In regards to the meaning of this song:
Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
Could I have been
A parking lot attendant
Could I have been
A millionaire in Bel Air
Could I have been
Lost Somewhere in Paris
Could I have been
You're little brother
Could I have been
Anyone other than me
Could I have been
Anyone other than me
Could I have been
Anyone
He stands touch his hair his shoes untied
Tongue gaping stare
Could I have been a magnet for money?
Could have been anyone other than me?
Twenty three and so tired of life
Such a shame to throw it all away
The images grow darker still
Could I have been anyone other than me?
Then I look up at the sky
My mouth is open wide lick and taste
What's the use in worrying, what's the use in hurrying
Turn turn we almost become dizzy
I am who I am who I am well who am I
Requesting some enlightenment
Could I have been anyone other than me
And then I'll
Sing and dance
I'll play for you tonight
The thrill of it all
Dark clouds may hang on me sometimes
But I'll work it out
And then I
Look up at the sky
My mouth is open wide lick and taste
What's the use in worrying, what's the use in hurrying
Turn turn we almost become dizzy
Falling out of a world of lies
Could I have been a dancing Nancy a dancing Nancy
Could I have been anyone other than me?
A parking lot attendant
Could I have been
A millionaire in Bel Air
Could I have been
Lost Somewhere in Paris
Could I have been
You're little brother
Could I have been
Anyone other than me
Could I have been
Anyone other than me
Could I have been
Anyone
He stands touch his hair his shoes untied
Tongue gaping stare
Could I have been a magnet for money?
Could have been anyone other than me?
Twenty three and so tired of life
Such a shame to throw it all away
The images grow darker still
Could I have been anyone other than me?
Then I look up at the sky
My mouth is open wide lick and taste
What's the use in worrying, what's the use in hurrying
Turn turn we almost become dizzy
I am who I am who I am well who am I
Requesting some enlightenment
Could I have been anyone other than me
And then I'll
Sing and dance
I'll play for you tonight
The thrill of it all
Dark clouds may hang on me sometimes
But I'll work it out
And then I
Look up at the sky
My mouth is open wide lick and taste
What's the use in worrying, what's the use in hurrying
Turn turn we almost become dizzy
Falling out of a world of lies
Could I have been a dancing Nancy a dancing Nancy
Could I have been anyone other than me?
Lyrics submitted by Demau Senae
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I can't believe no one commented on this song!!! Are you kidding me?! This is probably one of the greatest Dave songs... "Dark clouds may hang on me sometimes, but I'll work it out".... Dave is amazing! I went to his concert last summer and it was so incredible. He's one of the most influential songwriters/musicians of our time...as opposed to all these new bands out there he's true to himself, his music, and his fans.
Every time I don my "Fire Dancer" T-shirt, I simply must play this song. Simply incredible! I have several versions of this song but one import cd has a great line where Dave opens up with, "You ever wonder what would've happened in your life if you had taken a left turn instead of a right?" We all second-guess what we could have/should have done. But in the end, now is all that matters. Peace
i agree! this song has a serious meaning. i think it reveals the confusion some of us have. then we just look around and see the beauty in everything. that is how this song makes me feel. there is no use in worry and hurry just live life one day at a time. enjoy it while you are here.
This really dosn't have much to do with the 'meaning' of the song, but since it's just such an amazing song, i'll add my 2 cents. I read somewhere that the title came from when he ws in Germany and he was in a cab and saw all these beautiful women dancing on the corner. He asked the driver: "Are those women prostitues?" the driver replied: "They're prostitutes, but theyr'e not women!" The term Dancing Nancies refers them, i guess as a reminder of that little quirkey moment.
this song is what keeps me from cracking when things get the worst. the lyric "dark clouds may hang on me sometimes/but i'll work it out" is powerful. its like a confirmation message:"everything is gonna be ok" is what it states to me. there are good days, and bad ones, and sometimes we strut, and sometimes we lag, down the road of life. we often wonder what we could have been to make our lives better...
dont get me wrong, i love music today. all these new artists popping up, they are great. but dave matthews is in his own domain, his own equivalent to a "talent genre"... his songs range from happy, to sad, to spiritual, to devilistic, to funny...and the originality. AND NOT TO MENTION HIS BANDMATES! they have to be the best of the best.
to sum it up, DMB is amazing. like no other band. i will continue to hope to hear from dave in the future, and hope those that do not currently listen to open their eyes to a true poet of our time...
i looked it up in the dictionary the term "nancy" awhile ago (don't ask) and its a slang for gay ppl
there are so many paths in life, it makes you wonder
this song deals with the ups and downs of life. Dave wrote this song to put his thoughts of suicide down on paper. He seriously contimplated it several times in his lifetime. "Then I look up at the sky My mouth is open wide lick and taste" is dave saying "i've been down, but i picked myself up...saw the brighter side of things...want more for myself then to end up dead. the lyrics "Sing and dance I'll play for you tonight The thrill of it all " is dave saying i'll go on, doing things for you, just to make you happy (the one time i actually think he's talking straight to his fans!)
I love this song, the best part of the song is "dark clouds may hang on me sometimes, but i'll work it out" how can you not live by those words???
Just as a side note, as usual in concert dave changes the lyrics to this song...he'll usually add something about the city he's in at the beginning by saying something like "could i have been a your sports team here cheerleader?" funny how dave has so much fun with such a serious song.
To add to what Lissy Ratz said (see third post): When he saw the women and the driver said that they weren't women, this struck a cord with Dave. I think the inspiration for this song came from that experience, when one could wonder, "Hell, I could have been that person."
Just my two cents.