Phish.net

Watch Middle of the Road on YouTube Leo" style="text-decoration:none">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hcsugfCFTgY[/youtube][credit]Leo Kotke/Mike Gordon – “Middle of the Road”

There were infinite reasons to be elated about the reunion of Phish. One of these reasons is being able to see some of the solo project material adapted by the band, and the songs of the Leo Kotke/Mike Gordon duo were full of potential. It took seven years for "Middle of the Road" to find itself into Phish's rotation, and it held promise to be a great new addition. With Mike leading the vocals, and Page tickling the ivories, the twangy "Middle of the Road" has a renewed energy and the harmonious chorus is ridiculously catchy. 

Watch Middle of the Road on YouTube Phish “Middle of the Road” – 8/14/09, Hartford, CT. Video by HarpuaFSB.

Two versions were performed by Phish, the debut on 8/8/09, and a more polished follow up at the Hartford show on 8/14/09. Unfortunately, those two performances seem to be the only two Phish will play, but the song became a regular in Mike's solo band's setlists for a couple years after '09. "Middle of the Road" was also a staple on Mike and Leo Kottke's 2002 tour in support of Clone.

Watch Middle of the Road on YouTube Mike Gordon  “Middle of the Road” – 11/13/10, Boulder, CO. Video by Bradley Carver.

Last significant update: 11/29/23

(Kottke)
© Round Wound Sound, Inc. (ASCAP)

There's a city on the plain
Made of fire; made of rain
Brains and baseball; jails and bars
Kids on skateboards; clods on cars

Build some jails; burn the streets
Sell some lifetime made of tees
Lose the genius made of sand
Selling lifeboats made of bland

There's a window in the wall
Shut the window in the wall

She's not broken; that she am
Steals her peaches from the can
When she fall, it's when she ran
Words in common; loving hand

There's a window in the wall
Shut the window in the wall