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"My Life as a Pez,” known informally as “The Pez Song,” was first recorded in July 1992 by “Looks too much like Dave” Abrahams. According to Dave, after he came up with the first verse and chorus, he called Tom Marshall and played it for him. Tom encouraged Dave and suggested exactly where the next verse should pick up. If it weren’t for Tom’s excitement, the song might have stopped right there.

The only performance of “My Life As A Pez” by Phish occurred in the opening section of “You Enjoy Myself” on 3/28/93 in Arcata, CA. According to Trey, he was inspired to sing the “Pez Song” because “Somebody gave [the band] a bunch of Pez backstage.” Trey remarked that his friend Dave “the Pez man” wrote the song. Although the song has several verses, Trey sang only one verse at Humboldt: “When you tilt my neck back, don’t you even try to look inside my head and see the sky there. There’s room enough for the two of us.” Trey then whispered: “please give the Pez back to the guy who gave you the Pez. Don’t keep the Pez.” Trey then repeated the “When you tilt my neck back… for the two of us” lyrics once again. And finally, Trey sang: “When you break my neck.” (pause) “When you break my neck.” “Break my neck.” (pause) “Neck.” (pause) “NNnn.”

The second public performance of “My Life as a Pez” was by Dave and his wife Luann at Trey and Sue’s wedding in August 1994. (Apparently, one of the conditions for Fish agreeing to be Trey’s best man was that if wedding guests wanted to see the bride and groom kiss, instead of clinking glassware, they were required to sing the bride and groom a song.) Two verses from “My Life as a Pez” were also performed by Trey at a Bad Hat show on 9/11/94, after he picked up a Dino Pez Dispenser that a fan had put on the stage.

(Abrahams) © 1992

When you fill my heart, don’t forget the string that you use to open the wretched thing
When you tilt my neck back
Don’t you even try
To look inside my head and see the sky there
There’s room enough for the two of us
Choose me from among a thousand equal faces
Tender pride and purchase swell
But your pride mis-happened and misplaced on plastic
Wasted on an empty shell
When you break my neck
Don’t you even try
To look inside my head and see the sky there
There’s room enough for the two of us
In the morning when you rise
I look smaller
Light creeps through me where I lay
Forgive me I can’t help it now, I’ve been shrinking
Wither any love away
And if I should break don’t cry, sweet candy
Love me till I melt away
And if I should break don’t save my candy
Love me till I melt away