Sexy Sadie

• Performances
• History
• Artist
  • Phish
  • Fish
  • Mike
  • Page
  • Trey
  • All

Originally Performed By	The Beatles
Original Album	The Beatles (a.k.a. The White Album) (1968)
Appears On
Music/Lyrics	Lennon/McCartney
Vocals	Page (lead); Mike, Trey (backing)
Historian	Mark Toscano

History

Legend has it that this song was written in response to The Beatles’ discovery, much to their anger and dismay, that their spiritual advisor in India, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, was corrupt and distrustful. “Sexy Sadie” actually criticizes a man – Maharishi himself – for being deceitful and other unpleasant things, warning “her” that: “you’ll get yours yet,” which puts a nice spin on the karmic principles the fakir faker was probably teaching the Fab Four.

For Phish’s 10/31/94 performance of the tune, Page lent his higher vocal range to this underrated, head-bobbing track. The closing chords seem nicely suited to a jangly, exploratory jam, but Phish took pains to maintain tight control on their jamming reins during this set – they had thirty songs to fit into the second set alone!

Phish, "Sexy Sadie" – 10/31/94, Glens Falls, NY

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