# Freebird! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 11, 2003, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freebird/154396 "2003-02-11T18:21:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![DoctorJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctorj/32/2904_2.png) [@DoctorJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DoctorJ)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2003, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freebird/154396/21 "2003-02-12T18:24:47Z")
> [@](#): > > 1. Play the guitar solo at measure 233, but do > it with, like, mouth guitar noises. (25 points) > > (Weep-a weerna doo neee dur dur dur grrowwwww shooo neeer, deedle-eedle-eedle-eedle) You’ve obviously heard Phish’s barbershop quartet version. They reproduce the guitar solos amazingly well. That one is fairly rare, and I haven’t seen them do it, but I have seen them do the song as a full band, with special guest vocalist (I’m not kidding) [Wynonna Judd](http://www.phish.net/setlists/2000.html#06-22-00). Dr. J ---
**Author:** ![Jerrybear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8c91f0/32.png) [@Jerrybear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jerrybear)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2003, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freebird/154396/22 "2003-02-12T18:56:41Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by DoctorJ \* > \*\*You’ve obviously heard Phish’s barbershop quartet version. They reproduce the guitar solos amazingly well. > > That one is fairly rare, and I haven’t seen them do it, but I have seen them do the song as a full band, with special guest vocalist (I’m not kidding) [Wynonna Judd](http://www.phish.net/setlists/2000.html#06-22-00). > > Dr. J \*\* I have heard Phish’s barbershop quartet version, at a couple of their concerts! The first time in particular was a total trip. I was just standing there thinking to myself “am I really hearing this?!?!?” They really are a very talented group of musicians, and I would defintely recommend going to one (or ideally more!) of their shows. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2003, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freebird/154396/23 "2003-02-12T19:01:59Z")
> [@](#): > > I have heard Phish’s barbershop quartet version, at a couple of their concerts! The first time in particular was a total trip. A total trip, huh? Are you implying something? ---
**Author:** ![Wartime\_Consigliori](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/9d8465/32.png) [@Wartime\_Consigliori](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wartime_Consigliori)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2003, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freebird/154396/24 "2003-02-12T19:12:46Z")
Aw come on people! Everybody who is somebody _knows_ that Freebird is a poor, cheap substitute for **Whippin’ Post** by the Allman Brothers! ---
**Author:** ![vl\_mungo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/bc8723/32.png) [@vl\_mungo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vl_mungo)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2003, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freebird/154396/25 "2003-02-12T23:24:07Z")
the thing is… a lot of people (god help them), just want to hear “Freebird” for the 10 billionth time. I would say that, at one time everyone who would shout this out were serious. These days, I think half of them are joking. ---
**Author:** ![widdershins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f0a364/32.png) [@widdershins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/widdershins)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2003, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freebird/154396/26 "2003-02-13T02:09:34Z")
Yelling “Freebird!” or “Whipping Post!” has become more of an attention-getting joke or challenge rather than a serious request. The original intention of yelling out either has been lost outside of the devoted fan base of either band. When I’ve seen The Allman Brothers Band perform, “Whipping Post” is the traditional finale of the encore, usually about a 15 minute version. But I like Frank Zappa’s response to a fan yelling out “Whipping Post” during a show on _You Can’t Do That On Stage Anymore Vol. 2: The Helsinki Concert_ from Sept. 22, 1974. FZ tells the guy to hum a few bars or sing it to show them how it goes. The guy lets out a weak, wavering howl. FZ thanks him and says from the way the guy sings it must be a John Cage composition. The band then plays “Montana” with FZ making up goofy lyrics about tying drummer Chester Thompson to a whipping post and beating “the living shit out of him until that guy in the audience was satisfied.” ---
**Author:** ![Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laughing_Lagomorph)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2003, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freebird/154396/27 "2003-02-13T03:14:02Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by notcynical \* > \*\*How might the majority of music fans know what _(Weep-a weerna doo neee dur dur dur grrowwwww shooo neeer, deedle-eedle-eedle-eedle)_, like, is?? \*\* Actually I think **JRootabega** made a minor transcribing error. I believe it is \*Weep-a weerna doo neee dur dur NEE DUR dur grrowwwww shooo etc. etc. [i/] ---
**Author:** ![Fiddle\_Peghead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddle_peghead/32/3506_2.png) [@Fiddle\_Peghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiddle_Peghead)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2003, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freebird/154396/28 "2003-02-13T15:08:26Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Wyld Stallyn \* > \*\*FREEBIRD!!! > > hey notcynical, you ever check out the Village Idiot on W. 9th st.? It’s a good ol’ Hick bar I tend to frequent. \*\* I used to live in the Village, but I don’t think I ever made it there. I’m trying to picture it. What other stores/bars are near? ---
**Author:** ![Raygun99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Raygun99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raygun99)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2003, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freebird/154396/29 "2003-02-13T15:57:53Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by vl\_mungo \* > \*\*the thing is… a lot of people (god help them), just want to hear “Freebird” for the 10 billionth time. > I would say that, at one time everyone who would shout this out were serious. These days, I think half of them are joking. \*\* I just did this the other night to a cover band. I was definately being sarcastic. ---
**Author:** ![Wyld\_Stallyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8dc957/32.png) [@Wyld\_Stallyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wyld_Stallyn)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2003, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freebird/154396/30 "2003-02-13T18:56:22Z")
Eh, as a relative NYC neophyte, I’m having trouble visualizing any other establishments in that area (I was too focused on locating the VI on the way in, and while at the VI I enjoyed many “soda pop’s”, so it 's actually a wonder I made it back to the PATH station). It’s at 355 W. 9th, at the intersection with 4th ave. If you like looking at pictures of clothed-yet-coyly seductive bartenderettes, check out this:[link](http://www.nycbp.com/bartenders/bar10/) ---
**Author:** ![cowgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8c91f0/32.png) [@cowgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cowgirl)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2003, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freebird/154396/31 "2003-02-13T20:19:30Z")
I am so very, very happy that you posted this question. I have wondered the same thing myself on a number of occasions. It began at a fantastic Chicago-blues concert, with a talented harmonica player (Carlos del Junco) and his awesome band, in a grotty but amazing downtown bar (filled with cigarette smoke, old men drinking alone, women of ill repute, hard-core jazz-blues fans - in short, a great night out). We were all enjoying the smokin’ grooves when someone yelled “Play some Skynyrd!” we laughed at the ignorance of the poor fellow - we are not fans of Skynyrd around here (Neil Young rulz!!) - and were surprised that anyone would think that such a band would play anything by Skynyrd. I was so amused by this incident that I bought a wedding card for my friend, which featured a cheesy wedding band and a drunk guy with a tie wrapped around his head yelling ‘Freebird!’ just because I thought ‘Hey, what a weird coincidence!’ And then I went to a Neil Young concert and someone yelled it again. By that time I realized that the universe was conspiring to let me in on a joke, and I finally got it. Man, it makes me laugh every time now. You know those things that you will always find funny, that no one else really does? This is one of them, and I’m not really sure why. And I’ve never actually heard the song. So the next time it happens and you hear someone laughing aloud, turn around and you will find me. ---
**Author:** ![Fiddle\_Peghead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddle_peghead/32/3506_2.png) [@Fiddle\_Peghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiddle_Peghead)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2003, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freebird/154396/32 "2003-02-13T21:40:22Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Wyld Stallyn \* > \*\* > If you like looking at pictures of clothed-yet-coyly seductive bartenderettes, check out this:[link](http://www.nycbp.com/bartenders/bar10/) \*\* I do, indeed. Good God, man. Where were you when I lived in the Village? Why had no one the goodness to tell me about this place when I was there?? ---
**Author:** ![Already\_in\_Use](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a9adbd/32.png) [@Already\_in\_Use](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Already_in_Use)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2003, 8:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freebird/154396/33 "2003-02-14T08:20:54Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by widdershins \* > \*\*But I like Frank Zappa’s response to a fan yelling out “Whipping Post” during a show on _You Can’t Do That On Stage Anymore Vol. 2: The Helsinki Concert_ from Sept. 22, 1974. FZ tells the guy to hum a few bars or sing it to show them how it goes. The guy lets out a weak, wavering howl. FZ thanks him and says from the way the guy sings it must be a John Cage composition. The band then plays “Montana” with FZ making up goofy lyrics about tying drummer Chester Thompson to a whipping post and beating “the living shit out of him until that guy in the audience was satisfied.” \*\* But the even cooler thing was that Zappa really regretted that his band DIDN’T know “Whipping Post,” and thus decided to teach it to them that night (or maybe the next day), and finally included it on his 1984 album _Them or Us_. – Already, who yells out “‘Caravan’ with a drum sola!” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freebird/154396.md?page=1)