the beads of sweat That glistened on his brow His tired feet were buried in the quagmire And his bloodshot eyes saw all that lay between him And fulfillment of his vow It was a long slow climb up the treacherous mountain, but when Forbin got to the top there was a loud crack of thunder, and the Colonel stood before the mighty prophet, Icculus. As Forbin huddled in fear, Icculus spoke. He agreed to help, calling on his friend the Famous Mockingbird to steal the book back from Wilson. Icculus, however, left Colonel Forbin with some advice. He told him that A tree of knowledge in your soul will grow And the Helping Friendly Book will plant the seed But I warn you that all knowledge seeming innocent and pure Becomes a deadly weapon in the hands of avarice And greed When the Famous Mockingbird brought the book to the revolutionaries camp the next morning the Lizards were stunned. As soon as the shock wore off Errand Wolfe, the leader of the revolutionaries, saw his chance. He grabbed the book in one hand, the Famous Mockingbird in the other, and went to work. His plan was to kill Wilson and put the Helping Friendly book to work for himself. Then with the help of Rutherford the Brave, an ironclad knight, Errand fastened the Famous Mockingbird to a pole with glue and rubber bands, in order to insure the secrecy of his mission. On all of this the great and knowledgeable Icculus looked down from the mountain and smiled. With no concern for the struggle in the land below, he sings I come from atop the mountain baby Where the people come to pray There ain't no truth in action 'Less you believe it anyway The mythological theme of Gamehendge fills a niche in our thought processes that is almost nonexistent in modern culture. According to Joseph Campbell, in The Power of Myth, "when [a mythological] story is in your mind, then you see its relevance to something happening in your own life. It gives you perspective on what's happening to you." (Myth 4) The main story of Gamehendge, and many of the individual songs, are immersed in the concepts of myth. The song Lizards, for instance, has several different morals in its lyrical content. It is the story of Colonel Forbin meeting Rutherford the brave. Rutherford leads him out of the city and begins to tell him the story of the Lizards, and the plight of Gamehendge. The final verse of the song tells us that The Helping Friendly Book it seemed possessed the ancient secrets Of Eternal joy and never ending splendor The trick was to surrender to the flow We walked along beneath the moon He led us through the bush 'til soon We saw before our eyes a raging river He said that we could swim it if we tried And saying this the knight dove in forgetting that his suit of arms Would surely weigh him down and so he sunk And as his body disappeared before me I bowed my head in silence and remembered all the thoughts that He had thunk The entire content of the Helping Friendly book, which holds all the knowledge inherent in the universe, is summed up with "The trick was to surrender to the flow." After giving us this Taoist-like advice, the song goes on to warn us that the ego, which is the armor of the psyche, is what holds us back and keeps us from "eternal joy." The land of Gamehendge itself is a creation of mythological imagery with Icculus, the God, dwelling on top of the large central mountain. Numerous cultures have myths about sacred mountains. For lack of a better symbol, the mystical experience is often related to being at the top of a mountain. One description of this experience was given by Black Elk, a Sioux shaman. As a youth he entered a trance- like state, and upon awakening gave the following description. I saw myself on the central mountain of the world, the highest place, and I had a vision because I was seeing in the sacred manner of the world. But the central mountain is everywhere. (Myth 89) Colonel Forbin, who climbs this central mountain, is the symbolic representation of the truth seeker on a quest for higher knowledge. After his grueling spiritual path up the mountain he secures the sacred knowledge for his people, which is sent to them via the Famous Mockingbird. Joseph Campbell tells us that "the bird in flight is a pretty nearly universal symbol of the spirit, as in Christianity, of the Holy Ghost." (Myth 178) Anastasio's choice of a mockingbird for this representation is a brilliant amalgamation of wit and understanding. A mockingbird is a bird that mimics the songs of other birds: Messengers of the spirit bring the word of God, and not their own words. When the Famous Mockingbird brings the Helping Friendly Book to the Lizards, Errand and Rutherford fasten the bird to a pole with glue and rubber bands. The strong Christian imagery at this point seems to imply that people in power use symbols of the spirit to control the masses, and keep people from true knowledge. In the song McGrup and the Watchful Hosemasters Phish tell us that All times and seasons are the reasons That people and their clans Have stowed the Famous Mockingbird With glue and rubber bands Although this is a divergence from the original telling of the story, in which Errand and Rutherford fastened the Famous Mockingbird to the pole, it holds true to the image it is trying to present. People have locked the spirit within symbols of the spirit. The placement of the song Possum at the end of The Man Who Stepped Into Yesterday serves the dual function of both teaching an important mythological concept, and leaving the story open for further development. Icculus smiles down from the mountain as Errand makes the shift from leader of the revolutionaries to tyrant of the people. After telling us that there is no truth in action, the chorus continues I was riding down the road one day and Someone hit a possum The road was his end His end was the road So they say The toil and struggle of the people below means about as much to Icculus as seeing roadkill does to us. Icculus is beyond the conflict of good and evil. In The Power of Myth, Joseph Campbell tells us that Heraclitus said that for God all things are good and right and just, but for man some things are right and others are not. When you are a man you are in the field of time and decisions. One of the problems of life is to live with the realization of both terms, to say "I know the center, and I know that good and evil are simply temporal aberrations and that, in God's view, there is no difference." (Myth 66) The concepts in the Gamehendge story, although they present a valid symbolic representation of the human condition, are humorous enough that they can't be taken too seriously. Like clown religions the story points toward certain truths, but is so farcical that it could never be interpreted as a final truth. Campbell states, A key difference between mythology and our Judeo-Christian religion is that the imagery of mythology is rendered with humor. You realize that the image is symbolic of something. You're at a distance from it. But in our religion, everything is prosaic, and very, very serious. (Myth 220) The song Icculus is a mockery of this serious outlook. In a style reminiscent of televangelism, Phish adamantly tells the audience that they "Must read Icculus!", which of course is a play on words for ridiculous. Phish Net, the computer network that interconnects several hundred fans, is a perfect medium for the type of interaction that unifies a community. Through the discussion of ideas about the band and subculture, Phish Net is helping congeal a nationwide phenomenon. Although the net has well over five hundred participants, it is but a small percentage of the number of Phish fans, which is expanding exponentially. This large and growing culture, which sold out a six thousand seat venue this new year's eve, shares an appreciation of excellent musicianship, and a common mythology; Gamehendge.