The Connection

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

Originally Performed By	Phish
Appears On
Music/Lyrics	Anastasio/Marshall
Vocals	Trey
Historian	Kazimierz O. Wrzeszczynski
Last Update	2023-05-18

History

"The Connection" was the first single from what was to be – at the time of release – Phish’s final album, Undermind. The quick, two minute and twenty-five second song almost sounds as if it was forced for radio airplay, with short lyrics, a quick and choppy solo and a simple melody that will surprisingly have you whistling this song later in the day. 

A very difficult time in the band’s history during the recording and production of Undermind, the lyrics in the song point to the eventual disbanding of Phish two months after the album’s release: “Then I change my direction / One foot follows the other / One foot follows something new.” The song was however never played live during promotional appearances for the album or during the final 2004 tour, and some would have reasonably thought it would never be played live. 

"The Connection's" debut performance came almost exactly five years after its studio release when the reunited Phish played Deer Creek on 6/16/09; it was reprised once more that year on 12/29/09 in Miami. The live performances were roughly twice as long as the album version and included much more flowing and melodic solos from Trey. Then on 6/29/10 in Canadaigua, NY "The Connection" opened the show and was even further expanded with a nice piano solo by Page in between Trey's two solos, rounding out the longest and sweetest version to date. 

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