Phish.net > Charts > Narration Chart: "Icculus", 1994-06-22

[Game 7 of the NBA Finals between the New York Knicks and the Houston Rockets was played on this date. As “2001” is getting started to kick off the second set, TREY notes, “I’d like to start this set off by saying, ‘First quarter, Houston by five’”. Hakeem Olajuwon’s 25 points led all scorers that night, as Houston won the championship.]
[segue in from “Simple,” with chorus continuing as background vocals]

TREY: You’re standing up on top of the skyscraper. You might be standing up on top of the skyscraper. You might be standing on top of the skyscraper. You might be playing the saxophone. You might be playing bebop. You might be playing your cymbal. Any of those times that you’re playing your cymbal, you’re playing bebop, you’re standing on top of your skyscraper.

There’s one thing I think everybody should remember. Even if you’re playing in the NBA Finals and you’re winning by five points, it doesn’t do any good if you didn’t start with one special thing. Just remember that at any of those times, that you damn well have better read the fucking book! You know what I’m talking about?! I don’t care who you are. You can be Kareem, Hakeem, Shaleem, any of those people.

FISH: You’d better read the book. You’d better read the book. You! YOU! Had better. Read. The Book!

FISH: What?

TREY: Yeah you know which book I’m talking about?

FISH: What? You think you’re too good for the book?

TREY: You think you can go through life without reading the book? You think you can just float around and do all those things that you do, you know, running around, causing trouble, doing this kind of thing, doing that kind of thing? But you’re nothing without reading the book. Nothing. You are nothing...

FISH: Read the book.

TREY: You are nothing without reading the book.

PAGE: Read the book.

TREY: If you could read the book…if you could read the book, your life would be different because you’ll have meaning in your life. Help me out. Everybody help me out here. [Background vocals soar] You’ve gotta read the book! Read the book! Read it! Because you know, you know who wrote the book? You know, it wasn’t just any old person who wrote that book that you’re probably going to read…When you read it you’ll understand the deep underlying meaning: how you can save your life. Save your life. Save. Your. Life. Save it! You might think that your life was okay. You might think that everything is fine. But you are wrong. You’re wrong. You’re all wrong. Until…

FISH: Save your life! Save your life!

TREY: Book! You read the book! Read it! Read it! Read it! Read it! Read the fucking book!

FISH: Save your life! Save your life!

TREY: Read it! Read the book and save your life! Save your life! Save your life! Read it! Read it! Read! The! Book! Read it!

[“Icculus” continues]