| Tom Marshall | |
| Background: | solo_singer |
| Origin: | Princeton, New Jersey |
| Years Active: | 1982–present |
| Current Member Of: | Phish |
Tom Marshall is an American lyricist, keyboardist, and singer-songwriter best known for his association with Trey Anastasio and the rock band Phish.[1] He has been the primary external lyricist for Phish during their career (1983–2000, 2002–2004, 2009–present), with songwriting credits for more than 95 originals. In addition to his songwriting work, Marshall also fronted the rock band Amfibian and hosts the Phish podcast Under the Scales.[2] Marshall is the co-founder of Osiris, a podcast network in partnership with Jambase.
Marshall attended Princeton Day School in New Jersey with Anastasio. The duo began writing songs together as early as the eighth grade (the reggae tune "Makisupa Policeman" is often regarded as the duo's first collaboration and the very first Phish original song). Other early collaborations include Bivouac Jaun, a project recorded by Marshall, Anastasio, and their friend Marc Daubert (who occasionally played percussion with Phish in 1984 and wrote the lyrics to their classic "The Curtain With"). Many of the pieces recorded on Bivouac Jaun appeared on The White Tape. Marshall also was instrumental in influencing The Man Who Stepped into Yesterday, a Phish concept album and song cycle about the mystical land of Gamehendge written by Anastasio and used as his senior thesis at Goddard College in 1987.
Marshall, Anastasio, and friends would meet at The Rhombus, a giant piece of art located in a park next to the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey, and embark on lengthy songwriting sessions. Many characters and locations mentioned in early Phish songs reference these songwriting sessions. In one instance, Marshall wrote the original lyrics to the Gamehendge song "McGrupp and the Watchful Hosemasters" and nailed them to Anastasio's front door. By 1985, Anastasio and Marshall had parted ways as Anastasio became more involved with Phish at the University of Vermont.
Years later in 1989, Marshall apparently heard Phish's Junta album and thought to himself, "these guys really need lyrics." Marshall and Anastasio reunited and began a long songwriting partnership that resulted in over 100 songs over the next fifteen years. Anastasio's 2005 solo album Shine marks the first time since the pre-Junta years that he has not worked with Marshall.
In addition to working closely with Anastasio, Marshall fronts his own band, Amfibian, currently on hiatus.
In the fall of 2010, Marshall collaborated with CT jam band The McLovins to co-write "Cohesive", recorded with Marshall and Anthony Krizan (of Spin Doctors fame) at Krizan's Sonic Boom studios. In mid-November 2010, Marshall joined his longtime friend Trey Anastasio on stage at the historic Richardson Auditorium in Alexander Hall Princeton University bringing them back to their roots.
Marshall has a wife named Lea-Lea, a daughter named Anna and a son named Brodie.
This is an incomplete list of titles whose lyrics Tom Marshall has written or co-written.[3]
| Song | Artist | Album | Year | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Squirming Coil | Phish | Lawn Boy | 1990 | |
| Lawn Boy | Phish | Lawn Boy | 1990 | |
| Bouncing Around the Room | Phish | Lawn Boy | 1990 | |
| Cavern | Phish | A Picture of Nectar | 1992 | |
| Stash | Phish | A Picture of Nectar | 1992 | |
| Guelah Papyrus | Phish | A Picture of Nectar | 1992 | |
| Glide | Phish | A Picture of Nectar | 1992 | |
| Chalk Dust Torture | Phish | A Picture of Nectar | 1992 | |
| Rift | Phish | Rift | 1993 | |
| Fast Enough for You | Phish | Rift | 1993 | |
| Maze | Phish | Rift | 1993 | |
| Sparkle | Phish | Rift | 1993 | |
| Horn | Phish | Rift | 1993 | |
| The Wedge | Phish | Rift | 1993 | |
| My Friend, My Friend | Phish | Rift | 1993 | |
| It's Ice | Phish | Rift | 1993 | |
| The Horse | Phish | Rift | 1993 | |
| Silent in the Morning | Phish | Rift | 1993 | |
| Julius | Phish | Hoist | 1994 | |
| Down with Disease | Phish | Hoist | 1994 | |
| Axilla (Part II) | Phish | Hoist | 1994 | |
| Lifeboy | Phish | Hoist | 1994 | |
| Sample in a Jar | Phish | Hoist | 1994 | |
| Wolfman's Brother | Phish | Hoist | 1994 | |
| Dog Faced Boy | Phish | Hoist | 1994 | |
| Demand | Phish | Hoist | 1994 | |
| Wilson | Phish | A Live One | 1995 | |
| Free | Phish | Billy Breathes | 1996 | |
| Character Zero | Phish | Billy Breathes | 1996 | |
| Waste | Phish | Billy Breathes | 1996 | |
| Taste | Phish | Billy Breathes | 1996 | |
| Talk | Phish | Billy Breathes | 1996 | |
| Theme from the Bottom | Phish | Billy Breathes | 1996 | |
| Swept Away | Phish | Billy Breathes | 1996 | |
| Steep | Phish | Billy Breathes | 1996 | |
| Prince Caspian | Phish | Billy Breathes | 1996 | |
| Ghost | Phish | The Story of the Ghost | 1998 | |
| Birds of a Feather | Phish | The Story of the Ghost | 1998 | |
| Meat | Phish | The Story of the Ghost | 1998 | |
| Guyute | Phish | The Story of the Ghost | 1998 | |
| Fikus | Phish | The Story of the Ghost | 1998 | |
| Shafty | Phish | The Story of the Ghost | 1998 | |
| Frankie Says | Phish | The Story of the Ghost | 1998 | |
| Brian and Robert | Phish | The Story of the Ghost | 1998 | |
| Water in the Sky | Phish | The Story of the Ghost | 1998 | |
| Roggae | Phish | The Story of the Ghost | 1998 | |
| Wading in the Velvet Sea | Phish | The Story of the Ghost | 1998 | |
| The Moma Dance | Phish | The Story of the Ghost | 1998 | |
| End of Session | Phish | The Story of the Ghost | 1998 | |
| NICU | Phish | Hampton Comes Alive | 1999 | |
| Dogs Stole Things | Phish | Hampton Comes Alive | 1999 | |
| Axilla I | Phish | Hampton Comes Alive | 1999 | |
| Farmhouse | Phish | Farmhouse | 2000 | |
| Twist | Phish | Farmhouse | 2000 | |
| Bug | Phish | Farmhouse | 2000 | |
| Back on the Train | Phish | Farmhouse | 2000 | |
| Heavy Things | Phish | Farmhouse | 2000 | |
| Dirt | Phish | Farmhouse | 2000 | |
| Piper | Phish | Farmhouse | 2000 | |
| Sleep | Phish | Farmhouse | 2000 | |
| Sand | Phish | Farmhouse | 2000 | |
| Makisupa Policeman | Phish | Live Phish Volume 1 | 2001 | |
| Buffalo Bill | Phish | Live Phish Volume 6 | 2001 | |
| I Am Hydrogen | Phish | Live Phish Volume 6 | 2001 | |
| Vultures | Phish | Live Phish Volume 6 | 2001 | |
| Strange Design | Phish | Live Phish Volume 12 | 2002 | |
| Sleeping Monkey | Phish | Live Phish Volume 12 | 2002 | |
| Pebbles and Marbles | Phish | Round Room | 2002 | |
| Anything But Me | Phish | Round Room | 2002 | |
| Mexican Cousin | Phish | Round Room | 2002 | |
| Friday | Phish | Round Room | 2002 | |
| Seven Below | Phish | Round Room | 2002 | |
| 46 Days | Phish | Round Room | 2002 | |
| All of These Dreams | Phish | Round Room | 2002 | |
| Walls of the Cave | Phish | Round Room | 2002 | |
| Thunderhead | Phish | Round Room | 2002 | |
| Waves | Phish | Round Room | 2002 | |
| Scents and Subtle Sounds (Intro) | Phish | Undermind | 2004 | |
| Undermind | Phish | Undermind | 2004 | |
| The Connection | Phish | Undermind | 2004 | |
| A Song I Heard the Ocean Sing | Phish | Undermind | 2004 | |
| Crowd Control | Phish | Undermind | 2004 | |
| Nothing | Phish | Undermind | 2004 | |
| Two Versions of Me | Phish | Undermind | 2004 | |
| Scents and Subtle Sounds | Phish | Undermind | 2004 | |
| Secret Smile | Phish | Undermind | 2004 | |
| Grind | Phish | Undermind | 2004 | |
| McGrupp and the Watchful Hosemasters | Phish | Colorado '88 | 2006 | |
| Backwards Down the Number Line | Phish | Joy | 2009 | |
| Stealing Time from the Faulty Plan | Phish | Joy | 2009 | |
| Joy | Phish | Joy | 2009 | |
| Ocelot | Phish | Joy | 2009 | |
| Kill Devil Falls | Phish | Joy | 2009 | |
| Light | Phish | Joy | 2009 | |
| Twenty Years Later | Phish | Joy | 2009 | |
| Devotion to a Dream | Phish | Fuego | 2014 | |
| Winterqueen | Phish | Fuego | 2014 | |
| Sing Monica | Phish | Fuego | 2014 | |
| Blaze On | Phish | Big Boat | 2016 | |
| Running Out of Time | Phish | Big Boat | 2016 | |
| No Men in No Man's Land | Phish | Big Boat | 2016 | |
| Steam | Phish | Sigma Oasis | 2020 | |
| Mercury | Phish | Sigma Oasis | 2020 |