AllExperts > Dave Matthews Band 
Search      
Dave Matthews Band
Volunteer
Answers to thousands of questions
 Home · More Dave Matthews Band Questions · Answer Library  · Encyclopedia ·
More Dave Matthews Band Answers
Question Library

Ask a question about Dave Matthews Band
Volunteer
Experts of the Month
Expert Login

Awards

About Us
Tell friends
Link to Us
Disclaimer

 
 
 
 
About Anne Dalmadge
Expertise
I can Answer any questions about lyrics, songs, albums, or pretty much any questions about the band, but my strong subject is lyrics and songs.

Experience
I have been an avid Dave listener for four years, my brother got me into his music, we went to his last concert here together, I have all of his albums including Boyd's True Reflections, and can name almost all of his songs when i hear only about ten seconds or less of them.

 
   

You are here:  Experts > Music/Performing Arts > Jam Bands > Dave Matthews Band > don't drink the water

Dave Matthews Band - don't drink the water


Expert: Anne Dalmadge - 4/26/2004

Question
hi, i have to write a paper analyzing the lyrics to a song that without the music can be considered a poem. i though that "don't drink the water" was a good choice but i wanted to be sure about what the lyrics actually meant. can you give me your interpretation of what you think they mean?

Answer
Sorry, I clicked the wrong reply option, I think the song is about colonization (remember Dave grew up in South Africa where the British came in and colonized, if you look at the lyrics "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
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"

It's a very demanding tone. I also think its about Africa and the slave trade with... "Here's the hitch
Your horse is leaving
Don't miss your boat
It's leaving now
And as you go I will spread my wings
Yes I will call this home
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"
Again we see a very demanding, harsh tone...
"I live with my justice
I live with my greedy need
I live with no mercy
I live with my frenzied feeding
I live with my hatred
I live with my jealousy
I live with the notion"
Then probably the notion of murder, or genocide maybe.
"Don't drink the water
There's blood in the water" Like I said, I think it's about the British coming into Africa, and written from their point of view, to see what it's like.


View Follow-Ups    Add to this Answer   Ask a Question


 
User Agreement | Privacy Policy | Kids' Privacy Policy | Help
Copyright  © 2008 About, Inc. AllExperts, AllExperts.com, and About.com are registered trademarks of About, Inc. All rights reserved.