Mallory
| Originally Performed By | Phish |
| Music/Lyrics | Fishman |
| Vocals | Fish |
| Historian | David Steinberg (zzyzx) |
| Last Update | 2020-05-26 |
History
There are very few mysteries left in the Phish universe. Over-analytical people - like yours truly - have studied every note the band have played. Every five second tease in a "Tweezer" jam has been notated. And yet, just when you think there's no new horizons in the Phish universe, a random download of a fall 1995 show reveals a brand new song. This Fishman ditty was played only once, coming out of an instrument switch jam. Jon is the only band member who plays on this song; he sings and plays some piano fills between lines. The song details an ill-fated relationship between two angry people. The enigmatic lyrics lead themselves open to interpretation. One possible reading is that the protagonist finally proposed to his beloved Mallory long after she wanted him to do so, only to turn him down after he wanted to make sure that she wouldn't be too controlling... at which point he decided to get drunk on moonshine. Is that the meaning of the song? Is the song in fact named "Mallory?" Is there a reason why this was played once in 1995 and then immediately forgotten, seemingly wiped from the minds of those in attendance? Sometimes it's more fun to have the questions than the answers.
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