Early 1990s
In the early 1990s, the band established a cult following through relentless touring with weekly stops at Virginia clubs known as Trax and Floodzone, an active taping community, and an independent LP, Remember Two Things. (Keyboardist Griesar left the band in 1993, shortly before the release of "Remember Two Things".) After signing to RCA Records, Dave Matthews Band, under the direction of producer Steve Lillywhite, released Under the Table and Dreaming in 1994, a critical and popular smash that firmly established the band's style of pop-rock with improvisational leanings. Under the Table and Dreaming would be the first of three albums released under Lillywhite's direction. This was followed by Crash (1996). For most of America, Crash was the record that put the Dave Matthews Band on the map. Featuring the hit single "Crash Into Me", as well as fan-favorites such as "Two Step", "Tripping Billies", and the Grammy-winning "So Much to Say", Crash would go on to be the band's best selling album.
The Mercy Songfacts reports that Lillywhite lent his skills to their 2012 album Away From The World. Lillywhite hadn't worked with the band since a series of unreleased recordings in 2000, which led to the leaked Lillywhite Sessions.
History
David John Matthews was born in Johannesburg, South Africa in 1967. Two years later, his family moved to Westchester County, NY. His father was a physicist and worked for IBM at the time. He has two sisters (Anne and Jane) and a brother (Peter). After living in New York, his family moved to Cambridge, England in the early '70s. The family returned to New York where his father died in 1977. In 1980, the family moved to South Africa where the young Matthews went to several schools and "got more wise about the evils of government, there and in general." He first played at a club in Charlottesville (Miller's) where he worked as a bartender. He admitted to Playboy magazine that he was really never that good at bartending, but loved getting customers...well..."drunk as hell!" He was first discovered in a demo tape that he recorded with a couple of current band members. This all came about when he decided to put together a demo tape and decided that he needed some musical accompaniment; which ended up as the Dave Matthews Band. In 1994, his sister Anne died in a domestic tragedy at her home in South Africa. The Grammy nominated album "Under The Table and Dreaming" is dedicated to her.
Community
Dave Matthews Band is highly involved in giving a helping hand. In 2003, the Band held a concert entitled, "The Central Park Concert" which was held in New York City's Central Park. The concert helped New York City Public Schools, the band is a big supporter of education.
The band also held a concert that helped victims of Katrina.
Sadly, Leroi Moore passed away in 2008. After being seriously injured in an ATV accident in Virginia, Moore succumbed to his injuries on August 19, 2008. He was replaced by Jeff Coffin, famous for his work with BΓ©la Fleck and the Flecktones.
Excerpt taken from Wikipedia.org -- the rest of this article can be found at:
Wikipedia
Official site: www.dmband.com
06-Grey Street
Dave Matthews Band Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She says I don't need this place
It seems a million years she's stuck here
But says nothing of what she thinks
She thinks, "Hey,
How did I come to this?
I dreamt like anybody else one night
But then the roads in the park fall
And then she rode the line in
And the colors mix together to grey
And break me out
Oh, when I'm indifferent
She prays to God most every night
Although she swears He doesn't listen
There's hope in her that He just might
She says, "I pray
But then my prayer fall on deaf ears
I'm supposed to take it all myself
To get out of this place."
She feels the lumps in the heart fall
And she rose up in the back
She hears the cars scream out from outside
And she whispers sometimes about this
But the colors mix together to grey
And wake me up
Oh, he grows up living
He says take what you can from your dreams
Make them real as anything
It takes the work out of the courage
She said, "Please,
There's a crazy man standing outside my door
I live on the corner of a dead end street
At the end of the world."
Oh, and the rocks out in the heart fall
And she dreams her way to life
And she knows no one will lift her
So she might as well do it herself
And then bummed out and worried
Of leaving city life
But all the colors mix together to grey
On Grey Street
On Grey Street
To Grey Street
Oh, when it comes down in your loving
Oh, well then baby it's right
You say you think you are nothing
No one else will do it for you
Reach up and grab hold of the sunlight
When you are waiting for what's right
You're holding on your Heaven
Won't leave you, yeah, yeah...
And the colors mix together to grey
Wake me up, wake me up, wake me up
To grey.
The song Grey Street by Dave Matthews & Tim Reynolds is a mournful reflection on lives that have not gone the way they were intended to. Largely told from the perspective of a woman who feels trapped and unfulfilled, the song is a meditation on the disappointments that come with growing up and losing touch with dreams. The lyrics begin with the woman sitting and listening, feeling stuck and frustrated with her life. She reflects on how, when she was younger, she dreamed of being a beautiful princess. But now, the colors around her have all mixed together to form a dreary grey, and she feels trapped in her current circumstances.
The second verse introduces another character, a man who has grown up understanding the importance of self-determination. He tells the woman that she needs to take what she can from her dreams and make them a reality to succeed, to stop relying on prayer and hope for divine intervention. The song crescendos to a powerful and passionate plea for action and resilience. Dave Matthews sings that if you want love, success, or happiness in your life, you have to seize it for yourself, taking hold of the world around you.
Overall, the song Grey Street is a melancholy reflection on the struggles of life, and the painful realization that dreams do not always come true. Despite the song's sad message, it is ultimately a call for strength and empowerment, urging the listener to take control of their lives and not wait for others to hand them their dreams.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, just sitting while she listens
A woman is silently listening as someone speaks
She says I don't need this place
The woman declares that she doesn't require this venue
It seems a million years she's stuck here
The woman perceives that she has been trapped in her current situation for a very long time
But says nothing of what she thinks
Despite her thoughts, the woman doesn't reveal anything vocally
She thinks, "Hey,
The woman has an internal monologue about her situation
How did I come to this?
She questions how she has found herself in her current situation
I dreamt like anybody else one night
She reflects on how she once had the same aspirations as anybody else
I would be a beautiful princess."
In her ideal world, she would be a beautiful princess
But then the roads in the park fall
Her reality doesn't match up to her dreams
And then she rode the line in
Despite this, she has continued along the same path
And the colors mix together to grey
Her vibrant colors have dulled
And break me out
But a part of her still wants to break free
Oh, when I'm indifferent
The singer describes a time they feel apathetic
She prays to God most every night
The woman reaches out to God in desperation
Although she swears He doesn't listen
Despite this, she doesn't believe God hears her
There's hope in her that He just might
However, she still holds onto hope that God might hear her prayers
She says, "I pray
The woman talks about her prayers
But then my prayer fall on deaf ears
Yet, her prayers feel futile
I'm supposed to take it all myself
She knows she is the only one who can help herself
To get out of this place."
She knows she needs to break free from her current situation
She feels the lumps in the heart fall
The woman describes feeling a heaviness in her heart
And she rose up in the back
She stands up straight and faces her situation bravely
She hears the cars scream out from outside
She hears the outside world move on without her
And she whispers sometimes about this
At times she talks softly to herself about these struggles
But the colors mix together to grey
Regardless her hope for a brighter future, everything seems dull
And wake me up
The singer longs for this to serve as a wake-up call
Oh, he grows up living
The singer describes the growth and development
He says take what you can from your dreams
The artist advises one to make their dreams a reality
Make them real as anything
Believe in your dreams and make them tangible
It takes the work out of the courage
Acting on your dreams will make the process feel less intimidating
She said, "Please,
The woman pleads for help
There's a crazy man standing outside my door
The woman is afraid for her safety
I live on the corner of a dead end street
She is stuck in a situation where she feels trapped
At the end of the world."
She feels like she is at the end of her journey
Oh, and the rocks out in the heart fall
The emotion wells up and spills forth
And she dreams her way to life
She imagines a brighter future for herself
And she knows no one will lift her
She realizes that she is the only one who can improve her situation
So she might as well do it herself
She decides to take the necessary actions herself
And then bummed out and worried
Despite her decisions, she still feels down
Of leaving city life
Thinking about leaving her current situation feels daunting
But all the colors mix together to grey
The colors in her life continue to be dull
On Grey Street
The singer directly calls attention to the grey street
On Grey Street
This is reiterated
To Grey Street
The focus returns to the dull street
Oh, when it comes down in your loving
The artist reflects on a situation where love is involved
Oh, well then baby it's right
If it feels right, then it is right
You say you think you are nothing
The singer points out that someone might have low self-esteem
No one else will do it for you
The artist emphasizes the importance of self-reliance
Reach up and grab hold of the sunlight
The singer encourages someone to reach forward towards the positivity in their lives
When you are waiting for what's right
When you are waiting for the right thing to happen
You're holding on your Heaven
In the midst of the chaos, hold onto your peaceful place
Won't leave you, yeah, yeah...
It will always be there to guide and support you
And the colors mix together to grey
Despite the world around you, sometimes everything is still grey
Wake me up, wake me up, wake me up
The repetition reinforces the desire to be jolted out of this dullness
To grey.
The singer states the color one last time as a final reminder
Lyrics Β© Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DAVID JOHN MATTHEWS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Kasey
I was diagnosed with blood cancer yesterday. I attended my 19th or 20th Dave show last night. He closed with Grey Street. The way that song became so symbolic to me in a matter of seconds. Dave has saved me many times over the past few decades. Heβll bring me through this too.
TK
Sending you love and positivity! You will beat this!
sabrina parra
Dear God! Best of thoughts and wishes for you to overcome this!
Tracy Bagaya
How are you lately? Sorry about what you're going through. Sending you love and positive vibes.
tommyc12159
Hope you get well soon, hang in there as much you can β€
Brett Burke
β€ People you don't know exist are praying for you.
Esteban Salazar
This album is one of the reasons Im still breating, it lifted me up on a very dark time!!!! Thanks a ton DMB!!!
Nicholas Richardson
One of the best albums ever made from top to bottom... yet the one that gets the least play ! Haha
SugaStarrπ
Agreed. Iβm right there with you.
Michael Pafford
Me too brother...almost ended it all but DMB saved me