On the ultimate stoner holiday, 4/20, let’s take a look at the band’s lone reggae song and herbal reference, “Makisupa Policeman.” This article was first posted a year ago today and I excerpted the intro below with a link to the entire piece.
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Of all the musical genres in which Phish dabbles, reggae is, perhaps, the least significant. With mere passages of “Harry Hood” and “Slave” flirting with a roots-based groove, “Makisupa Policeman” is Phish’s lone original foray into the genre. A relic from the band’s stonier days, “Makisupa” is actually the first known publicly played Phish original, making its debut on 10.23.84. Mentioning this fact in Philadelphia on 11.29.03, Trey also also noted that its lyrics were written by Tom Marshall as a kid. Though it was the “original Phish song,” the band’s homage to ganja has been somewhat of a rarity throughout their career. Always eliciting comedic cheers with Trey’s chosen “keyword,“ ”Makisupa” is Phish’s only musical reference to many fans’ recreational smoke. Usually highlighted by the creative dub lines of Gordon, this song has played multiple roles throughout Phish’s career….Read on!
Click here to read the entire post strewn with audio clips!
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“Makisupa -> Night Nurse -> Makisupa” 10.26.2010 II
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“Makisupa” 10.4.99 Normal, IL II
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