What is "you had to be there"

phr. (non-gloss definition: Used to indicate to the interlocutor that the situation being talked about could only be properly understood if that person had been present.)

You Had to Be There is a live double album by the American popular music singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett. It was originally released in October 1978 as ABC AK-1008/2 and later re-released on ABC's successor label MCA. It is the first of Buffett's many live albums and his tenth album overall. The original vinyl print album included a fold-out poster showing many photos taken during the 1978 tour.

The album's material was taken from several concerts in August 1978 at Fox Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia, and Maurice Gusman Cultural Center in Miami, Florida, and was mixed by Elliot Scheiner at AIR Studios in London. "Come Monday" is the only song on the album that features a vocal overdub recorded in a studio.

Buffett has mentioned in past interviews that the album was recorded during a very 'painful' time. This was because he had broken his leg at one point during the tour, and was performing in a cast (as referenced several times on the record and even pictured in the inner jacket). He would usually be immobile, and would take painkillers to continue on during the frenzied performances.