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 Béla Fleck and the Flecktones.
Excerpt taken from Wikipedia.org -- the rest of this article can be found at:
Wikipedia
Official site: www.dmband.com
8. Grace Is Gone
Dave Matthews Band Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's two A.M., I'm drunk again
And it's heavy on my mind
I could never love again
So much as I love you
Where you end, where I begin
Is like a river running through
Take my heart, take my eyes
I need them no more
If never again they fall
Upon the one I so adore
Excuse me please, one more drink
Could you make it strong?
Cause I don't need to think
She broke my heart
My Grace is gone
Another drink and I'll be gone
One drink to remember
Then another to forget
I think of every day to find
A love like you again
One drink to remember
And another to forget
Excuse me please, one more drink
Could you make it strong?
Cause I don't need to think
She broke my heart
My Grace is gone
Another drink and I'll be gone
One more drink and I'll move on
You think of things impossible
Then the sun refuse to shine
I woke with you beside me
Your cold hand lay in mine
Excuse me please, one more drink
Could you make it strong?
Cause I don't need to think
She broke my heart
My Grace is gone
Another drink and I'll go
Excuse me please, one more drink
Could you make it strong?
Cause I don't need to think
She broke my heart
My Grace is gone
Another drink and I'll move on
One more drink and I'll move on
One more drink, my Grace is gone
The lyrics to Dave Matthews Band's "Grace Is Gone" tell the story of a man who is heartbroken after losing his love, referred to as "Grace." The song is set in a bar at 2 A.M. when the man is drinking himself into oblivion to numb the pain of the breakup. The neon lights cutting through the smoke create a melancholy atmosphere, and the man's thoughts can't help but return to Grace.
Throughout the song, the man expresses his love for Grace and how much he misses her. He feels like a part of him is missing, and the pain he experiences is too strong for him to bear. He wants to forget her, but he also wants to hold onto her memory. His thoughts are scattered, and he can't make sense of his emotions; hence he drinks to forget everything.
The repetition of the phrase, "Excuse me, please, one more drink, could you make it strong?" highlights the man's desperation to alleviate his heartache. The line "One drink to remember, and another to forget" gives insight into how the man feels- he wants to remember all the good times and forget the pain of the breakup.
Overall, the song talks about the grief, confusion, and the denial surrounding a lover's loss. Despite the sorrowful mood set in the song, the man realizes that he must move on from his love, represented by the line, "One more drink, my Grace is gone."
Line by Line Meaning
Neon shines through smokey eyes tonight
The bright neon lights are passing through my smokey and blurry eyes tonight.
It's two A.M., I'm drunk again
It's two in the early morning, and I have drunk too much once again.
And it's heavy on my mind
I cannot stop thinking about my current situation.
I could never love again
It feels impossible for me to have the same kind of sincere love with someone else.
So much as I love you
My love for you is deeper than any other emotions I have ever felt
Where you end, where I begin
Our relationship is like a running river, we merge and split naturally.
Is like a river running through
The flow of our love is never-ending, like a river that runs through everything.
Take my heart, take my eyes
I hand you my most intimate and valuable parts of my being.
I need them no more
These parts of me are useless if I cannot have your love.
If never again they fall
If I never receive your love again,
Upon the one I so adore
You are the person I adore more than anyone else in this world.
Excuse me please, one more drink
I am asking for another drink from the bartender.
Could you make it strong?
I am requesting that the drink would have more alcohol.
Cause I don't need to think
I just want my mind to stop thinking about my heartbreak.
She broke my heart
I am referring to the woman who caused me pain and heartbreak.
My Grace is gone
I am saying goodbye to the love of my life who I referred to as 'Grace'.
Another drink and I'll be gone
I will leave and forget everything with the help of another drink.
One drink to remember
I am reminding myself of the past memories we shared.
Then another to forget
I will then drink more to forget the pain and heartbreak.
I think of every day to find
I keep trying to find someone who can replace you in my thoughts every day.
A love like you again
I wish to find someone who could love me like you did once again.
You think of things impossible
My mind is filled with impossible things and ideas again.
Then the sun refuse to shine
The sun will not shine when darkness is present and I'm feeling empty.
I woke with you beside me
When I wake up, I still cannot believe you are not there beside me anymore.
Your cold hand lay in mine
I remember vividly the feeling of your cold hand in my own.
Another drink and I'll go
Yet another drink, and I will leave this place altogether.
One more drink and I'll move on
If I drink more, my heartbreak will turn into motivation for me to move on and keep going.
One more drink, my Grace is gone
This last drink accomplished saying goodbye to you, my love named 'Grace'.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DAVID JOHN MATTHEWS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind