On April 7, 1995, "#41" debuted under the title "41 Police." As the band had not come up with an official title for the song, the number 41 was used as it was the band's 41st song, and it sounded similar to a song by The Police, hence the original title, "41 Police." The original performance was played at Cameron Indoor Stadium at Duke University, and lasted around nine minutes. This version of the song was played a total of 19 times before evolving into the "#41" that exists today.
In fall 1995, the song was officially named "#41" after several lyric and chord changes were made. This song was the band's fourth "numbered" song at the time, following "#34," "#36," and "#40." After "41 Police" became a defunct song, the first performance of the "#41" live was played on October 4, 1995 at the Tinker Street Café in Woodstock, NY. The show featured frequent collaborator Tim Reynolds on the electric guitar. In the fall of 1995 the band, along with Reynolds, recorded the song in the studio for the album Crash with producer Steve Lillywhite. On the album, a flute bridge by LeRoi Moore segues the song into the following track, "Say Goodbye," and was often played in this fashion during live shows after the song's debut. During that year, "#41" became the most played song on their summer tour.
In December 2000, lyrics from the band's song "Everyday," off the album of the same name, were added during the outro of the song, hence the creation of the "Everyday outro," which is often sung by Matthews during live performances.
#41
Dave Matthews Band Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I swear I'm better now
I'm playing time against my troubles, oh
Oh, I'm coming slow but speeding
Do you wish a dance?
And while I'm in the front
The play on time is won
Oh, but the difficulty's coming here
I will go in this way
And find my own way out
I won't tell you to begin
But it's coming too much more
Me, come down that ghosts that's come back
Reeling in you now
Oh, what if they came down crashing?
In a way
I used to play
For all of the loneliness
That nobody notices now
Boy, begging slow I'm coming here
Only waiting
I wanted to stay
I wanted to play
I wanted to love you
I'm only this far
And only tomorrow leads the way
I'm coming waltzing back
And moving into your head
Please, I wouldn't pass this by
Oh, I wouldn't take any more than
What sort of man goes by
I will bring water
Why won't you ever be glad?
It melts into wonder
I came in praying for you
Why won't you run
Into the rain and rave
And let tears splash all over you?
The lyrics of Dave Matthews Band's song #41 are open to interpretation, but one possible interpretation is that the song is about someone trying to come to terms with their past and make amends for their mistakes. The lyrics "Come and see, I swear I'm better now" suggest that the singer wants someone to see them in a new light, possibly because they've changed or grown since the last time they were with that person. The line "I'm playing time against my troubles" implies that the singer is using music or some other creative outlet to deal with their problems.
The lyrics also touch on themes of loneliness and the desire for connection. The line "For all of the loneliness that nobody notices now" suggests that the singer feels overlooked and unseen. They are reaching out to someone, asking for a dance and trying to connect with them. However, the difficulties of their past are still present, and they acknowledge that it won't be easy to move on. The phrase "Me, come down that ghosts that's come back" suggests that the singer is haunted by their past.
Overall, the song seems to be about someone trying to move forward from their past mistakes and connect with someone in the present.
Line by Line Meaning
Come and see
Join me and witness what I have become.
I swear I'm better now
Believe me, I have improved and learned from my past mistakes.
I'm playing time against my troubles, oh
I am using time to overcome my challenges and problems.
Oh, I'm coming slow but speeding
Although I am taking things slow, I am making progress quickly.
Do you wish a dance?
Can we connect and have a moment together?
And while I'm in the front
While I have the stage and the spotlight,
The play on time is won
I have succeeded in using time to my advantage.
Oh, but the difficulty's coming here
However, there are still challenges I face.
I will go in this way
I will take my own path,
And find my own way out
And overcome my obstacles in my own way.
I won't tell you to begin
I won't give you instructions on how to start your own journey.
But it's coming too much more
But it's becoming more challenging for me.
Me, come down that ghosts that's come back
The ghosts of my past mistakes haunt me again,
Reeling in you now
And it affects you too.
Oh, what if they came down crashing?
What if my past mistakes come back and ruin everything?
In a way I used to play
I used to cope in a certain way,
For all of the loneliness that nobody notices now
To deal with the loneliness that goes unnoticed.
Boy, begging slow I'm coming here
Despite the slow progress, I'm still making an effort.
Only waiting
Just waiting,
I wanted to stay
I didn't want to leave,
I wanted to play
I wanted to enjoy life,
I wanted to love you
I wanted to connect with you and show you my love.
I'm only this far
I haven't made it very far,
And only tomorrow leads the way
But I have hope and believe that tomorrow will bring progress.
I'm coming waltzing back
I'm returning elegantly and gracefully,
And moving into your head
And trying to connect with you emotionally.
Please, I wouldn't pass this by
Please don't ignore this opportunity,
Oh, I wouldn't take any more than
I'm not asking for much,
What sort of man goes by
What kind of person would pass this by?
I will bring water
I will help and support you in any way I can.
Why won't you ever be glad?
Why can't you be happy?
It melts into wonder
It's amazing and wonderful,
I came in praying for you
I entered this hoping for your benefit,
Why won't you run
Why won't you take action,
Into the rain and rave
And enjoy life despite its ups and downs,
And let tears splash all over you?
And be vulnerable enough to let your emotions take over.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Carter A. Beauford, Haines Fullerton, Stefan K. Lessard, David John Matthews, Leroi Moore
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Justin Kraemer
It's wild how incredibly underrated Carter is, he's almost never mentioned in those "great drummer" conversations... he's an absolute monster
Grim Reaper
I said that to someone I know and he rolled his eyes back. Like ya OK. I’m not friends with him anymore ha.
Cariboo Skidoo
He is also the happiest drummer I've ever seen.
Blue Fan
Yeah I’m glad he is known more now. I’ve always loved his killer smile and I wonder what gum he chews on stage and how many pieces he goes through….
Joe W
One of the best in the world.
E Lester
He's known widely as one of the greatest rock drummers of all time and one of the greatest of any generation alive on the planet. It's automatic for nearly every musician to name him as important and great and unique and important and amazing live and on record when the topic of influential drummers comes up. Also, he's really young here, and what I said has been true for at least as long as this recording is old.
Daniel Ramsden
This is an absolute masterclass in live performance. Doesn't get any better than that.
SERVPRO of Miami Beach
Agreed. Pure dominance. And the way they smile during all of it, it’s like “man I can’t believe I’m involved in this.”
William Leahy
Dave Matthew’s helped me get sober in 2002. I was in a rehab & 1 of the patients let me listen to his head set, his music calmed my soul. Been sober since 2002. Thank you Dave .
olroy61
Good for you, man! Stay sober! I lost my son to alcoholism. DMB was what we listened to through his teen years. I still listen to them. Their music brings back lots of memories.