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
Typical Situation
Dave Matthews Band Lyrics
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Nine planets around the sun repeat
Eight ball is the last if you triumphant be
Seven oceans pummel the shores of the sea
It's a typical situation
In the typical times
Too many choices
Everybody's happy
We'll keep the big door open
Everyone'll come around
Why are you different
Why are you that way
If you don't get in line
We'll lock you away
It all comes down to nothing
Six senses feeling
Five around a sense of self
Four season turn on and turn off
I can see
Three corners from this corner
Two is a perfect number
But one
Everybody's happy
Everybody's free
We'll keep the big door open
And everyone'll come around
Why are you different
Why are you that way
If you don't step in line
We'll lock you away
It's a typical situation
In these typical times
We can't do thing about it
The song "Typical Situation" by the Dave Matthews Band is a commentary on conformity and the pressure to conform to society's expectations. The song's verses are simply a countdown, with each verse beginning with a number and referencing something related to that number. These things range from the planets in our solar system to our senses as human beings. The repeated phrase "it's a typical situation" suggests that these pressures and expectations are all too common and that people are expected to fall in line and conform.
The chorus emphasizes the idea that society values conformity and that anyone who deviates from the norm will be punished or ostracized. The lines "Why are you different/Why are you that way/If you don't get in line/We'll lock you away" suggest that society will reject those who don't conform and that there is a threat of punishment if one does not follow the status quo. The song seems to be critical of this pressure to conform and values individuality instead.
Overall, "Typical Situation" is a commentary on the conformity and the societal pressures to fit in. The song's use of a countdown and repetition emphasizes the idea that these pressures are all too common and that society values conformity over individuality. The chorus suggests that anyone who does not conform will be punished or ostracized.
Line by Line Meaning
Ten fingers we have each
We all have ten fingers, it's a fact.
Nine planets around the sun repeat
There are nine planets in our solar system that orbit around the sun in a repetitive manner.
Eight ball is the last if you triumphant be
In a game of pool, sinking the eight ball means you win the game.
Seven oceans pummel the shores of the sea
There are seven oceans that constantly hit against the coastlines of the world.
It's a typical situation
The situation being described is common and typical.
In the typical times
These times are typical of what we experience in general.
Too many choices
There are too many options to choose from.
Everybody's happy
Everyone seems content and satisfied.
Everybody's free
Everyone has the freedom to choose what they want to do.
We'll keep the big door open
We will welcome everyone with open arms.
Everyone'll come around
Everyone will eventually come to our way of thinking.
Why are you different
Why do you have to be different from us?
Why are you that way
Why do you behave in that manner?
If you don't get in line
If you don't conform to our ways of thinking,
We'll lock you away
We will remove you from the rest of society.
It all comes down to nothing
In the end, everything is futile.
Six senses feeling
We use all six of our senses to experience the world.
Five around a sense of self
Our five senses help us build a sense of ourselves and our surroundings.
Four season turn on and turn off
There are four main seasons that come and go.
I can see
I understand what is happening.
Three corners from this corner
Three corners away from where we are.
Two is a perfect number
Two is considered a perfect number in certain contexts.
But one
But in this particular case, only one.
We'll keep the big door open
We will always welcome everyone.
And everyone'll come around
Eventually, everyone will understand our point of view.
Why are you different
We don't understand why you behave differently.
Why are you that way
We don't understand why you act in that particular manner.
If you don't step in line
If you don't conform to our way of thinking,
We'll lock you away
We will exclude you from society.
It's a typical situation
This type of situation is common and typical.
In these typical times
These times are typical of what we usually experience.
We can't do thing about it
We have no control over the situation.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DAVID JOHN MATTHEWS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind