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The Lennon/McCartney classic "A Day in the Life" was first covered by Phish at Red Rocks on 6/10/95, and remained in regular rotation through 1997. Most often played as a set closer or encore, Phish’s renditions remain basically true to the original, with Page taking the Lennon lines and Trey assuming the Paul lines. For many the excitement in "ADITL" resides in the cacophonous and chaotic build-up of the orchestral sections of the song, especially the thrilling peak climax and dissonant piano resolution. 

Watch A Day in the Life on Vimeo Phish, "A Day in the Life" – 12/2/09, New York, NY

Notable early versions include the debut, as well as 10/31/95, 8/10/96, and 12/30/97. A very special performance can be found on 12/8/95, an encore combo with “Come Together,” played in honor of the 15th anniversary of John Lennon’s death. Phish declined the obvious invitation to play “ADITL” on 6/16/97 at the Royal Albert Hall, referenced in the song’s lyrics.

Last played pre-hiatus on 9/30/00 – immortalized on the Live in Vegas DVD – "ADITL" was absent from the entire "2.0" version of Phish, and didn't grace the stage again until their 3/7/09 return at Hampton. "ADITL" has since reclaimed its role as a fixture in the Phish repertoire, including versions that punctuated strong sets at Red Rocks on 7/31/09 (via a fluid segue from “Piper”); in Augusta, ME on 10/19/10; at SuperBall IX on 7/2/11; pairing with “Tweezer Reprise” to encore the sublime 10/20/13 Hampton gig; and following “Winterqueen” in its only 2014 appearance on 10/27/14 in San Francisco. 

Watch A Day in the Life on YouTube Phish, "A Day in the Life" – 6/17/12, Atlantic City, NJ

(Lennon/McCartney)
© Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC.

I read the news today oh boy
About a lucky man who made the grade
And though the news was rather sad
Well I just had to laugh
I saw the photograph
He blew his mind out in a car
He didn't notice that the lights had changed
A crowd of people stood and stared
They'd seen his face before
Nobody was really sure
If he was from the House of Lords

I saw a film today oh boy
The English Army had just won the war
A crowd of people turned away
But I just had to look
Having read the book
I'd love to turn you on

Woke up, fell out of bed
Dragged a comb across my head
Found my way downstairs and drank a cup
And looking up, I noticed I was late
Found my coat and grabbed my hat
Made the bus in seconds flat
Found my way upstairs and had a smoke
Somebody spoke and I went into a dream

I read the news today oh boy
Four thousand holes in Blackburn, Lancashire
And though the holes were rather small
They had to count them all
Now they know how many holes it takes to fill the Albert Hall
I'd love to turn you on