I Been Around

• Performances
• History
• Lyrics
• Artist
  • Phish
  • Fish
  • Mike
  • Page
  • Trey
  • All

Originally Performed By	Phish
Appears On
Music/Lyrics	McConnell
Vocals	Page
Phish Debut	2009-08-16
Last Played	2022-07-14
Current Gap	119
Historian	Elayne Best (jugglerswithfire)
Last Update	2015-06-05

History

"Hey Page, where you been?..." This ditty highlights our beloved Page in his very comfortable role as the piano bar lounge singer. The lyrics remind us that Page has been around awhile in case you didn't know from "Grind", he's thrown it down a while, perhaps a reflection on past actions, and the town has thrown down on him, but through it all he's still playing and singing to our delight. 

The debut of this song was on the last night of the summer 2009 tour. The driver to perform the song seemed to be a realization that it was the only track from the then-new album, Joy, which had not been showcased live.

Phish, "I Been Around" – 11/27/09, Albany, NY

“I Been Around” somehow feels unfinished, perhaps due to its brevity. While it still may blossom and develop into the next "Lawn Boy," “I Been Around” has not been a regular in the Phish repertoire – after performances on 11/27/09 Albany and 10/16/10 North Charleston, SC, the tune went into hiding and hadn’t been around for almost four years.

Then on a Sunday night (7/27/14) at Merriweather Post Pavilion, Phish unloaded their arsenal of big guns, featuring an epic ”Tweezerfest,” thrilling jamming and classic Phish humor. After Fish’s hysterical take on “Jennifer Dances” the band turned the spotlight to Page, offering the first take on “I Been Around” in 149 shows. The number included the band taking a sauntering lap around the stage with just Page singing and Mike on bass, capping a performance that went directly to the list of classic Phish shows. 

Phish, "I Been Around" – 7/27/14, Columbia, MD

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