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
Rhyme And Reason
Dave Matthews Band Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But we stand for nothing
My heart calls to me in my sleep
How can I turn to it
'Cause I'm all locked up in this
Dark place, and I do not know
I'm good as dead
My head aches, warped and tied up
My head won't leave my head alone
And I don't believe it will
'Til I'm dead and gone
My head won't leave my head alone
And I don't believe it will
'Til I'm six feet under ground
How long I'm tied up
My mind in knots, my stomach reels
In concern for what I might do or
What I've done
It's got me living in fear
Well I know these voices must
Be my soul
I've had enough
I've had enough
Of being alone
I've got no place to go
In my grave
Lying wired shut and quiet in my grave
Leave me here
Leave it to me to waste here
So young here I am again
Talking to myself
A t.v. blares
Oh man oh how I wish I didn't smoke
Or drink to reason with my head
But sometimes this thick confusion
Grows until I cannot bare it all
Needle to the vein
Needle to the vein
Take this needle from my vein my friend
In my grave
Lying lying cold in my grave
Reason - my reason
Take my head off this terror
I'm fearing I'll come back
I'll see
My mind's all wiped clean
The needle
Make my great escape
I'll see the cold in time
My head leaves me behind
Let me fade away
I seem caught in time
My head leaves me behind
Body falls cold
And I see heaven
The lyrics to Dave Matthews Band's song "Rhyme And Reason" paint a picture of someone trapped in their own mind and unsure how to escape. The opening lines of "Oh well oh well so here we stand, but we stand for nothing" set the tone for the rest of the song as the singer feels stuck and purposeless. The singer's heart calls to them in their sleep but they don't know how to answer the call. They feel locked in a dark place, refer to themselves as good as dead, and are living in fear.
The repeated line "My head won't leave my head alone" speaks to the overwhelming thoughts and anxiety that can come with feeling trapped in your own mind. The singer seems to be struggling with addiction, expressing a desire to quit smoking and drinking but feeling unable to reason with their own head. The mention of a needle and vein adds to this idea of addiction and the desperation to numb the pain.
The final lines of the song seem to bring a sense of peace as the singer talks about seeing heaven and fading away. It's unclear whether this is meant to be interpreted literally as a suicidal ideation or more metaphorically as a release from the constant pain and struggle. Overall, "Rhyme And Reason" is a powerful and thought-provoking song about the struggle of being trapped in your own mind.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh well oh well so here we stand
Here we are, but we have no clear purpose or direction.
But we stand for nothing
We lack conviction or principles to guide us.
My heart calls to me in my sleep
I have a yearning deep inside that I try to ignore.
How can I turn to it
But I don't know how to follow my heart's desire.
'Cause I'm all locked up in this
I feel trapped and unable to break free from my current state of mind.
Dark place, and I do not know
I'm in a negative and uncertain state of mind.
I'm good as dead
I feel hopeless and helpless, as if I'm already dead.
My head aches, warped and tied up
I feel mentally and emotionally burdened, confused, and distressed.
I need to kill this pain
I want to escape from this emotional pain and turmoil I'm experiencing.
My head won't leave my head alone
My internal struggles and negative thoughts continue to haunt me and consume me.
And I don't believe it will
I don't think I'll be able to escape or recover from this state of mind.
'Til I'm dead and gone
I feel that this pain and distress will continue until I die.
How long I'm tied up
I'm uncertain how long I'll be stuck in this negative state of mind.
My mind in knots, my stomach reels
I feel confused and anxious, unsure of what to do next.
In concern for what I might do or
I'm worried about making the wrong choices or decisions.
What I've done
I'm also burdened by the past and the mistakes I've made.
It's got me living in fear
All of these negative thoughts and concerns create a constant sense of fear and anxiety for me.
Well I know these voices must
I understand that these negative internal dialogues are coming from within me.
Be my soul
I realize that my inner self needs some attention and care.
I've had enough
I can't take this anymore; I need to find a way out of this negative mental state.
Of being alone
I feel lonely, unsure of what to do or how to connect with others.
I've got no place to go
I feel lost and without a sense of direction or purpose.
In my grave
I feel dead and buried inside, with no sense of hope or purpose.
Lying wired shut and quiet in my grave
I feel trapped and silenced, unable to express myself and my true feelings.
Leave me here
I don't feel ready or able to face the world or my problems.
Leave it to me to waste here
I'll just stay here and let my life pass me by until it's too late.
So young here I am again
I'm stuck in this negative state of mind, feeling trapped and directionless, just like I was when I was young.
Talking to myself
I feel alone and unsure of who to talk to or how to express myself.
A t.v. blares
I'm surrounded by distractions and noise, unable to find clarity and peace.
Oh man oh how I wish I didn't smoke
I regret some of my past choices and actions which I know haven't been healthy for me.
Or drink to reason with my head
I've used alcohol to cope with my internal struggles, but I know it's not a healthy or sustainable solution.
But sometimes this thick confusion
Despite my best efforts to clear my mind, I still feel confused and overwhelmed.
Grows until I cannot bare it all
This feeling of confusion and distress becomes too much for me to handle.
Needle to the vein
I'm seeking an escape from my internal turmoil through drugs or other destructive behaviors.
Take this needle from my vein my friend
I need help and support to overcome my addictions and internal struggles.
Reason - my reason
I need to find a reason or purpose to guide me and give me hope.
Take my head off this terror
I need to stop feeling so anxious and afraid all the time.
I'm fearing I'll come back
I'm worried that my internal struggles will continue to haunt me, even if I find a way to temporarily escape them.
I'll see
I hope that I'll be able to find a better way forward, despite my struggles.
My mind's all wiped clean
I hope that I'll be able to find clarity and peace of mind once I've overcome my internal struggles.
The needle
I need to overcome my addictions and destructive behaviors in order to find true healing and happiness.
Make my great escape
I need to find a way to escape from my negative state of mind and find a better life for myself.
I'll see the cold in time
I'll eventually find clarity and peace, even if it takes time and effort.
My head leaves me behind
I need to find a way to take control of my thoughts and emotions, instead of letting them control me.
Let me fade away
I need peace and rest, even if that means fading away from the world and its problems.
I seem caught in time
I feel stagnant and stuck, unable to move forward or grow.
Body falls cold
I'm feeling dead and lifeless, with no sense of vitality or energy.
And I see heaven
Despite my struggles and pain, I have hope that there is something better waiting for me after death.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DAVID JOHN MATTHEWS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@javilopez65
Oh well oh well so here we stand
But we stand for nothing
My heart calls to me in my sleep
How can I turn to it
'Cause I'm all locked up in this
Dark place
And I do not know
I'm as good as dead
My head aches
Warped and tied up
I need to kill this pain
My head won't leave my head alone
And I don't believe it will
Until I'm dead and gone
My head won't leave my head alone
And I don't believe it will
Until I'm six-feet underground
How long I'm tied up
My mind in knots
My stomach reels
In concern for what I might do or
What I've done
It's got me living in fear
Well I know these voices must
Be my soul
I've had enough I've had enough of being alone
I've got no place to go
My head won't leave my head alone
And I don't believe it will
Until I'm dead and gone
My head won't leave my head alone
And I don't believe it will
Until I'm six-feet under ground
Six-feet under
In my grave
Lying wired and shut and quiet in my grave
Leave me here
Leave me here to waste here
So young and here I am again
Talking to myself
A T.V. blares
Oh man
Oh how I wish I didn't smoke
Or drink to reason with my head
But sometimes this thick confusion
Grows until I cannot bear it at all
Needle to the vein
Needle to the vein
Take this needle from my vein my friend
I said
My head won't leave my head alone
And I don't believe it will
Until I'm dead and gone
My head won't leave my head alone
And I don't believe it will
Until I'm dead and gone
In my grave
Lying
Lying cold in my grave
The reason
My reason
Take my head off this terror
The fearing won't come back
I can't see
My mind's all wiped clean
The needle
Make my great escape
I seem caught in time
My head leaves me behind
Body fall cold
And I see heaven
@amircolter3386
I was passed out under a tree and a cop woke me up when this song came on
@washredskin887
THIS version can not be touched. I forgot what the studio version sounds like. Incredible.
@aqualung1466
My favorite DMB song. And this is my favorite performance of it.
@automachinehead
This man has been prog since the beginning and prog fans my age diss him as if he is covid. I told them DMB's Under the Table and Dreaming would demolish entire radiohead's catalogue and proceed to dab on their priceless reaction. We old cunts can be idiot sometimes.
@graceyundercover1663
Def fav song awesome live performance
@narcoleptic988
@@automachinehead yeah...radiohead is pretty amazing as well... Comparing the 2 is like comparing fruits to vegetables... one tastes great, one tastes like crap, both are great for you
@automachinehead
@@narcoleptic988 yes except radiohead is the one that tastes like crap
@narcoleptic988
@@automachinehead lmao I'm unfortunately hopelessly addicted to both bands. Radioheads evolution as musicians just really turns me on.
@310taylor
Its one thing to be able to play this. Its another to have it sound good. Guy is so original such a true artist devoted
@magnuscroify
His dark songs are his best, IMO.