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
People People
Dave Matthews Band Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The ground that I built upon
Black and white and the rainbow five
Colors in my eyes
Seven tumbling oceans surround
The ground that I built upon
Black and white and the rainbow five
Colors in my eyes
People People
What are we doing in here
Oh, People
When are we done with this
People People
What are we doing in here
Oh, People
When are we done with this
When we fight over the ocean
When we fight over the sky, still why?
When we fight over our borders
Then we, our brothers and sisters remind
Tell me
Why is it so cold in here
Seven tumbling oceans surround
The ground that I built upon
Black and white and the rainbow five
Colors in my eyes
When we stand in our mothers arms no feeling of emptiness
When we stand in our mothers hands we can see this
When we fight over the oceans
When we fight over the sky, still why?
When we fight over our borders
Then we, our brothers and sisters we deny,
Tell me why do we do it
Why do we do it,
Oh, oh yeah
The lyrics to Dave Matthews Band's song "People People" explore the idea of human conflict and the divisions that we create among ourselves. In the first verse, Matthews sings about the vastness of the world around us, with seven oceans and a multitude of colors. However, he also notes that these serene surroundings are still impacted by human conflict and division. The chorus poses a question to humanity: "What are we doing in here? When are we done with this?" The repetition of "People People" emphasizes the idea that this is a collective question that we must confront as a species.
In the second verse, Matthews asks why we fight over the natural world: the oceans, the sky, and our borders. He notes that when we do so, we deny our connections to one another as brothers and sisters. The final lines of the song ask the ultimate question: "Why do we do it?" The song suggests that our divisions are ultimately meaningless and harmful, and that we must confront them in order to move forward as a species.
Overall, the lyrics to "People People" are a call for unity and a recognition of the ways in which our divisions harm us. It asks difficult questions about why we fight and what we hope to achieve, and it ultimately suggests that we must strive for a more connected and peaceful world.
Line by Line Meaning
Seven tumbling oceans surround
The world we live in has vast oceans surrounding it
The ground that I built upon
Our society is built on the foundation of the world we inhabit
Black and white and the rainbow five
The colors, both simple and diverse, make up our world and experiences
Colors in my eyes
Our perceptions and experiences shape how we see the world
People People
Addressing humanity as a whole
What are we doing in here
Questioning our actions and what we hope to achieve as a society
Oh, People
Expressing frustration with our collective behavior
When are we done with this
Asking when we will move past divisive actions and attitudes
When we fight over the ocean
Pointing out that conflicts often arise over things we cannot even possess or own, like the ocean
When we fight over the sky, still why?
Asking why we argue over things that are beyond our control, like the sky
When we fight over our borders
Highlighting how disputes can arise between nations and people based on man-made borders
Then we, our brothers and sisters remind
Acknowledging the shared humanity we have with those we often feel opposed to
Tell me
Posing a question to prompt reflection and thought
Why is it so cold in here
Questioning the emotional environment of society and the lack of warmth or compassion shown
When we stand in our mothers arms no feeling of emptiness
The love and acceptance we receive from our mothers can fill us with a sense of wholeness and belonging
When we stand in our mothers hands we can see this
In our mother's care, we can better see the beauty and preciousness of life
Then we, our brothers and sisters we deny
Acknowledging that when we fight amongst ourselves, we hurt and reject our fellow humans
Tell me why do we do it
Continuing to question our actions and motivations as a society
Why do we do it,
Repeating the previous question for emphasis
Oh, oh yeah
Expressing disappointment and sadness with the current state of humanity
Contributed by Abigail D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Hollin Calloway
I used to love this song when I was in college, back in 1997 - my boyfriend at the time gave me this old DMB bootleg tape with this song and Angel from Montgomery, so awesome, great to find it here!
Rooster2628
I will forever think of an old flame when I hear this song because she made a CD with DMB tracks like this on it.
Jose Sanchez
Hollin Calloway
I’ve never heard this song in my life before.
Woodrow Longshore
Love DMB and big fan of Genesis, as well. I've always thought to myself that this song was Phil Collinsesque. Just another rarity and classic !!!
Jason Green
It's Peter Griesar on keys. He and Dave co-wrote the song, and when Peter left the band, they stopped playing it. Pretty unlikely it ever returns
Sue Maguire
Love this song...cant believe in all the years we've been fans, that this song was never played....I say re-introduce it on a new album...please!
hatetechstuff
RIP LeRoi Moore, that was some amazing stuff
Zzyzx Matrix
Ive listened to this 45 times today. How do we get DMB to re-record this!?! Someone text Carter!!!
larrybox34
Thank you for posting Fan! I smile daily when I play this, starting to get burnt out with the same ol setlists then I find this gem.... It's like being back in the early '90's again!!!! 2 thumbs up!!!!!
Madison Apparator
This is such a great song!! They need to release it!!