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
One Sweet World
Dave Matthews Band Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Only one does the sun embrace
Upon this watered one
So much to we take for granted
So let us sleep outside tonight
Lay down in the mother's arms
For here we can rest safely
If green should slip to grey
Would our hearts still bloody beat
If the mountains crumble away
And the river dry
Would it stop the stepping feet
Take all that we can get
When it's done
Nobody left to bury
Nobody left to dig the holes
And here we will rest safely
One sweet world
Around this star is spinning
One sweet world
In her breath I'm swimming
And here we will rest in peace.
The opening lines of "One Sweet World" by Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds are an evocative reminder of the stunning beauty of the earth we inhabit. The lyrics reflect on the fact that out of the nine planets that orbit the sun, only one planet - our own - is able to support life. The words "Upon this watered one, so much we take for granted" rightly point out that we often fail to appreciate the abundance of beauty and life that surrounds us.
The second verse of the song prescribes a remedy for this lack of appreciation - to sleep outside, under the stars, and in the embrace of nature's arms. This simple act, the song suggests, can remind us of our place in the world and allow us to rest safe in the knowledge that we are a part of something much larger than ourselves.
The song goes on to ask thought-provoking questions, such as whether our hearts would still beat if the mountains crumbled away or if the rivers ran dry. The answer, of course, is yes - but the point is that we should not take the natural world and all its wonders for granted. "One Sweet World" is a song that encourages us to be grateful for the earth and all it provides for us, and to never forget our place within it.
Line by Line Meaning
Nine planets round the sun
There are nine planets revolving around the sun
Only one does the sun embrace
The sun only embraces and provides light to one of those nine planets
Upon this watered one
Referring to the earth, the planet that the sun embraces
So much to we take for granted
We often fail to appreciate and realize the value of what we have
So let us sleep outside tonight
We should spend some time in nature to appreciate its beauty and power
Lay down in the mother's arms
Nature is like a motherly figure that nurtures and protects us
For here we can rest safely
Nature provides a safe and peaceful place to rest and rejuvenate
If green should slip to grey
If nature loses its vibrance and beauty
Would our hearts still bloody beat
Would we still have the will to live and love if nature loses its allure?
If the mountains crumble away
If the natural landscape changes and evolves
And the river dry
If the rivers stop flowing and drying up
Would it stop the stepping feet
Would we stop and give up on life if the natural world changes?
Take all that we can get
We should make the most of what nature has to offer
When it's done
When nature has been used up and depleted
Nobody left to bury
There will be no one left to mourn the loss of nature
Nobody left to dig the holes
There will be no one left to repair and restore nature
And here we will rest safely
We can find peace and solace in nature
One sweet world
The earth is a beautiful and precious place
Around this star is spinning
The earth is revolving around the sun
In her breath I'm swimming
We are a part of nature and rely on it for our survival
And here we will rest in peace.
We can find peace and rest in nature
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DAVID JOHN MATTHEWS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
James McComas
Just took my son to his first concert. He opened with this song. Really special!
Brian Johnson
I am about to take my 11 and 9 year old boys to their 1st one at Shoreline. Any recommendations? The only thing I am nervous about is all the weed smoking and having to explain that to them. How old is your son?
Shawn Mazza
NH?
Christopher Ressler
This is one of the most well written & arranged songs ever ! I mean FR . It deserves to be right up there with with the Beatles "Eleanor Rigby" or "Hello Goodbye" or even, what I consider to be THE most well written song of all time, "Yesterday" . This is an extraordinarily special piece of art. I , personally, like the "Live at Luther College" rendition I little more but hey , as song of this caliber, there is no such thing as a bad version . ✌️"And thats all I got to say about that".✌️
Bryce Witkowoski
its up there with Rocket man, and Some of Queens songs... ive seen him live 20 times.. and no band has ever come close to the energy and pure joy that he brings to the stage!..
Nancy Ferranti
I hope some day ; @MrCliffyWorld , that this will be recognized ….. not sure up against the Beatle’s you compared to … but, I will join you !!!!! Time will tell how artist’s are rated and remembered ! I vote for DMB’S ‘One Sweet World ‘!!!!!!
Nancy Ferranti
I am for One Sweet World …
Nancy Ferranti
Glad that LutherCollege was mentioned…….
Nancy Ferranti
Some of Dave’s best …..
hix 117
Masterful musicians. I'm so glad I exist in this world the same time as Dave and the band.