If you've ever met an avid Dave Matthews Band fan, you already know about it. You can pick us out by the Fire Dancer stickers on our cars, bikes, or computers, by our hippy-chic wardrobes, our left-leaning political allegiances (though not generally when coupled with Greek affiliation, as these tend to offset), the occasional DMB tattoo, our tendencies to refer to Dave by only his first name, and our seemingly compulsive outbursts of "I've seen Dave 5/10/3,408 times."
For many, Dave Matthews Band is just the source of that catchy saxophone tune that plays in the background at department stores, but for us, Dave Matthews Band is an integral part of our lives. There's a reason that DMB is the only group to have ever had six consecutive albums debut at #1 on the Billboard album charts, why they have sold more than 19 million tickets for their concerts, or why they have toured 23 of the last 24 summers, with a few select shows during their summer off in 2011 as they celebrated twenty years together.
Below is just a small sample of the lyrical genius of Dave and DMB that should help the rest of the world to understand where we're coming from.
- The future is no place to place your better days.
- Kiss me, won't you kiss me now? And sleep I would inside your mouth. Don't be us too shy for knowing it's no big surprise that I will wait for you. I will wait for no one but you.
- It's crazy, I'm thinking, just knowing that the world is round, and here I'm dancing on the ground. Am I right-side-up, or upside-down, and is this real? Or am I dreaming?
- Lying on the roof counting the stars that fill the sky, I wonder if someone in the heavens's looking back down on me. I'll never know.
- You quench my heart, and love, you quench my mind. Let's celebrate, oh celebrate, we will, 'cause life is short but sweet for certain.
- If you give, you begin to live.
- If hate's the gate to peace, this is the last stop.
- Tell me, what in the world would I sing for if I had it all?
- I hear you still talk to me, as if you're sitting in that dusty chair. Makes the hours easier to bear, I know despite the years alone, I'll always listen to you sing your sweet song.*
- I saw a bear on TV and his friends were all drowning, 'cause their homes were turning to water. Strange, kind of sad, big old bear surely would happily eat me. He'd tear me to pieces, that bear.
- Always walk where you like your steps.
- You and I are not tied to the ground, not falling but rising, like rolling around. Eyes closed above the rooftops, with eyes closed, we're gonna spin through the stars.
- Caught by a wave, my back to the ocean, it knocks me off my feet and just as I find my footing, here you come again.
- The evening comes, and we're hanging out on the front step and a car goes by with the windows rolled down, and that war song is playing, "why can't we be friends?" Someone is screaming crying in the apartment upstairs.
- Troubles, they may come and go, but good times, they're the gold.
- Eat, drink, and be merry, 'cause tomorrow we'll die.
- We gotta do much more than believe if we wanna see the world change.
- See, you and me have a better time than most can dream, oh much better than the rest, so we can pull on through whatever tears at us, whatever holds us down, and if nothing can be done, we'll make the best of what's around.
- Gravedigger, when you dig my grave, could you make it shallow so that I could feel the rain?*
- Above all things, if kindness is your king, then Heaven will be yours before you meet your end.
- Everybody asks me how she's doing, has she really lost her mind? I couldn't tell you, I've lost mine.
- I remember thinking I'll go on forever only knowing I'll see you again, but I know the touch of you is so hard to remember, but like that touch I know no other.
- Why won't you run in the rain and play, let the tears splash all over you?
- Twenty three and so tired of life, such a shame to throw it all away. The images grow darker still. Could I have been anyone other than me?
- I say it's love, so share it out, share it fair, but share it liberal.
- Rip away the tears and drink a hope to happy years. You may find a lifetime's passed you by.
- I can't believe that we would lie in our graves wondering if we had spent our living days well.
- To change the world, start with one step. However small, the first step is hardest of all.
- Save your sermons for someone that's afraid to love. If you knew what I feel, then you couldn't be so sure. I'll be right here lying in the hands of God.
- Turns out, it's not where but who you're with that really matters.
- She prays to God most every night, and though she swears it doesn't listen, there's still a hope in her He might.
- Wake up naked drinking coffee, making plans to change the world while the world was changing us. It was good good love. You used to laugh under the covers, maybe not so often now. But the way I used to laugh with you was loud and hard.*
- Goes to visit his mommy, she feeds him well, his concerns he forgets them, and remembers being small playing under the table and dreaming.
- Baby, when I get home, I wanna believe in Jesus. Hammer in the final nail, help me pick up the pieces.
- And while I stand here, the ground beneath is nothing more than one point of view.
- What I want is what I've not got, and what I need is all around me.
- Would you like to play with the thought of a friend in a distant passing stage, while you're lying around with your hands up and out, so resigned you will fall down?
- I have no lid upon my head, but if I did, you could look inside and see what's on my mind. Oh, it's you.
- You see, this crazy man decided not to breathe, he turned red, then blue, then purple, so colorful indeed. No matter how his friends begged and pleaded, the man would not concede, and now he's dead, you see. The silly man should know you've got to breathe.
- If these walls came crumblin' down, fell so hard to make us lose our faith, from what's left you'd figure it out, still make lemonade taste like a summer day.
- All the people are on parade, thought I saw a spaceman tryna get laid. Doesn't everybody deserve to have the good life?
- You think of things impossible and the sun refuse to shine. I woke up with you beside me, your cold hand lay in mine.
- Big house, big yard, help myself, help myself. Every once in a while, to help the helpless comes into style, the mercy mercy mile. 1-800 help myself, help myself.
- Come on now, stay up and make some memories with us now, roll the red carpet out with friends to whom to love and roll on. Our love is so right, I won't waste a minute here tonight. Our love is so right, and tonight my dance is all about you.
- Pick me up, oh, from the bottom, up to the top, love, everyday. Pay no mind to taunts or advances, I'm gonna take my chances on everyday.
- But will I hold you again? These fickle, fuddled words confuse me, like "will it rain today?" Waste the hours with talking, talking, these twisted games we're playing.
- So will you lay your arms down? Yes, I will call this home.
- Don't hide away like an ocean that you can't see but you can smell and the sound of waves crash down.
- Oh, I watch you there through the window and I stare as you wear nothing but you wear it so well. Tied up and twisted the way I'd like to be, for you, for me, come crash into me.
- I play my cards as best I can, but I lose my luck when you're not here. My darling heart, won't you please give in? I may be strong, but I want you back again.
* These lyrics technically came from the Dave Matthews solo album Some Devil.
Thanks, Dave. We love you and we promise you don't suck. Please make music forever and ever and take all our money. New fans, check out his summer tour dates and make it out to a show. We'll welcome you with open arms and a complimentary bottle of patchouli oil.