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When Trey Anastasio performed on 7/24/05 at the 10,000 Lakes Festival, he not only unveiled a new lineup for his 70 Volt Parade project, but he also debuted three songs that would eventually be released on his first post-Coventry album, Shine. Along with the title track, the tunes debuted that night that wound up on the LP were "Invisible" and the poppy rocker "Tuesday."

Unlike the majority of songs Trey has written, "Tuesday" was developed in the studio and wasn't road tested before it was recorded. Anastasio worked out his third "day" song ("Ether Sunday," "Friday") with producer Brendan O'Brien after flying down to the famed producer's studio in Atlanta with just a backpack in tow. It took Brendan and Trey just one day – the second or third day of their sessions in Atlanta – to work out the arrangements for Tuesday and to record "virtually" all of the tune. O'Brien plays bass, drums and keyboards and also sings backing vocals on the version that made Shine. In fact, besides Brendan and Trey, the only other musician who performed on the track was percussionist Cyro Baptista. 

Watch Tuesday on YouTube "Tuesday" – 02/08/10, Jefferson Theatre

"Tuesday," like many of the songs on Shine, has a light and happy feel to it as do the lyrics. It tells the tale of a protagonist who is slow dancing with their "Mary-Ann" and the hope the protagonist has for the future, "when the beat slows down." There's not much to one of the poppier songs Anastasio has ever written, only three verses, a bridge and a chorus that gets repeated generously throughout the radio-friendly composition. 

Ever since its debut on 7/24/05, "Tuesday" has been in heavy rotation for Trey's solo projects. Anastasio played it nearly every night on the Summer '05 tour and through 2011 it has been played once in every two or three TAB gigs since the debut. Considering "Tuesday's" dependence on backing vocals, it was a surprise that the Gordon, Russo, Anastasio, Benevento band fit "Tuesday" into their setlists during the Summer of 2006. In fact, G.R.A.B. performed the tune at their first four shows before easing up on it for the remainder of the tour. 

While versions of "Tuesday" haven't varied much over the years, check out versions from 8/13/05 (70 Volt Parade), 11/18/05 (the only acoustic version to date, with Jen and Christina on backing vocals) 12/6/05 (Raymond Weber on drums), 7/20/06 (GRAB), 10/27/06 (Jeff Sipe on drums), 12/30/06 (Undectet), 8/7/08 (Classic TAB) and 2/22/11 (TAB Seven-Piece) to hear how the different ensembles have approached "Tuesday." 

(Anastasio/O'Brien)
© Seven Below Inc, BMI

Black water and a feast in the summer
Slow dancin' with the trees all around
I'm spinning in the breeze with my Mary Ann
I like to see her when the sun goes down

One day, maybe Tuesday evening
I'm dancing with the trees all around
One day when the spin slows down

Slow colors as we lift through the canopy
Still laughing with her hair all around
I'm spinning through the trees with my Mary Ann
Flipped over and we drift on down

One day, maybe Tuesday evening
She comes running when her baby comes round
One day, when the beats slow down
I'm dancin' with the trees all around
One day, when the beats slow down
One day, and you can feel it all around
One day, when the beats slow down
One day, and I can see it somehow
One day, when the beats slow down

Rose water is my drink in the summer
I love to see her with her hair hangin' down
Slow dancin' in the trees with my Mary Ann
She comes running when her baby comes round

One day, and you can feel it all around
One day, when the beats slow down
One day, yeah, I can feel it somehow
One day, when the beats slow down

Black water and a feast in the Summer
Slow dancin' with the trees all around
One day, and you can feel it all around
One day, when the beats slow down
One day, and I can see it coming round
One day, when the beats slow down
One day, and I can see it somehow
One day, when the beats slow down