"You Enjoy Myself", commonly abbreviated to "YEM", is a Phish song written by Trey Anastasio, first played live on February 3, 1986. It is the band's most frequently performed song, having been played at about 33% of their first 1,800 shows.[1]
| "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 |
History edit
Trey Anastasio wrote "You Enjoy Myself" while in Florence, Italy.[2] The title came from an Italian man, befriended by Anastasio and Jon Fishman, who wrapped his arms around them near the Uffizi museum and exclaimed, "you know, when I am with you, you enjoy myself!"[2]
A short, a cappella version of "You Enjoy Myself" appeared on The White Tape, Phish's debut album. A longer, full-band version appeared on their album Junta. Live versions (especially after 1995) have regularly exceeded 25 minutes in length.[3]
Fans have dubbed sections of the song with names like "Pre-Nirvana," "Nirvana," "The Note," "The Second Note" and "The Charge."[4] When the song is performed live, one section features Anastasio and bassist Mike Gordon jumping on trampolines in tandem.
Legacy edit
The song was ranked #85 in the list of the 100 Greatest Guitar Songs of All Time of Rolling Stone.[5] "You Enjoy Myself" is keyboardist Page McConnell's favorite Phish song.[6]
Appears on edit
- Phish (The White Tape) (1986)
- Junta (1989)
- Stash (1996)
- A Live One (1995)
- Live Phish Volume 7 (2002)
- Live Phish Volume 9 (2002)
- Live Phish Volume 11 (2002)
- Live Phish Volume 14 (2002)
- Live Phish Volume 15 (2002)
- Live Phish 04.05.98 (2005)
- New Year's Eve 1995 (2005)
- Colorado '88 (2006)
- Live Phish 11.14.95 (2007)
- Vegas 96 (2007)
- At the Roxy (2008)
- Chicago '94 (2012)
See also edit
References edit
- ^ "You Enjoy Myself". Phish.net. Retrieved January 9, 2020.
- ^ a b Trey Anastasio Explains the Origins of YEM, retrieved June 12, 2022
- ^ Phish.net Song History [1] Accessed: August 1, 2011.
- ^ "Frequently Asked Questions". Phish.net. October 31, 1995. Retrieved March 16, 2012.
- ^ "Rolling Stone - The 100 Greatest Guitar Songs of All Time". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on May 30, 2008. Retrieved January 9, 2018.
{{cite magazine}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link). Retrieved 2011-01-24." - ^ Rosenberg, Howard L. (January 5, 2008). "Nightline Playlist: Page McConnell - ABC News". A.abcnews.com. Retrieved March 16, 2012.