Fans of Dave Matthews and the Dave Matthews Band know the biggest hits. “Crash into Me,” “Crush,” “#41,” “Too Much,” “Two Step” and more. But one of the songs from the group that made waves and garnered millions of streams is the foreboding “Don’t Drink the Water” from the band’s 1998 album, Before These Crowded Streets.
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But what is the song about? What do its lyrics and seemingly odd title mean?
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Colonialism
“Don’t Drink the Water” is not only an impactful song lyrically but it’s also one that features big names outside the DMB, giving it more credibility. The song features backing vocals by Alanis Morissette and banjo playing from Béla Fleck.
Outside of the personnel, the song is about one group of people trying to hurt, harm, kill off or steal from another. Such is the story of much of history. Dave Matthews, who was born in South Africa and lived there for a number of years before moving to America, knows about division, government censorship and racism.
These are the ideas that make up the track. Thus, Matthews sings from the perspective of someone offering warfare to an already settled people. He sings,
Come out come out
No use in hiding
Come now come now
Can you not see?
There’s no place here
What were you expecting
Not room for both
Just room for me
So you will lay your arms down
Yes I will call this home
Away away
You have been banished
Your land is gone
And given me
Grammy Award-Winning Band
The Dave Matthews Band is one of the highest-grossing touring groups of all time, raking in hundreds of millions of dollars. The group has won a Grammy and garnered handfuls of No. 1 albums and billions of song streams. So, for the group to choose to not make a simple sticky pop hit is a significant statement. Truly, Matthews does not shy away from speaking his mind. He sings later in the song,
And here I will spread my wings
Yes I will call this home
What’s this you say?
You feel a right to remain?
Then stay and I will bury you
What’s that you say
Your father’s spirit still lives in this place
I will silence you
These are the words of a heartless profit-driven monster. And Matthews gives voice, singing later in the song,
I have no time to justify to you
Fool, you’re blind, move aside for me
All I can say to you my new neighbor
Is you must move on or I will bury you
Matthews concludes the song with the message: This new place isn’t safe. Indeed, don’t drink from its wells. He sings, gruffly,
Don’t drink the water
Don’t drink the water
There’s blood in the water
Don’t drink the water
Final Thoughts
This is an admirable song to write, release and even create a music video for. For someone with legions of fans, it can be hard to make political statements like this. But Matthews does. The jam band frontman really hit a home run here.
Photo Credit: Danny Clinch/Shore Fire Media
