Dave Matthews Band – Sweet Up and Down

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Send "Sweet Up and Down" Ringtone to Cell

Big dog bites the bone
Life's too short to take all this
Not true when what's more:
Life's too short to mind
Just keep on with
The Sweet Up and Down

Unturning her cheek
Inside-out, her neat little pose
Dirty, little girl
Climbs out of the hole in her own
In this Sweet up and Down

I believe in love
But believe it's my heart that keeps turning me down
I believe in love
I think it's just fine
Oh, the Sweet up and Down

Big pig turns to me
Pig he needs to eat like us all
Not far from the beast
Man sits down to feast on this part
Of the Sweet up and down

I believe in love
And believe it's my heart that keeps turning me down
I believe in love
I think it's just fine
On the Sweet up and Down
BT...

Up and down, inside out
Outside in some you lose some
You win for us all
Up and down we go
Bad times choke us all once or twice
On this Sweet up and Down

I believe in love
But think nothing about it when you're not around
I believe in love
I think you're just fine
On the Sweet up and Down

I believe in love
But believe in my heart that keeps turning me down
I believe in love
I think you're just fine
On the Sweet up and Down...

Send "Sweet Up and Down" Ringtone to Cell


Lyrics submitted by Nelly, edited by Mellow_Harsher


Sweet Up and Down song meanings
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10 Comments

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  • 0
    General Comment:the song is clearly about sex and nothing more
    Flag davematthewsband121on April 07, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:cool song and band
    Flag ANTWANmyMANon July 16, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Let me thank dave and his friends for adding new flavor to this tune, which has been replayed and dissected by me so many times, i would consider myself a sweetupanddownologist. But, a lenghty explanation is not necessarily. Just picture a Dirtay Ol' southern boy writing a song about Sex and throw in alot of gibberish and nonsense and that's what we've got here. I would rather hear trey anastasio soloing out anyday over hearing boyd tinsley on this one, sorry but this song goes to dave and friends and should be kept in the safe until they are reunited (if)
    Flag JKidd56on October 11, 2004   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Sweet Up & Down.. what can i say? This is one of his best songs live. I have a 3 cd set of the concert on 12/23/03 and sweet up and down is on it... I've played it back many times, and to me it sounds like the guy's about to "get busy" with a girl he's very attracted to, but then he thinks about the girl he actually Loves and can't go through with the deed. Sweet up and down is most definately about sex.

    "Inside-out, her neat little pose
    Dirty, little girl
    Climbs out of the hole in her own"

    He's describing the girl getting herself off in front of him while he's thinking the song in his head.

    "I believe in love
    But believe it's my heart that keeps turning me down."

    He believes in the physical act of making love... but it's his relationship with another girl (his heart) that prevents him from making love /w this new girl.

    "I believe in love
    But think nothing about it when you're not around "

    He's saying here that he has no love for this new girl.

    "Pig he needs to eat like us all
    Not far from the beast
    Man sits down to feast on this part "

    He like every other man has certain sexual cravings that must be satisfied, a pig must eat, a man must make love. The last line of the quote he relates to the previous two; he says that men use this excuse of everyone having certain desires all too often to justify it.

    I apologize for the long post, but i don't think the song was getting the attention it deserved.
    Flag ugmoe2000on July 06, 2004   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I believe this song is about how sex can symbolize a relationship. Up and down inside out. Sounds like sex or does it sound like life? Very double meaning to this song wether Dave was aware of it we may never know but none the less it is a terrific song.
    Flag meaningmanon August 21, 2002   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:sweet up and down ... didn't you consider it's about raw, passionate sex?
    Flag jennathenaon August 10, 2002   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:wish this song were on BUSTED STUFF. Absolute shame it was left off....probably never will be played again either.
    Flag tms6879on July 23, 2002   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:it seems as if the song is trying to convice one to love/date/whatever. When he's talking about how sometimes you get what you get and other times you don't as in being a good or bad relationship, and the bad times relationship or not having the relationship seems to bring you down 'bad times choke us all once or twice' and then with the stanza after that is him saying love is nothing with out you... ehh just a thought


    Flag Ichion June 13, 2002   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:i think when dave says sweet up and down that he's talking about life, because you have good and bad times, your spirits are up and down, but love will prevail no matter what, i really like this song, and i wish that it would be featured on busted stuff
    Flag daverockson May 28, 2002   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I guess this song is kind of meanigless if you've never heard it. There's some really good music that goes with "I believe in love/I think you're just fine/On the sweet up and down". I believe it's saying love is something you have to create yourself- if it doesn't work out, chance is that it's your fault. You have to seize the day and not hold back or else you'll lose that love.
    Flag phirsttube4on May 07, 2002   Link

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