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When Bob Dylan writes a song and Jimi Hendrix makes it famous, you know it has got to be good. “All Along the Watchtower” made its debut on Bob Dylan’s 1967 album John Wesley Harding. However, it is the version on Hendrix’s 1968 Electric Ladyland that most of us think of when this song is mentioned.

Phish has only performed “Watchtower” twice to date. Both times their take leaned a little more towards Jimi’s soaring, psychedelic version that became an anthem of sorts during the Vietnam War. A guest musician who uses “Watchtower” as a signature song spurred one appearance on; the other helped make it famous. The first time around on 4/21/94 this song crept out of a drum duet between Fishman and Dave Matthews Band drummer Carter Beauford, with Dave Matthews himself taking the lead vocals as he has done in his own shows for years. Funny it should begin with a drum solo; the next time it appeared was when Merl Saunders and Buddy Miles took the stage with Phish for the encore on 10/22/96 at Madison Square Garden. Although present on Electric Ladyland, Buddy was not the drummer on Hendrix’s original cut. But playing drums for Jimi’s Band of Gypsys (and beyond) he certainly did his part to make this song famous. With Phish, he not only played the drums (while Fishman played Trey’s drum kit), he also took the vocals.

(Dylan)
©Dwarf Music

“There must be some way out of here,” said the joker to the thief
“There’s too much confusion, I can’t get no relief
Businessmen, they drink my wine, plowmen dig my earth
None of them along the line know what any of it is worth”

“No reason to get excited,” the thief, he kindly spoke
“There are many here among us who feel that life is but a joke
But you and I, we’ve been through that, and this is not our fate
So let us not talk falsely now, the hour is getting late”

All along the watchtower, princes kept the view
While all the women came and went, barefoot servants, too

Outside in the distance a wildcat did growl
Two riders were approaching, the wind began to howl