Lie in Our Graves
Encyclopedia
"Lie in Our Graves" is a song by the Dave Matthews Band
, featured on the 1996 album Crash
.
theme, speaking to the importance of embracing what life has to offer ("When I step into the light / My arms are open wide") while one still can ("I can't believe that we would lie in our graves / Wondering if we had spent our living days well"). Its merry, upbeat feel in the face of dark subject matter is reminiscent of a lot of the band's other earlier songs such as "What Would You Say
", "Tripping Billies
", and most famously, "Ants Marching
".
It has been introduced by Matthews in a wide variety of ways, running from the succinct (Matthews frequently will jibe, "This is a song about being dead") to the introspective. During a performance from Marcus Amphitheater
in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
on June 23, 1996, Matthews had this to say about it:
"This is a song that sings about the hopes that when we all get to the end of our lives, that we'll feel pretty good about what we did, so don't compromise yourself."
The song was originally titled "Peanuts".
, and even earlier as a solo song for Matthews. It has been a staple of every major tour the band has performed since its introduction, and has also been played extensively on Matthews's tours with Tim Reynolds
and on the Dave Matthews & Friends
tour in 2003 and 2004. As of the close of the band's tour in 2007, the song is the ninth most-frequently played song in DMB live performance history, with 633 full performances.
During its early years, the song was performed live in a similar fashion to how it was recorded in studio for Crash. Over time, though, the live performance of the song gradually evolved so that the jam portion in the song's middle (before the final lyrical "reprise" portion) was extensively protracted from how it was played in studio. By 1998, running times in excess of 10 minutes were commonplace, and a mere two years later, performances exceeding 15 minutes were occurring regularly. This expansion allowed for an ever-expanding group of guest collaborators to contribute performances to the song.
During the latter portion of the 2007 tour, the live performance evolved further still, as the band experimented with splitting the "reprise" portion from the rest of the song. This resulted in performances where the song (minus the reprise) was played in full early in the show, with the reprise being played out of nowhere much later in the show; or even merely the reprise being played on its own somewhere in the show, absent the rest of the song.
and Rashawn Ross
), notable guest collaborators on performances of "Lie in Our Graves" include:
Dave Matthews Band
Dave Matthews Band, sometimes shortened to DMB, is a U.S. rock band formed in Charlottesville, Virginia in 1991. The founding members were singer-songwriter and guitarist Dave Matthews, bassist Stefan Lessard, drummer/backing vocalist Carter Beauford and saxophonist LeRoi Moore. Boyd Tinsley was...
, featured on the 1996 album Crash
Crash (Dave Matthews Band album)
Crash is the second studio album by Dave Matthews Band, released on April 30, 1996. It includes the band's most successful single, "Crash into Me".The album has been certified 7× platinum.-Track listing:All songs by David J...
.
Song explanation
"Lie in Our Graves" is one of many songs in the band's catalog with a carpe diemCarpe diem
Carpe diem is a phrase from a Latin poem by Horace that has become an aphorism. It is popularly translated as "seize the day"...
theme, speaking to the importance of embracing what life has to offer ("When I step into the light / My arms are open wide") while one still can ("I can't believe that we would lie in our graves / Wondering if we had spent our living days well"). Its merry, upbeat feel in the face of dark subject matter is reminiscent of a lot of the band's other earlier songs such as "What Would You Say
What Would You Say
"What Would You Say" is a song by the Dave Matthews Band, released as a single in 1994, taken from their album Under the Table and Dreaming. It reached #11 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart. It is also featured on Dave Matthews Band's first compilation album, The Best of What's Around Vol. 1. The...
", "Tripping Billies
Tripping Billies
"Tripping Billies" is a song by the Dave Matthews Band, released as the fifth single from the album Crash. It originally debuted on their independent release Remember Two Things. It reached #18 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart...
", and most famously, "Ants Marching
Ants Marching
"Ants Marching" is a song by the Dave Matthews Band, released as the second single from their 1994 album Under the Table and Dreaming. It reached #18 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart and received some album-oriented rock play as well. A different recording of it was included on their prior album,...
".
It has been introduced by Matthews in a wide variety of ways, running from the succinct (Matthews frequently will jibe, "This is a song about being dead") to the introspective. During a performance from Marcus Amphitheater
Marcus Amphitheater
The Marcus Amphitheater is an amphitheater on the south end of the Henry Maier Festival Park in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The amphitheater was built after an extremely overcrowded concert in 1984 to carry crowds of 25,000 fans during concerts...
in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee is the largest city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, the 28th most populous city in the United States and 39th most populous region in the United States. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. According to 2010 census data, the...
on June 23, 1996, Matthews had this to say about it:
"This is a song that sings about the hopes that when we all get to the end of our lives, that we'll feel pretty good about what we did, so don't compromise yourself."
The song was originally titled "Peanuts".
Live performance history
"Lie in Our Graves" is one of the band's oldest songs, having been played by the full band on a regular basis as early as the fall of 1992 during the band's regular gigs at Trax Nightclub in Charlottesville, VirginiaCharlottesville, Virginia
Charlottesville is an independent city geographically surrounded by but separate from Albemarle County in the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States, and named after Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, the queen consort of King George III of the United Kingdom.The official population estimate for...
, and even earlier as a solo song for Matthews. It has been a staple of every major tour the band has performed since its introduction, and has also been played extensively on Matthews's tours with Tim Reynolds
Tim Reynolds
Tim Reynolds is a Grammy nominated multi-instrumentalist known as both a solo artist and as the lead guitarist for Dave Matthews Band...
and on the Dave Matthews & Friends
Dave Matthews & Friends
Dave Matthews & Friends is an American jam band that was put together for a tour to support Dave Matthews' solo debut, Some Devil. Most of the musicians participated in the album's production...
tour in 2003 and 2004. As of the close of the band's tour in 2007, the song is the ninth most-frequently played song in DMB live performance history, with 633 full performances.
During its early years, the song was performed live in a similar fashion to how it was recorded in studio for Crash. Over time, though, the live performance of the song gradually evolved so that the jam portion in the song's middle (before the final lyrical "reprise" portion) was extensively protracted from how it was played in studio. By 1998, running times in excess of 10 minutes were commonplace, and a mere two years later, performances exceeding 15 minutes were occurring regularly. This expansion allowed for an ever-expanding group of guest collaborators to contribute performances to the song.
During the latter portion of the 2007 tour, the live performance evolved further still, as the band experimented with splitting the "reprise" portion from the rest of the song. This resulted in performances where the song (minus the reprise) was played in full early in the show, with the reprise being played out of nowhere much later in the show; or even merely the reprise being played on its own somewhere in the show, absent the rest of the song.
Special guest collaborators
Other than the band's regular guest artists (Butch TaylorButch Taylor
Butch Taylor is a composer, writer, keyboardist and long time guest musician with Dave Matthews Band....
and Rashawn Ross
Rashawn Ross
Rashawn Ross is an American trumpeter and arranger from St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands. Ross is arguably best known for his contributions in the Dave Matthews Band. After his graduation from the Berklee College of Music , Ross has worked with artists in many different genres of music ranging from...
), notable guest collaborators on performances of "Lie in Our Graves" include:
- Tim Reynolds
- Trey AnastasioTrey AnastasioTrey Anastasio is an American guitarist, composer, and vocalist most noted for his work with the rock band Phish...
of PhishPhishPhish is an American rock band noted for its musical improvisation, extended jams, and exploration of music across genres. Formed at the University of Vermont in 1983 , the band's four members – Trey Anastasio , Mike Gordon , Jon Fishman , and Page McConnell Phish is an American rock band... - Béla FleckBéla FleckBéla Anton Leoš Fleck is an American banjo player. Widely acknowledged as one of the world's most innovative and technically proficient banjo players, he is best known for his work with the bands New Grass Revival and Béla Fleck and the Flecktones.-Early life and career details:Fleck was born in...
of Béla Fleck and the FlecktonesBéla Fleck and the FlecktonesBéla Fleck and the Flecktones is a primarily instrumental group from the United States, that draws equally on bluegrass, fusion and jazz, sometimes dubbed "blu-bop". The band formed in 1988, initially to perform once on the PBS series Lonesome Pine Specials. The Flecktones have toured extensively... - The Richmond Symphony OrchestraRichmond Symphony OrchestraThe Richmond Symphony is based in Richmond, Virginia. One of the nation's leading regional orchestras, it employs 72-85 musicians who give over 100 performances each season to over 125,000 audience members. Its music director is Steven Smith; its associate conductor is Dr. Erin Freeman...
- Danny BarnesDanny BarnesDanny Barnes is a banjo and guitar player whose music is influenced by country, jazz and punk. Born in Temple, Texas and raised in Belton, Barnes was exposed to music at a young age: he recalls picking up a love of country and bluegrass from his father and grandmother, Delta blues from one brother...
- Greg HowardGreg HowardGreg Howard is a Chapman Stick player from Charlottesville, Virginia. Originally a keyboardist and saxophonist, Greg took up the Stick in 1985...
Official live releases
This is a partial list of albums which have featured "Lie in Our Graves" as a live track.- Live at Red Rocks 8.15.95Live at Red Rocks 8.15.95Live at Red Rocks 8.15.95 is an album by the Dave Matthews Band, released on October 28, 1997. It was recorded live at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison, Colorado on August 15, 1995. The album is known on the Internet by the abbreviation L@RR...
- Summer 1995 tour show from Red Rocks AmphitheatreRed Rocks AmphitheatreRed Rocks Amphitheatre is a rock structure near Morrison, Colorado, where concerts are given in the open-air amphitheatre. There is a large, tilted, disc-shaped rock behind the stage, a huge vertical rock angled outwards from stage right, several large outcrops angled outwards from stage left and a...
in Morrison, ColoradoMorrison, ColoradoThe historic Town of Morrison is a Home Rule Municipality in Jefferson County, Colorado, United States. The population was 430 at the 2000 census... - Special guest performer Tim Reynolds
- Summer 1995 tour show from Red Rocks Amphitheatre
- Live in Chicago 12.19.98Live in Chicago 12.19.98Live in Chicago 12.19.98 at the United Center, also known as simply Live in Chicago 12.19.98, is a live album by the Dave Matthews Band, released by RCA on October 23, 2001. It was recorded at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois...
- Fall 1998 tour show from the United CenterUnited CenterThe United Center is an indoor sports arena located in Chicago. It is named after its corporate sponsor, United Airlines. The United Center is home to both the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association and the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League...
in ChicagoChicagoChicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles... - Special guest performers Tim Reynolds, Victor WootenVictor WootenVictor Lemonte Wooten is an American bass player, composer, author, and producer, and has been the recipient of five Grammy Awards....
, Maceo ParkerMaceo ParkerMaceo Parker is an American funk and soul jazz saxophonist, best known for his work with James Brown in the 1960s, as well as Parliament-Funkadelic in the 1970s. Parker was a prominent soloist on many of Brown's hit recordings, and a key part of his band, playing alto, tenor and baritone saxophones...
, and Mitch Rutman
- Fall 1998 tour show from the United Center
- The GorgeThe Gorge (album)The Gorge is a collection of the songs played during Dave Matthews Band's three-night concert in 2002 at The Gorge Amphitheatre in George, Washington. The album was released in a three-disc set featuring 2 CDs and a DVD with live footage, advanced multi-angle features, behind the scenes clips, and...
- 3-night Summer 2002 tour stand from the Gorge Amphitheatre in George, WashingtonGeorge, WashingtonGeorge is a city in Grant County, Washington, United States. The population was 528 at the 2000 census. Its name is a play on the name of George Washington.The city is known for being near the Gorge Amphitheatre, sometimes being called, "The Gorge at George"....
- 3-night Summer 2002 tour stand from the Gorge Amphitheatre in George, Washington
- The Complete Weekend on the Rocks
- 4-night Summer 2005 tour stand from Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison, Colorado
- Live Trax Vol. 2Live Trax Vol. 2Live Trax Vol. 2 is the second release of the Dave Matthews Band's Live Trax series. This show took place on the Polo Fields of Golden Gate Park on September 12, 2004 and was a benefit concert for Bay Area Charities. Carlos Santana sits in as a special guest for several songs, including the...
- 2004 benefit show from Polo Field in San Francisco's Golden Gate ParkGolden Gate ParkGolden Gate Park, located in San Francisco, California, is a large urban park consisting of of public grounds. Configured as a rectangle, it is similar in shape but 20% larger than Central Park in New York, to which it is often compared. It is over three miles long east to west, and about half a...
- Special guest performer Carlos SantanaCarlos SantanaCarlos Augusto Alves Santana is a Mexican rock guitarist. Santana became famous in the late 1960s and early 1970s with his band, Santana, which pioneered rock, salsa and jazz fusion...
- 2004 benefit show from Polo Field in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park
- Live Trax Vol. 4Live Trax Vol. 4Live Trax Vol. 4 is the fourth release of the Dave Matthews Band's Live Trax series. It is a two-disc set released on September 2, 2005 featuring the band's concert in Richmond, Virginia on April 30, 1996. This show was the release party for the Dave Matthews Band album Crash which was released...
- 1996 official Crash release show from the Classic Amphitheater at RichmondRichmond, VirginiaRichmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
's International RacewayRichmond International RacewayRichmond International Raceway is a 3/4-mile , D-shaped, asphalt race track located just outside Richmond, Virginia in Henrico County. It hosts the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and Nationwide Series...
- 1996 official Crash release show from the Classic Amphitheater at Richmond
- Live Trax Vol. 7Live Trax Vol. 7Live Trax Vol. 7 is the seventh release of the Dave Matthews Band's Live Trax series. This concert was recorded during the band's New Year's Run 1996 Tour on December 31, 1996 at Hampton Coliseum in Hampton, Virginia...
- 1996 New Year's Run show from Hampton ColiseumHampton ColiseumThe Hampton Coliseum is a multi-use cultural, entertainment and sports arena in Hampton, Virginia. Construction on the arena began on May 24, 1968 and the venue opened in 1970 as the first large multi-purpose arena in the Hampton Roads region and the state of Virginia, opening a year prior to...
in Hampton, VirginiaHampton, VirginiaHampton is an independent city that is not part of any county in Southeast Virginia. Its population is 137,436. As one of the seven major cities that compose the Hampton Roads metropolitan area, it is on the southeastern end of the Virginia Peninsula. Located on the Hampton Roads Beltway, it hosts... - Special guest performers Béla Fleck and the Flecktones and Paul McCandlessPaul McCandlessPaul McCandless, Jr. is an American jazz woodwind player and composer. He is one of few expert jazz oboists, and also plays English horn, soprano saxophone, sopranino saxophone, bass clarinet, clarinet, and pennywhistle, among other instruments.He has performed with the Paul Winter Consort and is...
- 1996 New Year's Run show from Hampton Coliseum
- Live Trax Vol. 10Live Trax Vol. 10Live Trax Vol. 10 is a live album by Dave Matthews Band, and is the tenth volume in the band's Live Trax series. The album was recorded on May 25, 2007 at Pavilhão Atlântico in Lisbon, Portugal. Guest Tom Morello from Rage Against the Machine performed two songs at the show on electric guitar...
- 2007 International Spring tour show from Pavilhão AtlânticoPavilhão AtlânticoPavilhão Atlântico is an indoor arena in Lisbon, Portugal. Pavilhão Atlântico holds 20,000 people and was built in 1998 for Expo '98.-History:...
in Lisbon, Portugal - Special guest performer Tom MorelloTom MorelloThomas Baptiste "Tom" Morello is a Grammy Award-winning American guitarist best known for his tenure with the bands Rage Against the Machine, Audioslave, his acoustic solo act The Nightwatchman, and his newest group, Street Sweeper Social Club...
- 2007 International Spring tour show from Pavilhão Atlântico
- Live Trax Vol. 18Live Trax Vol. 18Live Trax Vol. 18 is a live album by Dave Matthews Band, and is the 18th volume in the band's Live Trax series. The album was recorded at Virginia Beach Amphitheatre, Virginia Beach, Virginia, Virginia on June 4, 1996...
- 2006 First full band performance in the United States after a tour in Europe from Virginia Beach Amphitheatre in Virginia Beach, VirginiaVirginia Beach, VirginiaVirginia Beach is an independent city located in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of Virginia, on the Atlantic Ocean at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay...
- 2006 First full band performance in the United States after a tour in Europe from Virginia Beach Amphitheatre in Virginia Beach, Virginia
Trivia
- On the studio recording, if you listen closely, you can hear sounds of table tennis being played in the background during the jam portion. This was a common form of recreation for the band during the Crash sessions, with producer Steve LillywhiteSteve LillywhiteSteve Lillywhite is an English Grammy Award winning record producer. Since he began his career in 1977, Lillywhite has been credited for working on over 500 records and has collaborated with a variety of musicians including XTC, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Dave Matthews Band, U2, Peter Gabriel,...
frequently challenging members of the band to marathon sessions of the game.