The first studio version of “Frankie Says” appeared on a tape commonly known as the “ Ghost Outtakes” or “ Bearsville Sessions” that circulated around the community before Story of the Ghost was released. But the first time it appeared on stage, at least partially, was in the middle of the atmospheric post “ Timber (Ho!)” / pre “ Simple” jam on 11/16/97 in Denver. The lyrics philosophically toy with notions of the self and the cyclical nature of life, and paints time as an eternally flowing river – where consciousness is the only guide as the melody’s mysterious tendrils stretch out from infinity to pull you into the abyss. Lyrically, “Frankie Says” weaves a haunting tapestry that delves further into the darker realms of the psyche than most Phish songs. While others simply see it as a way to avoid having a song with the same name as the song by the aforementioned eighties synth-pop act (“ Relax”)… (Stop denying it – You know the song). To some, the title is a tongue-in-cheek homage to the infamous 1980’s synth-pop act, Frankie Goes to Hollywood.

Tom wasn’t in attendance at that particular show, so the fans described the song as best they could and he did his best to be helpful – but he apparently thought the fans were referring to “Roggae” (pronounced “rouge” at the time, btw) versus “Frankie Says.” From that conversation forward, people assumed they had absolute confirmation and the ‘sacred’ word was spread: “The Page song last night was called ‘Roggae!’” It wasn’t until Story of the Ghost was released that the dispute for all the correct song names was finally laid to rest.Īs to the origin of the song’s title, the answer to the question depends entirely on whom ye ask. Somewhere in the haze after the Rhode Island show on 4/4/98, the aforementioned fans asked Tom the name of the new “Page” song. “Frankie Says” was first misidentified en masse as “Roggae” thanks in part to a confusing conversation between Tom Marshall and two fans. 'Frankie Says' – 10/20/98 Sessions at West 54th, New York, NY “That girl in the Gamehendge Ranger shirt said that song was “Relax,” but the kid with every backstage pass around her neck says it’s called “ Roggae”…” Debates over the burgeoning threat of the new world order or the possibility of invasion by sentient beings from another plane of existence take a distant back seat to a roomful of passionate fans deconstructing the name of a new Phish tune from sparsely gathered lyrics after its debut. “ The Island Tour” came as briefly as it went, but it drenched the east coast with a handful of new tunes, and thus (in the days before LivePhish, Twitter etc) a handful of new arguments over their correct titles. Unconfirmed rumors surrounding a spring tour (mini tour, small club dates, etc) used to circulate every year, but in 1998 those rumors thankfully proved true.

Anastasio/Fishman/Gordon/McConnell/Marshall

Frankie says relax book