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
Ants Marching
Dave Matthews Band Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Does his teeth, bite to eat and he's rolling
Never changes a thing
The week ends, the week begins
She thinks, we look at each other
Wondering what the other is thinking
But we never say a thing
Take these chances
Place them in a box until a quieter time
Lights down, you up and die
Goes to visit his mommy
She feeds him well his concerns he forgets them
And remembers being small
Playing under the table and dreaming
Take these chances
Place them in a box until a quieter time
Lights down, you up and die
Driving along this highway
All these cars and upon the sidewalk
People in every direction
No words exchanged, no time to exchange
When all the little ants are marching
Red and black antennae waving
They all do it the same
They all do it the same way
Candyman tempting the thoughts of a sweet tooth
Tortured by weight loss
Program cutting corners
Loose end, loose end
Cut, cut on the fence not to offend
Cut, cut, cut ,cut
Take these chances
Place them in a box until a quieter time
Lights down, you up and die
Lights down you up and die
The song "Ants Marching" by Dave Matthews Band is about the monotonous and routine life of individuals. The opening lines depict the daily activities of an average person who wakes up, does his routine tasks, and moves on with his life without making any significant changes. Likewise, the people around us tend to keep to themselves, and the chances of a real conversation are minimal. It portrays how meaningless actions keep people busy without any actual purpose. The line "Never changes a thing, The week ends, the week begins" suggests a cyclical and predictable routine that people get caught up in.
The chorus of the song speaks about taking opportunities and keeping them on hold until a later, quiet time. People often put aside their aspirations until a later time, but that moment never comes, and life goes by without ever trying to achieve their dreams. The phrase "Lights down, you up and die" means that we may live in a dull and monotonous world, but the end of this cycle is death, so it is essential to make use of every chance we get.
The third verse talks about the constant movement and hustle of day-to-day life. Despite the constant interactions among people, no words are exchanged. This highlights the fact that everyone is busy and consumed in their lives and does not take the time to appreciate the world or even acknowledge another person's presence.
Line by Line Meaning
He wakes up in the morning
He starts his day afresh
Does his teeth, bite to eat and he's rolling
He does his daily hygiene routine and has breakfast, and gets going with his day
Never changes a thing
He follows the same routine for every day without changing it
The week ends, the week begins
Days pass by in routine and the week seems to begin and end quickly
She thinks, we look at each other
She ponders and they share glances
Wondering what the other is thinking
They are curious about each other's thoughts
But we never say a thing
Despite the curiosity, they never express their thoughts to each other
And these crimes between us grow deeper
The lack of communication creates misunderstandings and big gaps between them
Take these chances
Take the opportunities
Place them in a box until a quieter time
Store the opportunities for later when things are calm
Lights down, you up and die
At times, you may have to sleep early and rise early to make things work
Goes to visit his mommy
He goes to see his mother
She feeds him well his concerns he forgets them
His mother gives him good food to eat, which makes him forget his worries
And remembers being small
He thinks of the days when he was a child
Playing under the table and dreaming
He remembers playing as a child and daydreaming
Driving along this highway
He is driving along a busy road
All these cars and upon the sidewalk
There are many cars on the road and people walking on the sidewalk
People in every direction
People are going in all directions
No words exchanged, no time to exchange
No one talks to each other, as there is no time to do so
When all the little ants are marching
Like little ants, people are following the crowd and doing the same things
Red and black antennae waving
People are following the crowd, moving and acting in unison
They all do it the same
Everyone is following the same path
They all do it the same way
Everyone is doing things in the same way
Candyman tempting the thoughts of a sweet tooth
The temptation of sweet treats is like candyman offering treats to people
Tortured by weight loss
The pain of trying to lose weight
Program cutting corners
Trying to take shortcuts to achieve goals
Loose end, loose end
There are loose ends which need to be tied up
Cut, cut on the fence not to offend
Make a decision, but don't take a side so as not to hurt anyone
Cut, cut, cut, cut
Make choices, but be careful
Lights down, you up and die
Sometimes, you need to take a break and rest so that you can handle whatever comes next
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DAVID MATTHEWS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind