Gravedigger
Dave Matthews & Tim Reynolds Lyrics


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Cyrus Jones 1810 to 1913
Cyrus Jones 1810 to 1913
Made his great grandchildren believe
Made his great grandchildren believe

You could live to a hundred and three
You could live to a hundred and three
A hundred and three is forever when you're just a little kid
A hundred and three is forever when you're just a little kid
So Cyrus Jones lived forever
So Cyrus Jones lived forever

[Chorus]
Gravedigger
Gravedigger
When you dig my grave
When you dig my grave
Could you make it shallow
Could you make it shallow
So that I can feel the rain
So that I can feel the rain
Gravedigger
Gravedigger

Muriel Stonewall
Muriel Stonewall
1903 to 1954
1903 to 1954
She lost both of her babies in the second great war
She lost both of her babies in the second great war

Now you should never have to watch
Now you should never have to watch
Your only children lowered in the ground
Your only children lowered in the ground
I mean you should never have to bury your own babies
I mean you should never have to bury your own babies

[Chorus]

Ring around the rosey
Pocket full of posey
Ashes to ashes
We all fall down

[Chorus]

Little Mikey Carson 67 to 75
Little Mikey Carson 67 to 75
He rode his
He rode his
Bike like the devil until the day he died

Bike like the devil until the day he died
When he grows up he wants to be Mr. Vertigo on the flying trapeze
When he grows up he wants to be Mr. Vertigo on the flying trapeze
1940 to 1992
1940 to 1992

[Chorus x2]

Feel the rain
Feel the rain
I can feel the rain
I can feel the rain
Gravedigger
Gravedigger





Gravedigger
Gravedigger

Overall Meaning

The song "Gravedigger" by Dave Matthews & Tim Reynolds is a song that plays out like a funeral procession, with each new stanza introducing a new deceased character. The song begins with the name "Cyrus Jones" and the years of his birth and death, 1810 to 1913, which are then repeated. The verse continues, "Made his great grandchildren believe," suggesting that Cyrus had some impact on his family, possibly through storytelling or sharing his life experiences. The repetition of his name and dates of birth and death reinforces the idea that he is being remembered and that his legacy lives on.


The chorus of the song features the gravedigger, who is tasked with burying these deceased individuals. The gravedigger pleads with the listener to make his grave shallow so that he can "feel the rain," implying that he wants to be one with nature and not completely cut off from the elements. The next two stanzas introduce two more deceased individuals, Muriel Stonewall and Little Mikey Carson, both of whom died under different circumstances. Muriel lost both of her children during the war, and Little Mikey died at a young age after living a life filled with adventure and dreams. The song ends with a repetition of the chorus and "feel the rain" as a final plea for the listener to remember the importance of nature in the cycle of life and death.


Line by Line Meaning

Cyrus Jones 1810 to 1913
We are first introduced to Cyrus Jones, a man who lived from 1810 to 1913.


Made his great grandchildren believe
Cyrus Jones managed to instill hope into the hearts of his great-grandchildren through his actions and words.


You could live to a hundred and three
Living a long life is not impossible.


A hundred and three is forever when you're just a little kid
When you are young, even the idea of living to 103 seems like a lifetime.


So Cyrus Jones lived forever
Cyrus Jones's legacy lived on through the generations.


Gravedigger
The title of the song.


When you dig my grave
A request to a grave digger.


Could you make it shallow
To allow the rain to fall on the body.


So that I can feel the rain
A last request to feel the rain on their final resting place.


Muriel Stonewall
A woman named Muriel Stonewall.


1903 to 1954
Muriel Stonewall lived from 1903 to 1954.


She lost both of her babies in the second great war
A tragic event where Muriel Stonewall lost both of her children during World War II.


Now you should never have to watch
No parent should ever have to experience such a heartbreaking event.


Your only children lowered in the ground
The burial of children is a difficult and painful experience.


I mean you should never have to bury your own babies
Continuing the previous thought, a parent should never outlive their children.


Ring around the rosey
A playful children's rhyme.


Pocket full of posey
Refers to a bouquet of flowers kept close to ward off the smell of dead bodies during the times of the plague.


Ashes to ashes
Symbolizes the final stage of human decomposition after death.


We all fall down
A reference to the inevitability of death.


Little Mikey Carson 67 to 75
Introducing Little Mikey Carson, whose lifespan was from 67 to 75.


He rode his
Referring to Little Mikey's bike riding habits.


Bike like the devil until the day he died
Little Mikey rode his bike quickly and recklessly, which ultimately led to his death.


When he grows up he wants to be Mr. Vertigo on the flying trapeze
Little Mikey had dreams of performing dangerous stunts like those in a circus.


1940 to 1992
The lifespan of Little Mikey in years.


Feel the rain
The desire for the feeling of rain on one's skin.


I can feel the rain
The realization that we can experience so many simple things that we take for granted while we are living.


Gravedigger
The song's title repeated at the end.




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DAVID PROCTOR, CHRISTOPHER LAVERY, STEVEN NIXON, STEPHEN GILDEA, KEVIN MATTHEWS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

Cj_Playz

gravedigger lyrics-dave matthews
Cyrus Jones 1810 to 1913
Made his great granchildren believe
You could live to a hundred and three
A hundred and three is forever when you're just a little kid
So Cyrus Jones lived forever

Gravedigger
When you dig my grave
Could you make it shallow
So that I can feel the rain
Gravedigger

Muriel Stonewall
1903 to 1954
She lost both of her babies in the second great war
Now you should never have to watch
Your only children lowered in the ground
I mean you should never have to bury your own babies

Gravedigger
When you dig my grave
Could you make it shallow
So that I can feel the rain
Gravedigger

Ring around the rosey
Pocket full of posey
Ashes to ashes
We all fall down

Gravedigger
When you dig my grave
Could you make it shallow
So that I can feel the rain
Gravedigger

Little Mikey Carson 67 to 75
He rode his
Bike like the devil until the day he died
When he grows up he wants to be Mr. Vertigo on the flying trapeze
Ohhh, 1940 to 1992

Gravedigger
When you dig my grave
Could you make it shallow
So that I can feel the rain

Gravedigger
When you dig my grave
Could you make it shallow
So that I can feel the rain
Feel the rain
I can feel the rain
Gravedigger

Gravedigger



All comments from YouTube:

WillBrink

I was never a big Mathews fan until I heard this song, then I realized
what they played on the radio was the least interesting stuff from him
and he was a well of talent. This acoustic version demonstrates the
level of talent Mathews has. Killer version here.

B Mann

That can be said about so many artists. People think the same about John Mayer, but he's on the level of Jimi Hendrix and SRV, perhaps even a better version of the two. You would really only know this if you looked into his playing, not the crap on the radio.

Mark Brown

Oh hell yes. Never listen to anything from Dave Matthews on the radio, or for that matter studio albums. It is all over produced and trash.. ok not trash, just not what he is good at in my opinion. He is amazing and when he plays with Tim it is the most magical thing since immaculate conception.

My first introduction to Dave Matthews was Live at Luther College and from that day forward I was hooked.

Jay G.

Me too. My wife is a big fan and I went to a concert with her and all I can say is that I was blown away! One of the best , entertaining concert I’ve seen. See them live you will not regret it . They jam.

julien !

Never listen to radio..

Jimbo Baggins

I fell in love with him after seeing this entire show in a $30k home theatre. I was enchanted the entire time.

7 More Replies...

Wanabee Sailor

every time I hear this song, regardless the version - it touches my soul.. Thank you Dave...

ESL O.G.

But this version is best, to me

Honest Adam's discount warehouse

@ESL O.G. the only version. Lol

Michael 732

Same here

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