My Problem Right There

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History

“My Problem Right There” was one of three collaborations between Trey and Amanda Green introduced to Phish’s repertoire in 2010 (see “Burn That Bridge” and “Summer of ‘89”). The song is another from the musical Hands on a Hard Body based on the documentary of the same name, which premiered at the La Jolla Playhouse in 2012.

Hands on a Hard Body was a 1997 documentary film by S.R. Bindler about two dozen people who have to endure standing with one hand on a brand new Nissan truck the longest, and the winner takes the truck home as a prize. The song’s inspiration is one of those contestants, Ronald McCowan, a self-professed “country boy” brimming with the confidence that he can outlast everyone and bring home the truck.

Relying on a diet of oranges and Snickers bars, he is one of the most magnetic personalities in the contest. In one of his pre-interviews he tells the story of how he knows he won’t be able to sleep the night before the contest. “My mind’s gonna be focused on that truck... I’m gonna tell my mind, step back now. Go to sleep. I don’t know how in the world I’m gonna go to sleep that night, because that’s gonna be my problem right there.”

Jacob Ming-Trent - "My Problem Right There" Video by Amanda Green

Initial versions exemplify the band working on fine tuning a song’s arrangement and timing on stage. In the 10/10/10 debut version Mike added a brief interlude with the sound of snoring after the “In the shade of the heat, I can nap anywhere“ lyric. This was never repeated, and by the third performance, Trey had significantly improved upon the delivery of the lyrics and the flow between the start and stop melody, just in time to put it on the proverbial shelf.

The song itself is smacks of influence from Little Feat, which may come as no surprise as its development coincided with rehearsals for Phish's performance of Waiting for Columbus in Atlantic City on 10/31/10. 

Phish ”My Problem Right There” – 10/22/10, Providence, RI. Video by notmkdevo.    

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