They continued to tour, locally and nationally, for the next ten years. Highlights included some of the most prestigious folk venues and festivals on the East Coast, such as Falcon Ridge Folk Festival.
In 2002, interest in the band spiked as they began to get played on the syndicated "Bob and Tom" radio show. Their signature songs include "Enormous Penis", "Internet Porn", and "Title of the Song".
In addition to their albums, DVN also recorded a track called "The Ballad of The Sneak" for the Homestar Runner cartoon website. This song was credited to the entire group, though it was only written and performed by Paul and Storm.
Professional awards include two Wammies (Washington DC local music awards) for "Best A Cappella" group.
In 2004, the band disbanded. Two of the members, Paul and Storm, then hit the road as a musical duo dubbed Paul and Storm. DVN will still perform together on occasion for corporate shows.
The Gates
Da Vinci's Notebook Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Of a job I've been doing since half past ten
I don't believe that it's frozen again
The system has gone down-o, down-o, down-o
I don't believe that it's frozen again
The system has gone down-o
So I took it down to the help desk guy
He said, "I'm sorry, your computer has died,
And the data can no longer be found-o, found-o, found-o"
He said, "I'm sorry your computer has died
The data can no longer be found-o"
To the roof with the laptop I did go
Over to the edge and I gave it a throw
And when it arrived seven stories below
It really made a mighty fine sound-o, sound-o, sound-o
And when it arrived seven stories below
It really made a mighty fine sound-o
Well, that didn't do enough to ease my pain
So I went down to dulles and I got on a plane
Sayin' "this is all billy gates's fault
And I'm gonna be trackin' him down-o, down-o, down-o"
Sayin' "this is all billy gates's fault
And I'm gonna be trackin' him down-o."
Touched down in seattle and got off the plane
Hit starbucks to get out of the rain
Paid all of my dough for a thimble of joe
Full o' foam and the cinnamon brown-o, brown-o, brown-o
Paid all of my dough for a thimble of joe
Full o' foam and the cinnamon brown-o
When the gates found out about my plan
He packed up his bag, turned tail and ran
Megalo-man took it out on the lam
And hid way underground-o, ground-o, ground-o
Megalo-man took it out on the lam
And hid way underground-o
Well the gates been a-runnin' ever since that day
He thinks he can hide but he can't get away
When I finally find his little skinny behind
Gonna kick it all over this town-o, town-o, town-o
When I finally find his little skinny behind
Gonna kick it all over this town
The song "The Gates" by Da Vinci's Notebook is a humorous take on the frustrations of dealing with technology and the infamous Bill Gates. The first verse describes the singer's annoyance with their frozen laptop, which feels relatable to anyone who has experienced the frustration of a malfunctioning computer. The chorus "The system has gone down-o" is hilarious and catchy, providing a memorable hook to the song. The singer takes their laptop to the help desk, only to find out that the data is lost forever, leading to their decision to throw the laptop off a roof.
The second part of the song has the singer traveling to Seattle to track down Bill Gates and hold him responsible for their computer issues. The line "Paid all of my dough for a thimble of joe, Full o' foam and the cinnamon brown-o" is a clever jab at the expensive, trendy Starbucks culture that has taken over Seattle. The singer's determination to find Bill Gates and "kick it all over this town-o" is humorous and highlights the frustration that many people feel towards the tech industry and its leaders.
Overall, "The Gates" by Da Vinci's Notebook is a satirical take on the tech industry and its impact on society. The humor and relatability of the song make it a fan favorite and a classic example of the band's unique sound.
Line by Line Meaning
Workin' on a laptop, close to the end
I'm working on a laptop towards the end of the task assigned.
Of a job I've been doing since half past ten
I've been doing this job since half past ten in the morning.
I don't believe that it's frozen again
I can't believe my laptop has frozen again.
The system has gone down-o, down-o, down-o
The system has crashed and is not working.
So I took it down to the help desk guy
I took it down to the help desk for solutions.
And I said "make it better or I'm gonna cry"
I begged, "Please make my laptop work, else I'll cry."
He said, "I'm sorry, your computer has died,
The help desk guy apologised and informed that the laptop has crashed and cannot be saved.
And the data can no longer be found-o, found-o, found-o"
All the saved data is lost now and cannot be found.
To the roof with the laptop I did go
I went to the rooftop with the laptop in hand.
Over to the edge and I gave it a throw
I threw the laptop down from the edge of the rooftop.
And when it arrived seven stories below
When the laptop reached seven stories below the rooftop.
It really made a mighty fine sound-o, sound-o, sound-o
It made a loud sound and crashed at the bottom.
Well, that didn't do enough to ease my pain
Throwing the laptop off the rooftop didn't ease my pain.
So I went down to dulles and I got on a plane
I went to Dulles Airport and boarded a plane.
Sayin' "this is all billy gates's fault
I blamed everything on Bill Gates for this situation.
And I'm gonna be trackin' him down-o, down-o, down-o"
I declared my intent to track down and confront Bill Gates.
Touched down in seattle and got off the plane
I landed in Seattle and disembarked the plane.
Hit starbucks to get out of the rain
To avoid the rain, I went to Starbucks coffee.
Paid all of my dough for a thimble of joe
I had to pay a lot for a small cup of coffee.
Full o' foam and the cinnamon brown-o, brown-o, brown-o
The coffee was foamy, and had cinnamon brown-ish colour.
When the gates found out about my plan
When Bill Gates learned about my plan.
He packed up his bag, turned tail and ran
He quickly packed his bags and ran away.
Megalo-man took it out on the lam
The megalomaniac ran away and went into hiding.
And hid way underground-o, ground-o, ground-o
He went underground to hide and evade confrontation.
Well the gates been a-runnin' ever since that day
Ever since that day, Bill Gates has been on the run.
He thinks he can hide but he can't get away
He believes he can hide but will be caught eventually.
When I finally find his little skinny behind
When I finally catch up to him.
Gonna kick it all over this town-o, town-o, town-o
I promised to punish him and embarrass him publicly in town.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DAVE ROTHERAY, PAUL HEATON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind