Phish - The Lizards Lyrics






Passing through the corridor I came upon an aging knight
Who leaned against the wall in gnarly armor
He was on his way to see the king
Wilson
Wilson
Wilson
He led me through the streets of Prussia talking
As he tried to crush a bug that scurried underneath his bootheel
He said there was a place where we should go
So he lead me through the forest to the edge of a lagoon by which
We wandered 'til we reached a bubbly spring
The knight grew very quiet as we stood there
Then he lifted up his visor and he turned to me and he began to sing

[Chorus:]
He said I come from the land of darkness
I said I come from the land of doom
He said I come from the land of Gamehendge
From the land of the big baboon
But I'm never never going back there
And I couldn't if I tried
'Cause I come from the land of Lizards
And the Lizards they have died
And the Lizards they have died
And the Lizards they have died
And the Lizards they have died

He told me that the Lizards were a race of people practically extinct
From doing things smart people don't do
He said that he was once a Lizard too
His name was Rutherford the Brave and he was on a quest to save
His people from the fate that lay before them.
Their clumsy end was perilously near
The Lizards would be saved, he said, if they could be enlightened
By the writings of the Helping Friendly Book
In all of Prussia only one existed
And Wilson had declared that any person who possessed it was a crook

[Chorus]

The Helping Friendly Book, it seemed, possessed the ancient secrets
Of eternal joy and never-ending splendor
The trick was to surrender to the flow
We walked along beneath the moon
He lead us through the bush 'till soon
We saw before our eyes a raging river
He said that we could swim it if we tried
And saying this the knight dove in forgetting that his suit of arms
Would surely weigh him down and so he sunk
And as his body disappeared before me
I bowed my head in silence and remembered all thoughts that he had thunk

[chorus]

But Rutherford and Forbin weren't alone. And suddenly an unexpected movement caught his eye. On the far side of the river he saw a shaggy creature standing in the weeds who stared across at Forbin with an unrelenting gaze. A gigantic mass of muscles and claws. The hideous beast reared back and hurled himself in the water and swam toward the region where Rutherford lay. And in a flash, the beast was gone, underneath the surface to the frosty depths below while Forbin, bewildered, waited alone. The seconds dragged by in what seemed like hours till finally the colonel felt it all had been a dream. Defeated, he bowed his head then turned to go. Suddenly with a roar, the creature emerged before him and held the brave knight's body to the sky. And the creature laid the knight upon the shore. And the colonel fell beside his friend in prayer that he'd survive. And Rutherford, brave Rutherford was alive.

Forbin and the unit monster were crouched over the soggy knight carefully removing his bulky helmet when the colonel heard a sound behind him. He turned around and came face to face with an enormous shaggy horse-like creature covered from head to tail with alternating blotches of brown and white. It was a two-toned multi-beast, and atop the multi-beast sat the most beautiful woman the colonel had ever seen. After fifty-two years of undaunted bachelorhood, the colonel felt a feeling rush over him as he had never felt before.





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Phish The Lizards Comments
  1. m.... ....

    This jam gives me chills every time. Trey leads us on an incredible journey. Soft & smooth to power & deliberate. Beautiful music

  2. L.... ....

    This is magnificent! Thank you for sharing. Much love!

  3. S.... K....

    YouTube put a motherfucking ad right in the middle of this. What the fuck? That is not ok. Fuck you, Google.

    S.... K....

    Sick of this shit lol

  4. R.... D....

    7 minute mark Page. Wow. I was there

  5. J.... H....

    23 years ago today. Feels like just yesterday

  6. P.... ....

    listen ad free with adblock

  7. R.... D....

    strap on your crunch trunks and dive in!

  8. j.... ....

    To all the people saying you were there for this, phuck u! I’m jelly

  9. C.... F....

    Seen Phish in Providence Ri in fall 96 then they also played a show out in New Haven and Hartford shows i went inside 2 out of the 3 that season.. Shaweet

  10. C.... F....

    This song was my fav.. I love the story telling and sweet sounds...

  11. M.... ....

    Such a dope PRS

  12. L.... W....

    Wtf did I find.... these guys would be booed off the stage in the first audition of America’s Got Talent.

  13. R.... W....

    Terrible place for an ad. For copyrighted material you don't own.

  14. J.... S....

    As a substitute kindergarten teacher this is one of the kids favorite jams they love to hear and dance to the lizard song lol had a few parents ask about it like wtf are they talkin about this lizard song you guys dance 2 lol

  15. C.... H....

    That outro is so iconic

  16. S.... M....

    It's amazing to watch play rythym as well as lead. His chord knowledge and voicing runs deep. There's alot to learn grom him.

  17. A.... R....

    Love Trey's groove moves during Pages' solo! He's feelin' it

  18. M.... B....

    amazahzing

  19. C.... ....

    I was peeking during this song. I'll never forget this jam. It was one of the most beautiful days.

  20. F.... G....

    Passing through the corridor I came upon an aging knight
    Who leaned against the wall in gnarly armor
    He was on his way to see the king

    Wilson
    Wilson
    Wilson

    He led me through the streets of Prussia talking
    As he tried to crush a bug that scurried underneath his boot heel
    He said there was a place where we should go

    So he lead me through the forest to the edge of a lagoon by which
    We wandered 'til we reached a bubbly spring
    The knight grew very quiet as we stood there
    He lifted up his visor and he turned to me and he began to sing

    He said I come from the land of darkness
    I said I come from the land of doom
    He said I come from the land of Gamehendge
    From the land of the big baboon
    But I'm never never going back there
    And I couldn't if I tried
    'Cause I come from the land of Lizards
    And the Lizards they have died
    And the Lizards they have died
    And the Lizards they have died
    And the Lizards they have...

    He told me that the Lizards were a race of people practically extinct
    From doing things smart people don't do
    He said that he was once a Lizard, too
    His name was Rutherford the Brave and he was on a quest to save
    The people from the fate that lay before them
    Their clumsy end was perilously near

    The Lizards would be saved, he said, if they could be enlightened
    By the writings of the Helping Friendly Book
    In all of Prussia only one existed
    And Wilson had declared that any person who possessed it was a crook

    He said I come from the land of darkness
    I said I come from the land of doom
    He said I come from the land of Gamehendge
    From the land of the big baboon
    But I'm never never going back there
    And I couldn't if I tried
    'Cause I come from the land of Lizards
    And the Lizards they have died
    And the Lizards they have died
    And the Lizards they have died
    And the Lizards they have…

    The Helping Friendly Book, it seemed, possessed the ancient secrets
    Of eternal joy and never-ending splendor
    The trick was to surrender to the flow

    We walked along beneath the moon
    He lead us through the bush 'til soon
    We saw before our eyes a raging river
    He said that we could swim it if we tried

    And saying this the knight dove in forgetting that his suit of arms
    Would surely weigh him down and so he sunk
    And as his body disappeared before me
    I bowed my head in silence and remembered all thoughts that he had thunk

    He said I come from the land of darkness
    I said I come from the land of doom
    He said I come from the land of Gamehendge
    From the land of the big baboon
    But I'm never never going back there
    And I couldn't if I tried
    'Cause I come from the land of Lizards
    And the Lizards they have woah whoa whoa

  21. G.... H....

    There was 3 sets this is afternoon VT orchestra played after

  22. A.... K....

    Somehow I cannot help myself but thinking that when Jimmy Buffet meets Grateful Dead you apparently get something Phantastic.

  23. L.... ....

    Why does the drummer always wear the same dress outfit ?

    L.... ....

    Holy crap, been listening to them since '93. Just noticed that.

    L.... ....

    For good luck

  24. C.... B....

    the outro always sounds like the end of video game to me. Would love to hear it in 16-bit like SNES

  25. J.... H....

    What a fine weekend indeed! Glad I was there!

  26. l.... ....

    Oh man, old school Phish is so, so good. So sweet. I remember coming back to my place after the bar and listening to this in the car with my good buddy Ben. He started writhing around. I was a little worried, so I asked what was wrong. He said, "The music! The music's got me, Bug!"

    It's got me too. I've been captured by it. I'm its prisoner, its torture victim, its lover, its darling little baby. I can't get enough of it inside me, yet I keep on trying. I keep pouring it into me, even though I'm overflowing. I'm melted. I'm crying.

    And the next toon on autoplay is The Divided Sky. I might die. But at least I'll die happy.

  27. t.... ....

    I miss this tone Trey had on his guitar. Fisman’s drums were mic’ed better back then too. Still love PHISH though!

  28. I.... C....

    Willllsoooooon

  29. K.... C....

    Trey is melting people's faces off

  30. C.... C....

    I was there. During divided sky it rained. Then it cleared up. Then it was sunset. Later that night they were playing on the back of a flatbed truck. God Bless Plattsburgh

  31. M.... P....

    Oh man this was my first show! Blown away and hooked ever since! I was so lucky to grow up in New England and 20 years old! Oh what fun! I’m glad glad glad that You’re alive!

    M.... P....

    Nice my first was a 3 day run in indy. first concert, first time taking more then 1 hit of lsd, first time i wanted to stop cutting my hair and wearing shoes lol still cut the top but shoes come off in spring until next winter

  32. #.... 6....

    So many white shirts.

  33. P.... S....

    one of the best times of my life here, the lill play town they had set up doing match sessions in the lill fake post office.... lol... i was out of my skull i think. also i think shakedown was prolly the best set up of any show ive ever been to, so many stands... not commercial stands but tons of awesome talent in hand crafted items from just awesome lot folk... see back than and even a couple years earlier the lot was chill and not spangy, dope wasnt so out of hand or apparent then or atleast to an obvious point.... i am glad to see the band playing together again or still... i havent been to a Phish show in about a decade. i do miss those good ole dayz though... im just glad i did get to partake in many an excursion though..... o/ keep rockin guyz, be safe, responsible and have tons of Phunnn

  34. R.... C....

    If you are feeling down listen to this.................best medicine ever

  35. M.... F....

    Brings back so many great great memories !!

  36. t.... g....

    love fish...rec specs....kurt ramsey style

  37. E.... ....

    Hottt Show xxxx

  38. D.... C....

    Chills around 9:30.

  39. h.... ....

    Everything about this song is amazing....but Page..wow...off the charts!

  40. S.... ....

    Trey's Grinch shirt is Life

  41. C.... P....

    This song is everything

  42. T.... S....

    I was 18, about to enter college, but wanted one last weekend with my high school friends before we parted ways.

    You couldn't have asked for a better weekend than the Clifford Ball.

  43. R.... N....

    That outro is just fuckin sick

  44. D.... I....

    Esta banda la descubrí hace pocos días y la verdad es que me tiene muy enganchado, son originales, interesantes y tienen groove. Bajé varios temas a mi celular. Que agradable!!

  45. H.... M....

    I was there. My first Phish show.

    H.... M....

    Harry Moore this was your first show!? Awesome!

  46. e.... e....

    Trite, but Thank You Phishes! A new standard has been set.

  47. e.... e....

    These guys are in their early 30s when this was happening. I'm 38.. I completely give up music!

  48. J.... ....

    Whats up with everyone wearing white?

    J.... ....

    JDRoy25 we wanted to see how dirty we were by Sunday?? I don't recall

    J.... ....

    JDRoy25 it's the 90s...people back then were smart enough to realize white shirts are much cooler in the hot sun than dark colored shirts.

  49. C.... M....

    I was there!

  50. S.... N....

    Sorry for not gettinng into Phish back then, there was just too much good music everywhere you looked. Wonder what the next big thing will be.

  51. B.... T....

    Always loved this one live

  52. c.... ....

    man i want that shirt

  53. N.... ....

    thats a lot of white shirts

    N.... ....

    it's a lot of white people.

  54. M.... H....

    It's all about the Rec Specs...viva Henrietta!

  55. L.... S....

    You are witnessing an historic event; this particular set is THE set; the pinnacle, the top, the Cornell '76, the moment that every cylinder was firing for this band. I was at this show, next to the tapers and I will never forget the profound and industrial energy at this show.

    L.... S....

    Jonathan Graham what d’ya mean “no?”

    L.... S....

    I respectfully disagree, and I was at this show, as well as 12/31/95-1/1/96. This show was crazy, no doubt. An epic performance. Happy to have witnessed it (although as a very high and tired young man lol)
    12/31/95 MSG takes the cake, though. I still have never heard them any better than that night/early morning. That's one of the few concerts I wish I could teleport through spacetime back to one more time.

    L.... S....

    jpwjr1199 cool story bro! That’s awesome!

    L.... S....

    I ve seen over 125+ widespread panic shows ,I think I know what I m talking about.

    L.... S....

    @jpwjr1199 I could have left that show satisfied after Reba. Drowned as a way to keep us interested in set 2 wasn't bad either!

  56. P.... J....

    Face-melting. The perfect Phish song.

  57. A.... G....

    Page rips this

    A.... G....

    Smokes let's go

    A.... G....

    Hahaha sup Kyle you dirty mustard tiger

    A.... G....

    That all depends, Steve. Can you go fuck yourself?? Ha!

  58. C.... F....

    I was 19 at this show and had been fully initiated into the scene. Sugarbush 94-95 was a proper induction to the festival type Phish show, this became biggggg, CB was close to 100,000 folks, almost 3 times bigger then MagnaBall. Had a killer NYE run and wish you all a fantastic 2016

    C.... F....

    Craig Fishburn Phish in the middle of nowhere. What an experience

    C.... F....

    Can someone animate this so I can finally explain it to my family?

    C.... F....

    Christopher Cummings just make them listen to it. I had to force my mom to listen to it, but once I played this, YEM, and Water in the Sky, she finally got it.

  59. J.... C....

    One of the best Lizards! I was there too...oh so long ago....

  60. k.... m....

    someone should animate the man who stepped into yesterday

    k.... m....

    Or make a movie

    k.... m....

    Been waiting for that for years honesty suprised it hasnt been done yet

    k.... m....

    https://youtu.be/eb4aGSKlrTs

  61. s.... ....

    Gotta love the Lizards

  62. c.... ....

    This song changed my life

    c.... ....

    J Dilla changed my life.

    c.... ....

    true true

    c.... ....

    same here

    c.... ....

    cwesley2005 the Grateful Dead saved my life ...Phish just enhanced it

    c.... ....

    thats cool, brah - my life, on the other hand, was changed by crack...

  63. B.... P....

    Lizards is the definition of Phish, improv, jazz, soul, rock, jam, face altering and ear melting.

    B.... P....

    Truth. Have thought the same thing many a time.

    B.... P....

    and gamehendge

    B.... P....

    this shit is retarded

    B.... P....

    ...quintessential PHiSH

    B.... P....

    Prime Phish

  64. s.... ....

    Sip of cold beer for Gordo at .10.

  65. C.... G....

    5:18...what's Trey doing with his hips??

    C.... G....

    dancing... they do that a lot when they play.  

    C.... G....

    @Christopher Graham Stop looking at a man's hips.

    C.... G....

    Grooving. That's nothing, you should all the white boys in the crowd grooving. Quite a sight to behold. I can say that because I'm one of those dancing white boys.

    C.... G....

    MrShaggy1016 it is definitely something to see but if you're a true Phan then standing still seems even weirder am I right?

    C.... G....

    This was my first Phish show, if I remember correctly he's got a hula hoop that can only be seen with a special set of eyes. I also saw many other strange and wonderful things this evening!

  66. D.... L....

    The crowd is like snow... love it!

  67. M.... B....

    This was such a great weekend.

  68. S.... A....

    Phish your drummer is so tight.

    S.... A....

    It’s his band so yeah

    S.... A....

    His name is Bob Weaver silly

    S.... A....

    @bobaloochi Bob Weir** he always wears the dress like Jerry Garcino

    S.... A....

    Her name is Henrietta.

  69. r.... ....

    I was there man!!!

  70. E.... C....

    Gordon.

  71. R.... L....

    clifford fuckin ball. unbelievable

  72. M.... ....

    Does this band make any sense??

    M.... ....

    Plenty of sense & cents!

    M.... ....

    does it matter?

    M.... ....

    @Christopher Graham Credit or Debit?

    M.... ....

    mannysCW1 with a Fee as well.

  73. L.... B....

    lizards :)

  74. s.... h....

    I wish I could've been at this show, shit looks legendary!

  75. A.... C....

    Mike Gordon kinda looks like Big Bird

    A.... C....

    They all have a muppetish quality to them :)

    A.... C....

    https://www.phantasytour.com/bands/phish/threads/4472867/mike-gordon-kinda-looks-like-big-bird

    A.... C....

    Big Bird has better hair

  76. K.... ....

    i dont' want to argue because I know many of you are as steadfast and passionate in our opinions as I am so we're not going to change anyone's mind in back and forth debating that inevitably ends in insults...buuuuuuuttttt....this is Phish's peak IMO, it was all downhill from here.  I think there were some incredible moments in 97, the NYE run was one of my favorite things ever but looking back at the turn of the century...i don't think it was 2000 it was a few years before...and this to me is their watermark, like H.S.Thompson's wave speech....you can see where the wave reached high up and receded........  

    K.... ....

    @John Wise my first show was great woods 94.. my last show was coventry...i definitely need to see them again as coventry was not a good musical experience.  

    K.... ....

    @KhalDrogo76 I jumped on in 96' and toured hard through 2001...Last really big event was Big Cypress. Caught a few shows here and there from 2001 - Coventry. I really lost touch with Phish, I thought they had lost their mojo. After they broke their hiatus and Trey got his act together, I caught a local TAB show and had a great time. So I decided to catch a Phish show in  2013 (blown away again) needless to say I have been touring as hard as my now adult, fatherhood life will allow.I have not missed many shows since 2013( a few with the help of couch tour) and am now looking forward to the new years Miami run....and a very good 2015.! So come on back brother, we will share in a groove! I think you will love it, like the above person stated, they are different but in a good way. I am not the same person I was in 1996, That is for sure. See you around Phriend!

    K.... ....

    How about that Glide?

    K.... ....

    Everything changed after Big Cypress. I saw them many times from 1996 to 1999 and I'm glad I go to, was some of the most memorable experiences with my friends I ever had.

  77. S.... U....

    Real good stuff! Good memories!

  78. K.... ....

    lotta hair...lots

  79. d.... ....

    whoa. great version. trey doesn't miss a beat.

  80. S.... M....

    majestic as fuck

  81. o.... ....

    I miss those days!!! Will always remember this awakening...thanks!!!

    o.... ....

    It was an awakening for sure!!

  82. D.... C....

    The first and best of the Phish festivals, a soothing balm for frayed deadhead nerves. This weekends' music speaks for itself. 

    D.... C....

    well said

  83. A.... ....

    My favorite Phish song oddly enough

  84. M.... G....

    Sweet, wish I remembered it

  85. g.... ....

    Flawless victory.

  86. R.... J....

    He read the book I tell you

  87. C.... .....

    When I think of Clifford Ball, I think of acid..I'm not sure why though....

  88. M.... H....

    Casey boy brought me here

  89. U.... F....

    the only good thing that ever came out of plattsburgh. too bad i was only 6 when this epic weekend took place

  90. M.... C....

    hey, there I am!

  91. b.... ....

    Look at that neckbeard. Wow.

  92. B.... M....

    fukin LUV Phish!!! 7/3 baby!!!

  93. J.... B....

    Excellent.

  94. P.... M....

    Great musicians!

  95. C.... ....

    i want that damn shirt

  96. M.... S....

    Fishman has a "Madonna Microphone." Look at that sea of white folks. Listen to those out of tune harmonies. Still I love this band!

  97. d.... m....

    Paige's look of glee before the chorus hits is priceless!

  98. K.... ....

    Now this is phish at it's phinest!