Matthews also released a solo CD, Some Devil, in 2003 joined by guitarists Tim Reynolds, Trey Anastasio, drummer Brady Blade, and bassist Tony Hall. This group and keyboardist Ray Paczkowski tours as "Dave Matthews & Friends."
Dave also plays some events solo, such as the Benaroya Hall concert, Farm Aid, and various other events.
Dave Matthews also plays acoustic gigs with long time friend Tim Reynolds.
In recent years he has also shown his acting talents, most recently guesting as a savant pianist in the series 'House M.D.' and a non-speaking role as a homosexual fashion advisor in the Adam Sandler film Chuck and Larry. He was also In Don't Mess With the Zohan.
10. Cry Freedom
Dave Matthews Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Brother/Sister go dancing
Through my head
Human as to human
The future is no place
To place your better days
Cry freedom, cry
From a crowd ten thousand wide
That this crowd will not subside
Let this flag burn to dust
And a new a fair design be raised
While we wait head in hands,
Hands in prayer
And fall into a dreamless sleep again
And we wave our hands
Hands and feet are all alike
But gold between divide us
Hands and feet are all alike
But fear between divide us
All slip away
There was a window and by it stood
A mirror in which
He could see himself
He thought of something
Something he had never had but
Hoped would come along
Cry freedom, cry
From deep inside
Where we are all confined
While we wave hands in fire
Wave our hands
Hands and feet are all alike
But gold between divide us
Hands and feet are all alike
But fear between divide us,
Slip away
In this room stood a little child
And in this room this little child
She would remain
Until someone might decide
To dance this little child
Across this hall
Into a cold, dark, space
Where she might never trace her
Way across this crooked mile
Across this crooked page
Cry freedom, cry
From deep inside where
We are all confined
Till we wave our hands
How can I turn away
Brother/Sister go dancing
Through my head
Human as to human
The future is no place
To place your better days
Hands and feet are all alike
But gold between divide us
Hands and feet are all alike
But fear between divide us
Hands and feet are all alike
Hear what I say
Hear what I say
Oh, so be it
How can I turn away
Brother/Sister go dancing through my head
Human as to human
The future is no place
To place your better days
In "Cry Freedom," Dave Matthews emphasizes the importance of empathy and unity among people. The song begins with the lines "How can I turn away / Brother/Sister go dancing / Through my head." These lines illustrate the idea that we are all connected and should work together for a better future. Matthews argues that the future is not a place to leave our better days behind; we must strive for a future that is fair for all.
As the song progresses, Matthews's focus shifts to the idea of fear and oppression dividing people. He notes that "gold" (wealth and material possessions) and fear are two things that divide people, despite the fact that we all have the same basic human characteristics. Matthews suggests that we should recognize and overcome these divisions to come together and "cry freedom." The song concludes with the plea "How can I turn away / Brother/Sister go dancing / Through my head / Human as to human / The future is no place / To place your better days," which reinforces the idea that we must work together to create a better world.
Line by Line Meaning
How can I turn away
I cannot ignore what is happening around me
Brother/Sister go dancing
We should celebrate life and enjoy it together
Through my head
In my thoughts
Human as to human
We are all equal as human beings
The future is no place
We should not rely only on the future but enjoy the present
To place your better days
To put off enjoying life until later
Cry freedom, cry
Demanding the freedom that we all deserve
From a crowd ten thousand wide
From a large group of people who share our desire for freedom
Hope laid upon hope
Hope that things will get better, but having doubts
That this crowd will not subside
The desire for freedom will continue to grow and never disappear
Let this flag burn to dust
The current system and its symbols should be destroyed
And a new fair design be raised
A new system should be created that is just and fair for everyone
While we wait head in hands, Hands in prayer
As we wait for change, we pray for it to come
And fall into a dreamless sleep again
We cannot sleep when we know things need to change
And we wave our hands
We express ourselves through gestures and actions
Hands and feet are all alike
We are all the same and should be treated equally
But gold between divide us
Money and wealth create inequality and division
But fear between divide us
Fear of the unknown or different people creates division and inequality
All slip away
All the external differences and divisions disappear
There was a window and by it stood
A metaphorical window into someone's mind and soul
A mirror in which, He could see himself
A reflection of who he truly was
He thought of something
He had a desire or need for something
Something he had never had but Hoped would come along
A longing for something that he had never experienced, but hoped to one day
From deep inside where, We are all confined
We are oppressed and held back internally
In this room stood a little child, And in this room this little child, She would remain
A child who is trapped and unable to escape her circumstances
Until someone might decide, To dance this little child, Across this hall
Until someone comes to rescue her and lead her to a better life
Into a cold, dark, space
A metaphor for a life of suffering and oppression
Where she might never trace her, Way across this crooked mile, Across this crooked page
She may never find her way out of the difficult situation she is in
Hear what I say, Oh, so be it
Listen to what I am saying, this is how it should be
Hands and feet are all alike, But gold between divide us
We are all equal, but money and class create divisions
Hands and feet are all alike, But fear between divide us
We are all equal, but fear of differences creates divisions
How can I turn away, Brother/Sister go dancing through my head
I cannot ignore the joyful moments in life
Human as to human, The future is no place, To place your better days
We are all human, we should enjoy life in the present
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DAVID JOHN MATTHEWS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind