Birds of a Feather

The lyrics are, logically, speaking of
all the people in the world who use you,
abuse you, and drag you down.

"It's easy sometimes when you just coast along
But like it or not something always seems to go wrong"

Even when you think things are going
great for you and relationships are working
out well, something inevitably will change
and things will go bad.

"Sometimes people build you up
Just so they can knock you down
Sometimes they will have you there
Cause they need someone around".

Human nature to a tea. People use others
for their own emotional & social benefit,
people will have others as close friends and
neighbors only for their own selfish uses,
and then drop them whenever they get "done".
Oddly enough, we all are guilty of this
in some way.

"Perhaps you'll receive invitations for tea
Perhaps you'll laugh and make them all smile"

Everybody wants a good time. If you give
of yourself in a good way to the wrong
people, they may only come back to use 
this against you or only want you around
when they need a pick-up. The ultimate in
"using people".

"Or maybe you'll join them 'cause it had to be
Perhaps you'll forget you forgot for awhile"

We become like those around us. If we
are with people who are users and cheaters,
we may sink down to their level. And we
may forget who we truly are, or even
forget that they were even conspiring
against us in the first place and want
to be around them, even though they are
using us. It's easy to be blinded by
someone using love or affection.

"Birds of a feather are flocking outside"

This line sums up the whole song by
speaking of all your enemies, or just 
all the people out there who will use 
you in some way. Just like birds, 
they flock together and it seems so 
much like they conspire against you.

"Like whippets they dance in a curly-queue dance"

They go around in circles, mess with your
head, say one thing and do another, play
mind games, the typical, just to keep you
confused and in wonderment.

"Of pulses and ringing and campfire chants
of ritual drumming although at first glance"

"you thought you could run but you won't take a chance"

Everytime it seems they hurt you really
bad, and you have the chance to get away,
you won't take the chance because you are
afraid you will miss their company. You
have been blinded by what they are saying
and what they are passing themselves off 
as and you refuse to see things they way
they really are and 'get out of town'.

"It's not an experience if they can't bring someone along"

If they're going to drag themselves down,
they figure misery loves company. There's
nothing better to a "player" than the feeling 
of messing somebody's life up.

"they hang on emotions they bottle inside"

You'll never see the real them. Sometimes
they don't know who they are, sometimes they
know perfectly who they are and what they
are doing. And the real truth is they know
who you are and what you are doing. But 
their true emotions will never be seen
by your eyes. If you saw them, they'd lose
the game.

"they peck at the ground and strut out of stride"

They do their business, they are the
birds of a feather of the world and
they are out to get you if you let them.

These are some of my favorite Phish lyrics
because they seem quite true and really relatable. 

I believe there is a quite profound message trying to be conveied in
this song.  Every show I go to I cannot escape the show without hearing
someone or even a whole group of people say that a certain group of 
other people should not be there because of some reason.  But what the
song is saying is that we are all birds of a feather meaning that we are
all the same deep down no matter where we are from, what we look like,
or how many shows we have seen.  We are all here for the same purpose to
gather together to witness the most amazing musical performance in the
galaxy and in the process try and have the craziest time possible.  We
are all addicted to the same thing and that is the feeling we all get
when we go to the show.  Maybe if we put all things aside and talked to
these people we do not think belong at the shows we could all learn
something from each other.  Just remember we are all birds of a feather
flocking outside.

--Mikey Forker

some more current songs, however, have really caught my ear as direct
references to "us." birds of a feather is not only an amazing song musically,
but the lyrics seem very direct. even if trey is talking about tickling a
purple elephants ass with a q-tip, he must realize the references we will
assume when we hear the lyrics to this song.

its not an experience if you dont bring someone along, they _____on emotions
they bottle inside, they peck at the ground and they strut out of
stride...birds of a feather are flocking outside....

without repeating the song word for word, almost every lyric is a reference to
a mistaken identity, and about not being able to travel, to go on the road,
without this fake identity.  i think he's saying, "travel around the country,
around the world, but go alone, without a plan, without a band to follow."
this topic came up on europe winter 97, the fact that the fans and the band
were skipping through these cities and missing so much just to catch some
shows (the best shows ever but thats just my opinion). i think he was truly
bummed we would do that.  i dont think this song is a direct reference to all
of us, but people who travel around the country and dont even like the band,
they just vend or beg their way, are not welcome and he feels pity for them.  

then again, the q-tip and elephant thing could be the only meaning.  peace
out, kid

 I feel that Birds of a Feather is about all the kids outside of the show who couldn't get in! 
-Michael Beaver