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.
Cry Freedom
Dave Matthews & Tim Reynolds 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
The song "Cry Freedom" by Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds is a poignant reflection on the struggle for human freedom and equality. The song opens by asking how one can turn away from the injustices that we see in the world. The phrase "brother/sister go dancing" seems to suggest that we are all connected and that we should celebrate our shared humanity, rather than allowing ourselves to be divided by fear and greed. In the chorus, Matthews and Reynolds ask us to cry out for freedom from a crowd ten thousand wide, as we hope that this crowd will not subside.
Matthews goes on to paint a picture of a world that is divided by greed and fear. "Gold between divide us" suggests that we should not allow material wealth to separate us from one another, while "fear between divide us" reminds us that we often allow our fears and prejudices to keep us apart. The third verse provides a powerful image of a child who is stuck in a room, waiting for someone to free her so that she can dance across a cold, dark space. This can be interpreted as a metaphor for the struggle for freedom and justice that we all face.
In the end, "Cry Freedom" encourages us to reject fear, greed, and prejudice and to embrace our shared humanity. It reminds us that the future is not a place to place our better days, but rather a place to live our best and most compassionate lives. The song is a call to action, urging us to stand up for what is right and to work together to create a more just and equitable world.
Line by Line Meaning
How can I turn away
I cannot ignore the issues at hand.
Brother/Sister go dancing
Let's enjoy life together despite our differences.
Through my head
These thoughts consume my mind.
Human as to human
We are all the same at the core.
The future is no place
It is not wise to rely too heavily on tomorrow.
To place your better days
Putting your hopes in the future can lead to disappointment.
Cry freedom, cry
We long to be free from oppression and discrimination.
From a crowd ten thousand wide
We as a collective seek change on a large scale.
Hope laid upon hope
We cling to the idea of a better future.
That this crowd will not subside
We must continue to advocate for change.
Let this flag burn to dust
The old ways must be destroyed to make way for the new.
And a new a fair design be raised
A better system or plan must be put in place.
While we wait head in hands,
We patiently wait for change.
Hands in prayer
We hope for a positive outcome.
And fall into a dreamless sleep again
Sometimes we get tired and discouraged, but we must keep going.
And we wave our hands
We celebrate our unity and hope for change.
Hands and feet are all alike
We are all human.
But gold between divide us
Money can create barriers between people.
But fear between divide us
Fear can cause people to be divided.
All slip away
In the grand scheme of things, our differences do not matter.
There was a window and by it stood
A setting for a story is described.
A mirror in which
A reflection of oneself.
He could see himself
He was able to see his true self.
He thought of something
He pondered over a certain idea.
Something he had never had but
Something he longed for.
Hoped would come along
He had faith that this desire would be fulfilled.
From deep inside
An intense emotion or feeling is expressed.
Where we are all confined
We are all limited by something.
While we wave hands in fire
We passionately express ourselves.
In this room stood a little child
Another setting for a story is described.
And in this room this little child
The little girl was confined to this space.
She would remain
She had no choice but to stay.
Until someone might decide
She is powerless and dependent on others.
To dance this little child
To take her somewhere new and better.
Across this hall
A journey to something new or different.
Into a cold, dark, space
A negative or oppressive environment.
Where she might never trace her
A place where she could lose herself.
Way across this crooked mile
A difficult journey with obstacles along the way.
Across this crooked page
A challenging situation.
Hear what I say
Listen to what I am telling you.
Oh, so be it
Acceptance of a situation.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DAVID JOHN MATTHEWS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind