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"This is a very interesting sociological experiment to find out how quickly word can spread." --Trey 3/13/92

        The French phrase, "Langue D’oc" refers to an old dialect of Southern France ("Language of the ‘oc’") but more importantly this dialect implies a secret language used by the troubadours, poets and knights from the era of Courtly Love (11th Century, Southern France) to woo their mistress without the husband finding our; It was a language for the poets of Arthurian Legend to enchant and enrapture, entrance and entice married ladies to the world of adulterous pleasures.

        Phish’s language, one of music, can also enchant and enrapture. Perhaps then it is best if we call it mere coincidence that Phish’s sound engineer’s last name is spelled "Languedoc." Truth be told, it doesn’t really matter one way or the other—Phish’s secret language has little to do with Arthurian Legends and Courts of Love and everything to do with mad science and participatory experimentation.

        On March 6, 1992, at the Portsmouth Music Hall in Portsmouth, NH, the band interrupted its second set to let the audience in on a secret. Phish had been using musical signals on stage with each other for many years, but decided to cue the audience in for the first time, even making up new crowd participation signals, like "all fall down," on the spot.

        Phish would give a number of tutorials through 1992, informing audiences in Providence, RI (3/13/92), Binghamton, NY (3/20/92), Atlanta, GA (3/28/92), Eugene, OR (4/22/92), Minneapolis, MN (4/29/92), and Port Chester, NY (5/14/92). More than five years later, the experiment was still continuing, though the band hasn’t offered a formal lesson since its first trip to Florida on 2/22/93.

        The signals sometimes feel like the most inside of inside jokes to those who don’t catch a signal at a show, but this is not a joke. This is an experiment. This is an ongoing conversation between band and audience. It is a language comprised of a musical call and a verbal and/or physical response.

        The conversation begins by two musical cues that the band may play in any song or jam at any given time. The first cue is always the same: a high pitched trill, usually played on guitar by Trey, or sometimes on piano by Page or on bass by Mike. The second cue varies, depending on what the band wants to "say." There are five options:

        Simpson’s "D’oh." Easily the most well-known and perhaps the easiest of all language signals. When Trey plays a quick riff on the Simpson’s theme song, the knowing audience yells "D’oh."

        All Fall Down. The band announces this signal by playing a series of four "falling," descending notes, each note bent down from the previous one. When the listener hears this, they are being told to fall down, along with the band. No one is to stand until the music resumes.

        Turn, Turn, Turn. A take on the song by the Birds. When the band plays the melody line to the chorus, the audience is supposed to turn around and pretend that the band is playing at the back of the venue as opposed to the stage (This trick is one Phish has pretty much left in the bag since first teaching it to the audience.)

        Sing a Random Note. This one is marked by the band playing a circus-like theme, after which participants are to sing a random note. Most audience members generally imitate the high-pitched "lahh" favored by the band.

        Ah Fuck! The only part of the language not explained to the audience at the first lesson, this was officially introduced on 5/14/92. This involves Trey making a muted brushing sound against the strings of his guitar, followed by the music stopping and the entire crowd, and band, yelling "Ah Fuck!" as Trey lifts his hand to the crowd while holding one finger back, as if the end of it was cut off.

        The frequency of Secret Language signals has diminished considerably in recent years. While they surfaced regularly in 1992 and 1993, by 1994 they qualified as a special treat, and an absolute rarity thereafter.

        But it would seem that in the signal’s relative absence, their recognition by the audience has only grown.

        In the secret laboratories of the Phish.net, fans have started creating their own signals, like the "Hood!" chant in Harry Hood, without informing the band beforehand. What started off as a "sociological experiment" has turned into an unstoppable beast: The lab animals have escaped and now may show up, unannounced at any given moment in any Phish jam. The experiment has won.

---Benjy Eisen