Lie in Our Graves
Dave Matthews Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

When I step into the light
My arms are open wide
When I step into the light
My eyes searching wildly
Would you not like to be
Sitting on top of the world with your legs hanging free
Would you not like to be
Ok ok ok

When I'm walking by the water
Splish splash me and you takin a bath
When I'm walking by the water
Comes up through my toes
To my ankles
To my head
To my soul
And I'm blown away

When I'm walking by the water
Splish splash me and you takin a bath
When I'm walking by the water
Comes up through my toes
To my ankles
To my head
To my soul
And I'm blown away

I can't believe that we would lie in our graves,
Wondering if we
Had spent our living days well
I can't believe that we would lie in our graves
Dreaming of things that we might have been

Would you not like to be
I can't believe that you would not like to be




Ok ok ok
Ok ok ok

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Dave Matthews's song Lie in Our Graves reflect a yearning for freedom and a desire to make the most of life. The opening lines, "When I step into the light, my arms are open wide, my eyes searching wildly," suggest the singer is ready to embrace the world with enthusiasm and curiosity. He goes on to ask, "Would you not like to be sitting on top of the world with your legs hanging free?" This evokes the image of someone free from constraint, enjoying life to the fullest. The repeated refrain "ok ok ok" at the end of each verse adds a sense of urgency to the lyrics.


The second verse paints a picture of the singer walking by the water, feeling free and at peace with the world. The water "comes up through my toes, to my ankles, to my head, to my soul" and "blows me away." This suggests the power of nature to provide a sense of release and catharsis. The final verse takes a more introspective turn, with the singer expressing a fear of wasting life and dreaming of what might have been. "I can't believe that we would lie in our graves, wondering if we had spent our living days well," he sings. The message is clear: we should take opportunities when they arise and enjoy the world while we can.


Line by Line Meaning

When I step into the light
I'm ready to face the truth and show my true self


My arms are open wide
I'm ready to embrace whatever my fate may be


My eyes searching wildly
I'm eager to find my purpose in life


Would you not like to be
Don't you ever wonder if there's more to life?


Sitting on top of the world with your legs hanging free
To feel you have it all and no worries in the world


Ok ok ok
Let's focus on the beauty in life


When I'm walking by the water
The calming effect the natural world has on me


Splish splash me and you takin a bath
Enjoying the simple things in life with a loved one


Comes up through my toes
Feeling a deep connection to the earth and its elements


To my ankles
The sensation of the earth's energy running up your body


To my head
Feeling elevated and enlightened


To my soul
Having a deep spiritual experience


And I'm blown away
Feeling completely immersed in nature


I can't believe that we would lie in our graves,
Why waste life and not take advantage of its opportunities?


Wondering if we
Having regrets about the choices we made in life


Had spent our living days well
Did we truly live our lives to the fullest?


Dreaming of things that we might have been
Thinking about the life that could have been, wondering about the missed opportunities




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: BOYD C. TINSLEY, CARTER A. BEAUFORD, DAVID JOHN MATTHEWS, LEROI H. MOORE, STEFAN K. LESSARD

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found
Comments from YouTube:

t w

My Son was a huge DMB fan. He was at this concert too. He passed away last year in May so I love watching these videos in honor of my son. RIP Cal. Dad loves you.

F

And somehow this is just the sad poetry so fitting of their music..

Babyjohn

Truly sorry for your loss. So glad you find some form of comfort in their music and this concert.

t w

@Babyjohn Thank You

Babyjohn

@t w no thanks needed. You sharing your story It touched my heart.😌

allan kay

If you don't mind me asking what did he pass from?

31 More Replies...

Johnny Crouse

Dave knows the people to be around. Well done Dave and Tim!

dgutes

To me this is one of the best solos I’ve ever heard. It’s virtuosic but not overdone, melodic, emotionally expressive and really captures the melancholy mood of the song

TallDan

could not agree more. may be the best solo i've ever heard.

Daniel La Salle

I've watched this solo over a hundred times probably. Blows me away every time. These two are, and always will be incredible together. Luckily, I was able to see them multiple times over the years.

More Comments

More Versions