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Prior to appearing on Big Boat, “Running Out of Time,” circulated as an outtake from the Round Room sessions (as “Running Scared”). The song is by all indications a song about someone coming to terms with addiction. Whereas earlier Trey compositions like “Push On Till the Day” seemed to glorify what can euphemistically be called the rock and roll lifestyle, “Running Out of Time” paints a picture of a more troubled person, though the song is devoid of the implicit judgment in a song like “Gone,” written years later. 

Watch Running Out of Time on YouTube "Running Scared" Round Room Outakes

The Round Room version is almost a demo… a half-baked song on an album of not-entirely-baked ideas, as if Trey didn’t know what to do with the song on a musical or personal level. From there, the song was put on ice (by Phish, at least) for the better part of fourteen years until it emerged at a soundcheck on 7/1/16. It would not be played that night or at all on the summer 2016 tour.  The seemingly random appearance finally made sense upon the release of the more polished version on Big Boat (featuring an oh-so-brief guitar solo and even a few bars of whistling, but dropping the “never been chosen” verse”). Since then, “Running Out of Time” appeared twice on the Fall 2016 tour (unsurprisingly, in the first set both times). 

So, why the “by Phish” qualifier, above? Well, Tom Marshall’s band, Amfibian, released a version of the song (as “Thunderclap”) on their 2007 album Skip the Goodbyes. The Amfibian rendition is drastically different from either Phish version; it’s reimagined as a straight ahead rocker. For those of you keeping score at home, Song Titles are currently leading Phish appearances 3-2 but that could change, as in this game we’re not running out of time.

(Anastasio/Marshall)
© Who Is She? Music, Inc. (BMI)

A flash of light
Another moment stolen from my soul
A thunderclap
Again I must surrender all control

Sudden noises startle me
And strange things in my mind
Haunt me and I'm running scared
Running out of time
Running out of time

There are days when sunlight
Seems to lift me from my bed
And other times I face the light
With eyelids full of lead

Light and dark pass quickly by
With no dividing line
I follow but I'm running scared
Running out of time
Running out of time
Running out of time
Running out of time

(Repeat x 2)

[Round Room version, aka "Running Scared"]

Running out of time (running out of time)
Running out of time (running out of time)
Running out of time
Never been chosen (running out of time)
Selected, preferred (running out of time)
Singled out of favor (running out of time)
As far as I've heard (running out of time)

But there's a red mark on my shoulder, and so
Maybe god touched me
And I didn't know (running out of time)