You Enjoy Myself
| "You Enjoy Myself" | |
|---|---|
| Song by Phish | |
| from the album Junta | |
| Released | 1988 |
| Genre | Jazz fusion, funk rock, progressive rock, jam |
| Length | 9:47 |
| Songwriter(s) | Trey Anastasio |
| Producer(s) | Phish |
You Enjoy Myself, commonly abbreviated to "YEM" is a Phish song written by Trey Anastasio. It is the band's most frequently played song, having been featured — as of August 2012 — at about 35% of their 1,566 shows. The song is also one of the oldest in Phish's catalog, having been first performed live on February 3, 1986. Keyboardist Page McConnell revealed on Nightline with Ted Koppel that "You Enjoy Myself" was his favorite Phish song.
The song was featured on Phish's first album Junta, although a shorter, a cappella version appeared on their 1986 self-titled debut commonly known as The White Tape. "You Enjoy Myself" is a staple of the group's popular live performances, and while the version that appears on Junta is under ten minutes long, live versions (especially after 1995) have regularly exceeded 25 minutes in length. The longest live version of the song to date, performed on October 31, 1995 during the band's Halloween show in Rosemont, IL, clocks in at over 40 minutes. The show was officially released as Live Phish Volume 14.
Like "The Divided Sky," another largely instrumental song from the same era, "YEM" is a classically structured piece, and fans have dubbed each section of the song with names like "Pre-Nirvana," "Nirvana," "The Note," "The Second Note" and "The Charge". When the song is performed live, one section features Anastasio and bassist Mike Gordon jumping on trampolines in tandem. It is also known as one of Anastasio's most astute, complex and masterful compositions, weaving throughout different keys and themes. It begins with a spacy, arpeggiated intro in B flat major, weaves through a "Nirvana" segment and eventually culminates in a funky progression where the lyrics and jam begin.
One feature of the song beloved by fans is the so-called "vocal jam" occurring after the instrumental portion of the song has ended and extending over several minutes. This segment is absent from the studio recording but is a consistent part of live performances. The vocal jam features the four members of Phish performing a capella and harmonizing, but typically avoids singing of melodic lines, favoring instead techniques such as vocal percussion and rhythmic repetition of short syllabic sequences. Sometimes a few discernible words are woven into the jam, often referencing songs or jokes occurring earlier in the show.
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