The Classicals – "I Was a Fish"

Requested Records

We’re starting this thing off with “I Was A Fish,” a song released by Massachusetts-based band The Classicals in December at the tail end of last year. The track starts with a simple guitar riff that evokes a sort of light-grunge 90s alt-contempo vibe that would have pervaded the radio three decades ago. Think part Butthole Surfers’ “Pepper” part Barenaked Ladies early-album cut. 

As the guitar continues, a swirl of spoken word phrases emerge, alternating between veiled philosophical musings like “I know something that should be said” and a simple, satisfied “oh yeah,” which punctuates nearly each statement. Soon, the guitar turns up to a distorted shoegaze rumble for the chorus, buzzing with a giddy excitement before settling back down into the previous abstract spoken word poetry. 

There’s a falsetto as the instrumental crescendos, then the rest of the song features a cast of friends reading equally silly phrases to the beat, and it all combines into the most beautiful groove I’ve ever heard put to words like “booby booby wah wah” and “chicken nugget got stuck.” Silly, brilliant, and unreal.