Julius

Album: Hoist (1994)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Longtime Phish lyricist Tom Marshall wrote the words; frontman Trey Anastasio wrote the music. Paul Fox did the editing, mixing, and production.

    Marshall took inspiration for most of the lyrics from Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare. However, the chorus doesn't mean anything at all (according to Marshall himself) - he just threw it together on the way to the studio.

    Shakespeare's Julius Caesar is a tragedy that tells a dramatized version of the Roman dictator who ruled from 100 to 44 BC.
  • A group of gospel singers called The Rickey Grundy Chorale perform on this song. They almost refused to play because of the lyric, "'Cause if you lay it on a brother when he's sleeping, wake up in the morning you'll be gone." Marshall and Phish assured them that the words don't really mean anything and so the chorale agreed to record.
  • The Tower Of Power horn section played on this track. That group has been around since 1968, with their well-respected horn section often appearing on tracks for other artists.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Wedding Bell Blues

Wedding Bell BluesSong Writing

When a song describes a wedding, it's rarely something to celebrate - with one big exception.

Rickie Lee Jones

Rickie Lee JonesSongwriter Interviews

Rickie Lee Jones on songwriting, social media, and how she's handling Trump.

Sarah Brightman

Sarah BrightmanSongwriter Interviews

One of the most popular classical vocalists in the land is lining up a trip to space, which is the inspiration for many of her songs.

Bill Medley of The Righteous Brothers

Bill Medley of The Righteous BrothersSongwriter Interviews

Medley looks back on "Unchained Melody" and "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" - his huge hits from the '60s that were later revived in movies.

Bill Withers

Bill WithersSongwriter Interviews

Soul music legend Bill Withers on how life experience and the company you keep leads to classic songs like "Lean On Me."

The Police

The PoliceFact or Fiction

Do their first three albums have French titles? Is "De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da" really meaningless? See if you can tell in this Fact or Fiction.