If you think about it, there’s no way Dave Matthew Band should have been the Grammy Award-winning success they became. This little college bar band from Charlottesville, Virginia, though, changed the world, helping to bring light and positivity to a music culture that was often dreary and depressive thanks to grunge rock.
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From acoustic guitars to saxophones and violins, the group was something new in the 1990s thanks to its giant swaths of fans, extended song performances, and Matthews’ strange lyrics (and dance moves). But given the band’s five-piece setup in the early days, some might think that the writing of the DMB’s biggest hits was a collective effort. And in some way, that thought is correct.
But seemingly more often than not, it was Matthews who wrote the band’s most impactful songs and hit singles. Here below, we dive into four such offerings.
[RELATED: Four Dave Matthews Band Deep Cuts]
“Crash into Me”
Written by Dave Matthews
Released on the band’s seminal 1996 multi-Platinum album, Crash, this track is essentially the LP’s title song. It’s also probably the most famous and representative Dave Matthews Band song. In live acoustic shows, Matthews has called it a “sweet song,” even though, for all intents and purposes, it’s about a lusting peeping Tom. Nevertheless, the track was nominated for a Grammy Award in 1998 and it remains a fan favorite. One listen to a live concert record and you can hear the fans cheering madly for it. Matthews sings of deep, boyish, unrequited love, saying,
You’ve got your ball
You’ve got your chain
Tied to me tight, tie me up again
Who’s got their claws
In you my friend
Into your heart I’ll beat again
Sweet like candy to my soul
Sweet you rock
And sweet you roll
Lost for you I’m so lost for you
You come crash, into me
And I come into you
And I come into you
In a boys dream
In a boys dream
“Ants Marching”
Written by Dave Matthews
Prior to Crash, Dave Matthews Band released its debut studio album, Under the Table and Dreaming, in 1994. One of the most popular songs on that LP was “Ants Marching,” which Matthews wrote solo. The song, which also appeared on the band’s first album, the live recording Remember Two Things, has become another fan favorite live at shows, with its signature snare hit launching the number. On the song, Matthews sings of the day-in, day-out drudgery of the 9-to-5, saying,
He wakes up in the morning
Does his teeth bite to eat and he’s rolling
Never changes a thing
The week ends the week begins
She thinks, we look at each other
Wondering what the other is thinking
But we never say a thing
These crimes between us grow deeper
Take these chances
Place them in a box until a quiter time
Lights down, you up and die
“Satellite”
Written by Dave Matthews
Not only is Matthews a unique singer (with his rubbery voice) and stellar songwriter (with his prolific tunes), he is one of the world’s best rhythmic acoustic guitar players. Case in point: the main riff from the song “Satellite,” which was released on Under the Table and Dreaming and also appears on the live Remember Two Things. It’s intricate, odd, and sticky as honey. Matthews sings of technology and space, saying,
Satellite in my eyes
Like a diamond in the sky
How I wonder.
Satellite strung from the moon
And the world your balloon
Peeping tom for the mother station.
Winter’s cold spring erases
And the calm away by the storm is chasing
Everything good needs replacing
Look up, look down all around, hey satellite
Satellite, headlines read
Someone’s secrets you’ve seen
Eyes and ears have been
Satellite dish in my yard
Tell me more, tell me more
Who’s the king of your satellite castle?
“Two Step”
Written by Dave Matthews
Released on Crash, this song sounds like a race through Egyptian deserts. It’s often one the band plays for 10 or even 20 minutes live, with plenty of room for solos from its members and any guest player who might be sitting in. On the song, Matthews sings about love and celebration, though at times it can be unclear the exact meaning of the stream-of-consciousness number. Either way, his fans adore the track, on which he sings,
Hey, my love, you came to me like
Wine comes to this mouth
Grown tired of water all the time
You quench my heart and, oh, you
Quench my mind and say
Celebrate we will
‘Cause life is short but sweet for certain
(Hey)
We climb on two by two
To be sure these days continue
Things we cannot
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Photo by Mike Coppola/WireImage
