Under The Table And Dreaming
Dave Matthews Band (1994)
The first album from the Dave Matthews Band is turning twenty years old today. Seeing this got me thinking about my path to becoming a fan of this band.
The first song that I heard from Under The Table And Dreaming was the album's first single, What Would You Say. The music video was in reasonably heavy rotation on MTV in the mid 90's, and I didn't really think much of it at the time. It's not that I disliked it, but it wasn't the kind of song that made me want to run out and buy the album.
My second experience with a song from this album came in 1996. I had a job as a busboy for Carmen's Restaurant in Hazleton when I was 15 and 16 years old. It was an experience in my life that I look back on fondly, and though there were situations that I wish I handled with more maturity, the good days by far outweighed the bad. There was always very low but audible music coming from speakers in the ceiling that were hooked up to a cassette deck in one of the cabinets behind the bar in the back dining room. The tapes that it played were licensed mixtapes of adult contemporary songs from a company that sold such things to businesses that wanted to play music that fit the mood of their establishment. One of the songs that I heard a few times a day during my shift had a pleasant and mellow vibe. That song was Satellite. I had no idea that it was from the same band that was responsible for What Would You Say (in fact, it's the very next track after that song on Under The Table And Dreaming). At the time, I assumed it was a song from the mid 80's.
A few months after I first heard Satellite at work, I won a prize in a contest from the Gallery Of Sound music store in Valmont Plaza in Hazleton. They used to have boxes set up with various promotions. All you had to do was fill out one of the contest entry blanks with your name, address, and phone number and you'd be entered to win a prize. I entered just about everything that wasn't country or hip hop because, what the hell, it was free. Although I never won the grand prize for any of these contests, I won quite a few second, third, and fourth place prizes. I have no idea what the grand prize was for the Dave Matthews Band contest, but I ended up winning one of the lesser prizes, which was a t-shirt, a hat, and Under The Table And Dreaming on CD. The only song that I recognized from the band was What Would You Say, which I didn't really have any strong opinions on in either direction, but I figured "hey, what the hell, it's a free album so I'll give it a listen". I'm glad that I did, because not only did I find that song that I loved from Carmen's, but an entire album of music that I fell in love with. Honestly, I think that What Would You Say was my least favorite song on the record, not because it's bad, but because I thought that everything else was that much better. It was my entry point to what became one of my favorite bands that I still keep up with and listen to decades later.
I had no intention of making that such a long and drawn out explanation. Guess I got a little carried away. Anyway, I'm not sure if this is my favorite song on the album, but it's definitely in the top three. I picked this song to represent Under The Table And Dreaming in this post because it's the first track on the album, and the first song that I heard when I popped that free prize CD in my boombox. The opening seconds is the moment when my ears perked up and I thought "hey, there might be something to these guys that I could really dig".
Hey, my friendIt seems your eyes are troubledCare to share your time with me?Would you say you're feeling low and soA good idea would be to get it off your mind?See, you and meHave a better time than most can dreamHave it better than the bestSo can pull on throughWhatever tears at usWhatever holds us downAnd if nothing can be doneWe'll make the best of what's aroundTurns out not where, but who you're withThat really mattersAnd hurts not much when you're aroundWhen you're aroundAnd if you hold on tightTo what you think is your thingYou may find you're missing all the restWell she ran up into the light surprisedHer arms are openHer mind's eye isSeeing things from aBetter side than most can dreamOn a better road I feelOh, you could say she's safeWhatever tears at herWhatever holds her downAnd if nothing can be doneShe'll make the best of what's aroundTurns out not where, but what you thinkThat really mattersSee, you and meHave a better time than most can dreamHave it better than the bestSo can pull on throughWhatever tears at usWhatever holds us downAnd if nothing can be doneWe'll make the best of what's aroundTurns out not where, but who you're withThat really mattersAnd hurts not much when you're aroundWhen you're aroundWe'll make the best of what's around