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.
Raven
Dave Matthews Lyrics
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What you got in your hand?"
A father said to son
I got the whole world here, Daddy
Between my fingers and my thumb
Well, you take care of it please
It's the only one
Well it would take me a lifetime, old man
Undo what ya done
Oh come on now, boy think
What would Jesus do?
He'd shake his head like an angry mother
Spoke the boy and say I did what I could do
But you take care of it please
But it's the only one you got
And it'd take ten lifetimes boy
To undo what I've done
Boy shrugged, walked away
The man stood and watched as he was leaving
Boy just walked away
The man stood alone thinking
One hand is bleeding and the other hand holds a gun
While everything is open
Everything is shut down, down, down
Begin to ending is really just a go round and round and round
And as I stand here
The ground beneath is nothing more than one point of view
What you got what you got in your hand?
Your secret's safe with me
Well I found the truth friend
Let me whisper in your ear
Take good care of it please
It's the only one there is
Can I twist it please, ah
Can I give it just a little twist?
Boy shrugged, walked away
The man stood and watched that boy disappearing
Boy just walked away
The man stood there twisting
One hand is bleeding oh and
The other hand holds the gun
Everything is open now
Everything is shut down, down, down
No one is holding
Even if you're, even if you're sure
You never know it all
The ground beneath is nothing more than my point of view
Yeah
Yeah
Boy shrugged, walked away
The man stood and watched the boy as he leaving
Boy just walked away
The man stood there twisting
One hand is open and the other hand holds the gun
Everything is open or is everything coming down, down, down
No one is holding, oh
Even if you, even if you know
You never know it all
But nothing more than, nothing more than my point of view
Boy shrugged, walked away
The man stood and watched as he was leaving
The man just stood there twisting
In the song "Raven," Dave Matthews Band addresses the issue of environmental destruction and poses the question of who is responsible for the future of the planet. In the first verse of the song, a father asks his son what he has in his hand, to which the son responds that he has the whole world between his fingers and his thumb. The father then tells the son to take care of it because it's the only one, but the son doubts his ability to undo the damage done by previous generations.
The second verse introduces the idea that religious figures like Jesus would be disappointed with the state of the planet and would want people to take care of it. The boy explains that he did what he could, but the father urges him to take responsibility and take care of the world. As the song continues, Matthews sings about the futility of trying to fix the environment and the idea that we all have different perspectives on what is really happening and what needs to be done.
Overall, "Raven" is a powerful commentary on the state of the planet and the need for action. The song takes a nuanced approach to the issue, acknowledging the difficulty of undoing damage that has been done for generations while still urging listeners to take personal responsibility for the future of the planet.
Line by Line Meaning
What you got
What you got in your hand?
A father asks his son what he's holding.
I got the whole world here, Daddy
Between my fingers and my thumb
The son responds by saying he has the world under his control.
Well, you take care of it please
It's the only one
The father asks his son to take care of the world because it's the only one they have.
Well it would take me a lifetime, old man
To undo what you've done, undo what ya done
Undo what ya done
The son acknowledges that it would take him a long time to undo the damage his father has caused to the world.
Oh come on now, boy think
What would Jesus do?
He'd shake his head like an angry mother
Spoke the boy and say I did what I could do
But you take care of it please
But it's the only one you got
And it'd take ten lifetimes boy
To undo what I've done
The father advises his son to think like Jesus and do his best to take care of the world since it's the only one they have. He admits that it would take a long time to undo his own damage.
The man stood alone thinking
The father stands alone, deep in thought.
One hand is bleeding and the other hand holds a gun
While everything is open
Everything is shut down, down, down
Begin to ending is really just a go round and round and round
And as I stand here
The ground beneath is nothing more than one point of view
The father feels like he's caught in a cycle of destruction and everything seems both open yet closed. He realizes that everything is just a matter of perspective.
Your secret's safe with me
Well I found the truth friend
Let me whisper in your ear
Take good care of it please
It's the only one there is
Can I twist it please, ah
Can I give it just a little twist?
The singer talks to a friend and tells them that he won't share their secret. He asks if he can manipulate the truth a little bit but asks them to take care of it because it's the only truth they have.
The man stood there twisting
One hand is bleeding oh and
The other hand holds the gun
Everything is open now
Everything is shut down, down, down
No one is holding
Even if you're, even if you're sure
You never know it all
The ground beneath is nothing more than my point of view
The father stands twisting the truth, feeling hurt and lost. He realizes that things seem both open yet closed, that no one is in control, and that everyone has their own perspective.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: David J Matthews
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind