God and Dave Matthews
My dad has been a Dave Matthews Band fan almost since they were started, so, consequently, I have grown up listening to their music, and, consequently, they have become one of my favorite groups, if not just favorite, period. Their music is just bursting at the seams with beauty, complexity, and poetry that seems sorely lacking in most other music.
It's funny, how by listening to an artist's music, you can get a glimpse into their personal life. Dave Matthews's music, as well as his personality, seems oddly two-sided. On one side we seem to have the drugs, sex, rock'n'roll and who-cares-about-God-or-the-consequences type of attitude, coupled with stubborn Atheism; a mindset very prevalent in pop culture.
However, we also see a side that regrets this behavior, and wishes for redemption. Listening to Dave Matthews's music, I have basically been hearing him trying to decide whether he believes in God or not. Some of his songs have very obvious anti-God lines, for example:
"Hoping to God on high is like clinging to straws while drowning" from the song What You Are.
"There's no God above and no Hell below" from Mother Father.
Incidentally, both of the songs quoted above are from the same album, Everyday.
But then, as we hear this obvious Atheism in those songs and that album (and in others, I'm sure), we also sometimes hear a belief in God, a belief that often takes on a hopeful tone (as opposed to the throughly pessimistic sound of his Atheist lines, hint, hint).
A beautiful example of this is the song Bartender, from the album Busted Stuff. Bartender has two parts to it.
One, the man in the song is asking the people in his life to not forget him if he dies "before his time." For example:
Dave is imploring God to have mercy on him, and to grant him a ressurection like Jesus's. All throughout the song is the theme of death, redemption, and resurrection. The music matches as well, with an ethereal sound that suggests (to me) standing at the end of the tunnel, gazing at the light on the other end, and hoping to reach the light.
And all through Dave's music, you hear unnatural beauty and complexity like that of Bartender, and you can't help but realize that God is with Dave, whether Dave realizes (or wants) it or not.
It's funny, how by listening to an artist's music, you can get a glimpse into their personal life. Dave Matthews's music, as well as his personality, seems oddly two-sided. On one side we seem to have the drugs, sex, rock'n'roll and who-cares-about-God-or-the-consequences type of attitude, coupled with stubborn Atheism; a mindset very prevalent in pop culture.
However, we also see a side that regrets this behavior, and wishes for redemption. Listening to Dave Matthews's music, I have basically been hearing him trying to decide whether he believes in God or not. Some of his songs have very obvious anti-God lines, for example:
"Hoping to God on high is like clinging to straws while drowning" from the song What You Are.
"There's no God above and no Hell below" from Mother Father.
Incidentally, both of the songs quoted above are from the same album, Everyday.
But then, as we hear this obvious Atheism in those songs and that album (and in others, I'm sure), we also sometimes hear a belief in God, a belief that often takes on a hopeful tone (as opposed to the throughly pessimistic sound of his Atheist lines, hint, hint).
A beautiful example of this is the song Bartender, from the album Busted Stuff. Bartender has two parts to it.
One, the man in the song is asking the people in his life to not forget him if he dies "before his time." For example:
If I goTwo, the man is asks:
Before I'm old
Oh, brother of mine
Please don't forget me
If I go...
Bartender, pleaseWho do you suppose the Bartender is?
Fill my glass for me
With the wine you gave Jesus that set Him free
After three days in the ground...
Dave is imploring God to have mercy on him, and to grant him a ressurection like Jesus's. All throughout the song is the theme of death, redemption, and resurrection. The music matches as well, with an ethereal sound that suggests (to me) standing at the end of the tunnel, gazing at the light on the other end, and hoping to reach the light.
And all through Dave's music, you hear unnatural beauty and complexity like that of Bartender, and you can't help but realize that God is with Dave, whether Dave realizes (or wants) it or not.
posted by James at
12:42 PM
