Earache My Eye

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History

The seventies saw Cheech and Chong consistently on the top of the comedy charts with their unique mind-altering humor, first via their wildly successful comedy routine and recorded albums, and later with a series of popular movies. “Earache My Eye” was an instant hit when released in 1974, featuring a burned-out student who, once awakened by his alarm clock, puts on a loud heavy metal record, and tells his father he can’t go to school because he has an earache. “Earache my eye, you’re going to school!” was his father’s classic reply. The song is also featured in Cheech and Chong’s first movie, Up In Smoke. Here the boys find their band entered in the “Rock Fight,” a local battle of the bands. They take the stage as “Alice Bowie,” where thanks to the mellowing effect of an accidental van fire near the club’s ventilation intakes, their performance of “Earache My Eye” wins the contest. Despite their many fans in common, it wasn’t until 5/17/94 in Santa Barbara, CA, that Cheech and Chong were featured in a Phish set. And with the song’s lyrics about a cross-dressing glam rock star, only Henrietta could do “Earache My Eye” justice. Early in the second set the band started into a tight “Tweezer,” keeping a hard rock sound on into the jam section. As Trey’s jam began to take the form of a familiar riff, Fishman was on it, belting out “My momma talkin’ to me tries to tell me how to live. But I don’t listen to her ‘cause my head is like a sieve...” The rest of the band fell in behind him, and, two full verses and a bridge later, Cheech and Chong were added to the diverse list of artists covered by Phish.

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