The duo gained attention with the release of a 1996 concert "Live at Luther College". VH1 recorded a 1999 performance to air as part of the program "Storytellers."
During the Dave Matthews & Friends tours, Dave and Tim opened with an acoustic set; however, they have played midset at some more recent shows.
Recently, the duo embarked on their first tour of Europe, marking their first tour outside of the States, as well as their first extended tour since the Winter 2003 tour.
Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds have most recently released "Live at Radio City", a 2DVD/2CD album on August 14th, 2007 recorded in April of the same year.
Cornbread
Dave Matthews & Tim Reynolds Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Yeah, Lord
Whoo!
Dancing with the Devil
'Round a fire
Mess your mama's bed
For a little more magic
'Cause you know it looks good on you
But you ain't never had my cornbread
A little bit of Heaven and a little bit of, oh yeah
Cut it down the middle
Open wide and jump right in
Little girl and a barber
Behind a miller said
You got to go to keep you dead
I run around the world
And i give and don't lie
Know it like I'm dead and better
So I'm coming off bad
Better keep it there
So I'll take you girl
Gonna give your head
And I'm coming in hot
In between her legs
Run around at the same time
'Cause you know that's all you need
The morning by, all the waste of you with innocence
But mother you know you gonna get whoopen good
Come the morning lets go take it right
You dancing with the Devil
'Round a fire
Mess your mama's bed
For a little more magic
Make you wanna run around naked
'Cause you know it looks good on you
But you ain't never had my cornbread
There's a little bit of Heaven and a little bit of, hell yeah
Cut it down the middle
Open wide and jump right in
It's all inside my soul
She's beautiful, all the innocence that makes me desire
Oh but mother she gonna whoop you good you know
Come the morning she gonna take it right
It's all inside your head
All inside your head
Go with what you got while you got it
It's all inside your head
The guilt'll go out instead
Made with this my baby
Yeahh
(Little bit of scatting)
Come right back the miller said
It's hot as a fire
In between her legs
(Scatting?)
All you know whether sin is so damn good
It's all inside you know
The beautiful, all the innocence that makes you high
But you know your mother's good and gonna whoop you now
Come the morning it'll let you know it's right
It's come inside your head
It's all inside your head
No guilt until you feel the beating
It's all inside your head
The guilt that you feel instead
Let it go until the burning feels you
(Oh's)
It's all inside your head
It's all inside your head
All inside-you dancing with the Devil 'round a fire
The song "Cornbread" by Dave Matthews & Tim Reynolds explores the themes of temptation and morality. The lyrics describe a scene where people are dancing around a fire, giving in to their desires and indulging in hedonistic pleasures. The singer warns against the allure of such behavior and suggests that in the end, it will lead to a whooping by the mother. Throughout the song, there is a contrast between the idea of heaven and hell, and the need to balance one's desires with a sense of guilt and morality.
The lyrics are filled with religious imagery and metaphor, as the dance around the fire can be interpreted as a reference to the devil and the temptation he represents. The line "You ain't never had my cornbread" can be seen as a temptation for more than just food, but for sinful desires that are enticing yet ultimately dangerous. The song suggests that giving into these temptations is a risky move, as the consequences can be severe.
Overall, "Cornbread" is a cautionary tale about the dangers of indulging in hedonistic pleasures and the need to balance desire with morality. It's a well-crafted song that balances a fun and funky melody with thoughtful lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
Lord
Addressing a supreme being or showing emphasis
Yeah, Lord
Emphatic acknowledgement or agreement with a supreme being
Whoo!
Exclamation of excitement
Dancing with the Devil
Engaging in sinful or dangerous behavior
'Round a fire
Partaking in this behavior in a ritualistic or communal setting
Mess your mama's bed
Engage in promiscuous activities
For a little more magic
To intensify the experience or effect of the aforementioned activities
Make you wanna run around naked
Feeling uninhibited and carefree in the moment
'Cause you know it looks good on you
Feeling confident or desirable in one's body
But you ain't never had my cornbread
No one has experienced the artist's unique offering or skill
A little bit of Heaven and a little bit of, oh yeah
The singer's cornbread has a mix of positive and pleasurable elements
Cut it down the middle
Preparing the cornbread for consumption
Open wide and jump right in
Eagerly and enthusiastically consuming the cornbread
Little girl and a barber
Recalling a specific situation or encounter
Behind a miller said
In an informal or hidden location
You got to go to keep you dead
Encouraging or demanding someone to leave or move on from a negative situation
I run around the world
Experiencing different cultures and environments
And i give and don't lie
Being honest and genuine in one's actions
Know it like I'm dead and better
Being confident and knowledgeable through experience
So I'm coming off bad
Appearing negatively or off-putting in a situation
Better keep it there
Maintaining the status quo or not rocking the boat
So I'll take you girl
Asserting dominance or control over a romantic partner
Gonna give your head
Providing oral sex
And I'm coming in hot
Approaching the situation with intensity
In between her legs
Performing sexual acts
Run around at the same time
Simultaneously engaging in other activities or being promiscuous
'Cause you know that's all you need
Desiring or prioritizing superficial, self-gratifying behavior
The morning by, all the waste of you with innocence
Feeling regret or guilt about one's actions or wasted time
But mother you know you gonna get whoopen good
Acknowledging the negative consequences or punishment for one's actions
Come the morning lets go take it right
Facing the consequences and moving forward from the experience
There's a little bit of Heaven and a little bit of, hell yeah
Reiterating the mixed positive and pleasurable qualities of the singer's cornbread
It's all inside my soul
Emphasizing that the artist's personal qualities contribute to the enjoyable experience
She's beautiful, all the innocence that makes me desire
Feeling attraction to or appreciation for someone's purity or naivete
Oh but mother she gonna whoop you good you know
Reiterating the punishment for one's actions
It's all inside your head
Noting that one's thoughts and beliefs shape their experiences
Go with what you got while you got it
Making the most of one's current situation or resources
The guilt'll go out instead
Feeling relieved from guilt or other negative emotions
Made with this my baby
Taking pride in one's creations or achievements
(Little bit of scatting)
Non-lexical, rhythmic sounds or syllables used for musical effect or improvisation
Come right back the miller said
Referring to a previous statement or instruction
It's hot as a fire
Describing an intense or passionate situation
All you know whether sin is so damn good
Questioning the morality of engaging in pleasurable but potentially harmful behavior
It's all inside you know
Emphasizing that one's personal qualities contribute to their experiences
But you know your mother's good and gonna whoop you now
Acknowledging the consequences of one's actions and learning from them
Come the morning it'll let you know it's right
Facing the consequences and moving forward from the experience
No guilt until you feel the beating
Suggesting that guilt or remorse only occur after negative consequences
The guilt that you feel instead
Feeling remorse or regret for one's actions
Let it go until the burning feels you
Facing and processing one's emotions in order to move forward
(Oh's)
Vocalization used for musical effect or emotional emphasis
All inside-you dancing with the Devil 'round a fire
Emphasizing that one's thoughts and beliefs shape their experiences
Contributed by Victoria N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Jacob Bocook
Such a great performance!
StarGirl WithALibrary
I always dance to this song! Jumping and swaying, and especially when it says "make you wanna run around naked 'cause you know it looks good on you". Something about this song pulls out my wild child side every time I hear it!
lisabitzsb
3
Mike Shaffer
I actually figured out how to play the riff for this song watching this video over and over and finding a transcription of the guitar chords. I love playing this one!
Dave Sears
This is awesome all the way around. I have the 2 disc Trac from Radio City. Go Dave.
Priscilla Sutton
Love that song and the beat!!!
TacomaKix
Dancin' with the devil 'round the fire..... Love this song and the Dave/Tim combo
J.Thompson.92
Lol Dave cracks me up!! Great song in HD, thanks for the upload!
Caleb Brown
The room sounds great. Sound guys did a great job.
Brian Cowlin
I listen to everything from Reel Big Fish to Type O Negative to Alan Jackson to Metallica to Eric B. and Rakim and round and round again. DMB has helped me through most of the stuff no matter the mood.
They have been the spinach for this Popeye.