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
Big Eyed Fish
Dave Matthews Band Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Who decided not to breathe.
Turned red, purple, then blue.
Colorful indeed.
No matter how his friends begged,
Well, he would not concede,
And now he's dead.
You see, cause everybody knows,
But, oh God,
Under the weight of life,
Things seem brighter on the other side...
Lighter on the other side...
Another one: See this monkey sitting on a tree,
One day, decided to climb down,
And run off to the city.
Look at him now, tired and drunk
And living on the street.
As good as dead.
You see, a monkey should know,
Stay up your tree.
But, oh God,
Under the weight of life,
Things seem brighter on the other side.
Oh, God,
But under the weight of life,
Things seem much brighter on the other side.
No way, no way, no way...out...of here...
Another one: A big eyed fish,
Yeah, swimming in the sea,
Oh, how he dreamed.
He wants to be a bird,
Swooping, diving through the breeze.
One day, he caught a big blue wave,
Up onto the beach,
And now he's dead.
You see, a fish's dream,
Should stay in the sea.
But, oh God,
Under the weight of life,
Things seem brighter on the other side.
No way...no way...no way...out...of here...
No way out of life.
The song "Big Eyed Fish" by Dave Matthews Band presents three parables, each depicting a living being that has deviated from its natural order of existence and suffered a tragic fate as a result. The first story features a man who refused to breathe and died because of it, despite his friends' attempts to convince him otherwise. The second story portrays a monkey that left its tree and now lives on the street, drunk and exhausted. The final story is that of a big eyed fish that dreamt of being a bird, surfed a wave to join them on the beach, and died. The repetition of the chorus "Under the weight of life, things seem brighter on the other side" suggests that the characters made misguided choices based on an inability to cope with life's difficulties.
The song seems to be presenting a commentary on the human condition and how we sometimes long to be something else, striving to break free from our limitations, often at our own peril. It is also a warning on how important it is for us to embrace our essential nature and respect the limitations we have to lead a fulfilling life. The lyrics suggest that we should pursue our dreams but not at the cost of our essential nature, and we must not lose sight of what we truly need.
Line by Line Meaning
Story of a man,
This is a tale about a person.
Who decided not to breathe.
This man made the choice to stop breathing.
Turned red, purple, then blue.
As he suffocated, his skin changed color and showed signs of oxygen deprivation.
Colorful indeed.
The description of his changing skin color is a morbid way of saying he was literally dying.
No matter how his friends begged,
His friends implored him to start breathing again.
Well, he would not concede,
Despite their pleas, he did not give in.
And now he's dead.
The tragic end result of his decision.
You see, cause everybody knows,
This is a well-known fact.
You got to breathe.
Humans need oxygen to live.
But, oh God,
This is an expression of despair or lamentation.
Under the weight of life,
When the stresses of life become too heavy to bear.
Things seem brighter on the other side...
In such circumstances, it can be tempting to believe that things will be better if we leave this life behind.
Lighter on the other side...
There is a sense of release and relief in death.
Another one: See this monkey sitting on a tree,
This is a new story, about a monkey who is perched on a tree.
One day, decided to climb down,
The monkey made the decision to leave the safety of the tree.
And run off to the city.
The monkey went to the urban environment.
Look at him now, tired and drunk
The monkey is now exhausted and under the influence of alcohol.
And living on the street.
The monkey is now homeless and destitute.
As good as dead.
This statement suggests that the monkey's life is effectively over.
You see, a monkey should know,
This is a piece of conventional wisdom.
Stay up your tree.
Monkeys are better off staying in the environment they know and are suited for.
Another one: A big eyed fish,
The beginning of another story, this time about a fish.
Yeah, swimming in the sea,
This fish was swimming in its natural habitat.
Oh, how he dreamed.
The fish had aspirations beyond its own capabilities.
He wants to be a bird,
The fish desired to be something it was not made to be.
Swooping, diving through the breeze.
The fish was envious of the freedom and mobility of birds.
One day, he caught a big blue wave,
The fish caught a wave that took it out of the water.
Up onto the beach,
The fish was stranded on the sand.
And now he's dead.
The fish's inability to stay in its natural habitat led to its death.
You see, a fish's dream,
This is another example of how aspirations beyond our capabilities can harm us.
Should stay in the sea.
Fish should be content with the environment in which they are meant to live.
No way, no way, no way...out...of here...
This refrain emphasizes the idea that there is no escape from life.
No way out of life.
The only way out of life is through death.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DAVID JOHN MATTHEWS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind