Phish.net

Phish’s summer 1997 tour of Europe included stops in some of the most romantic spots of Italy, places of jaw-dropping beauty, history, and revelation. During the 7/6/97 Desenzano, Italy soundcheck, they paused from the whirlwind of emotion for a limbo karaoke contest, full of songs not usually in the Phish repertoire (“You Shook Me All Night Long,” “MmmBop,” “Another One Bites the Dust,” etc). The pause was almost broken, when an audience member sang the lead track from Van Morrison’s Moondance, an album filled with romance, beauty, and revelation even in this simple three-chord (D,C,G) ditty. But its chorus about liking wetness and its three verses – we went fishing but got rained on, we got a ride and then went swimming, and our throats were dry but we found a guy with bottled relief – came across as deadpan. This version is less likely to give you “cotton mouth” (it won’t stone you) than make you want to jump in a lake.

(Morrison)
© Caledonia Productions, Inc. c/o Warner/Chappell Music, Inc. (ASCAP)

Half a mile from the county fair
And the rain keep pourin down
Me and Billy standin there
With a silver half a crown
Hands are full of a fishin rod
And the tackle on our backs
We just stood there gettin wet
With our backs against the fence

Oh, the water
Oh, the water
Oh, the water
Hope it don't rain all day

And it stoned me to my soul
Stoned me just like jelly roll
And it stoned me
And it stoned me to my soul
Stoned me just like goin home
And it stoned me

Then the rain let up and the sun came up
And we were gettin dry
Almost let a pickup truck nearly pass us by
So we jumped right in and the driver grinned
And he dropped us up the road
We looked at the swim and we jumped right in
Not to mention fishing poles

Oh, the water
Oh, the water
Oh, the water
Let it run all over me

And it stoned me to my soul
Stoned me just like jelly roll
And it stoned me
And it stoned me to my soul
Stoned me just like goin home
And it stoned me

On the way back home we sang a song
But our throats were getting dry
Then we saw the man from across the road
With the sunshine in his eyes
Well he lived all alone in his own little home
With a great big gallon jar
There were bottles too, one for me and you
And he said hey! there you are

Oh, the water
Oh, the water
Oh, the water
Get it myself from the mountain stream

And it stoned me to my soul
Stoned me just like jelly roll
And it stoned me
And it stoned me to my soul
Stoned me just like goin home
And it stoned me