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Oh, to be a woman immortalized in song for scorning The Dude of Life! Unlike most Dude songs that have appeared on the Phish stage, “Suzy Greenberg” became revered by Phish fans and was not saved for Dude guest appearances. It was one of the early sing along numbers, alongside “Golgi” and “Alumni Blues.” As the band grew older, though, the song seemed to fall by the wayside. “Suzy” became a rare concert treat, partially due to the band’s admitted “familiarity breeds contempt” attitude towards the song. In The Phish Book, Trey went so far as to say he was “sick of" it... while also admitting that the “funky three-chord groove sure can be fun to jam over.” Where “Suzy” was once played every few shows, it was played no more than five times a year each year between 1997 and the 2004 breakup. Then a funny thing happened when Phish returned to the stage in 2009. The band apparently fell back in love with "Suzy" and it was played at the first Hampton reunion show on 3/6/09 and thirteen additional appearances over the course of the year.

Watch Suzy Greenberg on YouTube "Suzy Grenberg" 2/25/93 - Miami Beach, FL

Most versions do not vary much musically – often, versions are worth hearing for Fishman’s vocal antics in the song’s breaks (particularly after the “neurologist” lyric). Still, see 11/13/96, 9/14/00 (Live Phish 03), 12/28/03, 6/17/04 (Live in Brooklyn) and 8/7/10 for strong, experimental, jam-laden “Suzys.” Also check out 12/6/96 (Vegas 96), for all the stage spectacle Vegas has to offer. And no Phish collection is complete without at least one horn-augmented “Suzy Greenberg,” as many fans feel that it was the song that benefited most from the 1991 and 1994 Horns Tours. Another version that benefitted from the addition of both horns and backup singers is the monster "Suzy" from the Halloween show at Festival 8 (featured in the Phish 3D movie) that was lauded by many fans as the best ever. Finally, check out the version offered by Son Seals and Rebecca’s Statue on Mockingbird’s Sharin’ in the Groove CD.

Watch Suzy Greenberg on YouTube "Suzy Grenberg" 10/31/09 - Indio, CA

(Anastasio/The Dude of Life)
© by Who Is She? Music, Inc (BMI)

Little Suzy Greenberg, with her head caved in
Soon to let me drown beneath the undertow
You better put that woman in a looney bin
'Cause you know I'd really like to be a part of her show

Suzy is an artist, she paints quite a lot
An artist she may be, but a genius she is not
She says she wants to be a sociologist
But she better first get checked by a neurologist

Suzy, Suzy, Suzy, Suzy
Suzy, Suzy Greenberg
Suzy, Suzy, Suzy, Suzy
Suzy, Suzy Greenberg

Suzy's 'bout as faithful as a slot machine
Pays off once in a while, but then she robs you clean
She's always afraid that she's not sure what she's worth
She's out of her mind, and she's not of this Earth

The woman walks the streets like she's the queen of the town
Doesn't talk very much, she's very profound
Little Suzy Greenberg, always playing a game
But today I bet she's probably forgot my name!

Suzy, Suzy, Suzy, Suzy
Suzy, Suzy Greenberg
Suzy, Suzy, Suzy, Suzy
Suzy, Suzy Greenberg

Little Suzy Greenberg, with her head caved in
Soon to let me drown beneath the undertow
You better put that woman in a looney bin
'Cause you know I'd really like to be a part of her show

Suzy is an artist, she paints quite a lot
An artist she may be, but a genius she is not
She says she wants to be a sociologist
But she better first get checked by a neurologist

Suzy, Suzy, Suzy, Suzy
Suzy, Suzy Greenberg
Suzy, Suzy, Suzy, Suzy
Suzy, Suzy Greenberg