The Stone (Dave Matthews Band song)
Encyclopedia
"The Stone" is a Dave Matthews Band
song from the album Before These Crowded Streets
.
. The song originally held the working title "Chim Chimeney."
Another take on the song: when set against Shakespeare's Hamlet, numerous parallels can be drawn between the lyrics and the underlying themes of Hamlet...Guilt, Remorse, Duty, Insanity, Death, Immortality, Loss of loved ones, Indecision, and on and on.
Other interpretations of the song include a theme of Dave Matthews
' fear of asking his wife for marriage, as well as the life of Judas Iscariot
who betrayed Jesus
in his final days.
The song is written in a 6/8 time signature and features orchestral arrangements by John D'earth with the Kronos Quartet
on strings. A 28-second studio jam in 2/2 is heard at the end of the track that features Béla Fleck
.
shows, Matthews has been known to interpolate Elvis Presley
's "Can't Help Falling in Love
" towards the end of the song as the crowd sings along. Saxophonist LeRoi Moore
's plays the melody of the song on the album version. During live performances of the song, the band plays an outro not featured on the studio version. Toward the end of the song, after it decrescendos, the band suddenly and intensely comes back in with the main riff of the song and finishes that way, as opposed to fading out gradually as on the album itself.
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...
song from the album Before These Crowded Streets
Before These Crowded Streets
Before These Crowded Streets is the third studio album by Dave Matthews Band, released on April 28, 1998. It is the last official album by the group to be produced by longtime producer Steve Lillywhite and their first album recorded at The Plant Recording Studios in Sausalito, California...
.
Lyric Interpretation
Per one interpretation, the song is about a guilt over death which one may have caused, and the "stone" in the song refers to a gravestoneHeadstone
A headstone, tombstone, or gravestone is a marker, usually stone, that is placed over a grave. In most cases they have the deceased's name, date of birth, and date of death inscribed on them, along with a personal message, or prayer.- Use :...
. The song originally held the working title "Chim Chimeney."
Another take on the song: when set against Shakespeare's Hamlet, numerous parallels can be drawn between the lyrics and the underlying themes of Hamlet...Guilt, Remorse, Duty, Insanity, Death, Immortality, Loss of loved ones, Indecision, and on and on.
Other interpretations of the song include a theme of Dave Matthews
Dave Matthews
David John "Dave" Matthews is a South African–born American musician and occasional actor, best known as the lead vocalist, songwriter, and guitarist for the Dave Matthews Band...
' fear of asking his wife for marriage, as well as the life of Judas Iscariot
Judas Iscariot
Judas Iscariot was, according to the New Testament, one of the twelve disciples of Jesus. He is best known for his betrayal of Jesus to the hands of the chief priests for 30 pieces of silver.-Etymology:...
who betrayed Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
in his final days.
The song is written in a 6/8 time signature and features orchestral arrangements by John D'earth with the Kronos Quartet
Kronos Quartet
Kronos Quartet is a string quartet founded by violinist David Harrington in 1973 in Seattle, Washington. Since 1978, the quartet has been based in San Francisco, California. The longest-running combination of performers had Harrington and John Sherba on violin, Hank Dutt on viola, and Joan...
on strings. A 28-second studio jam in 2/2 is heard at the end of the track that features Béla Fleck
Béla Fleck
Béla 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...
.
Live performance
In concert, especially at acousticAcoustic music
Acoustic music comprises music that solely or primarily uses instruments which produce sound through entirely acoustic means, as opposed to electric or electronic means...
shows, Matthews has been known to interpolate Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
's "Can't Help Falling in Love
Can't Help Falling in Love
"Can't Help Falling in Love" is a pop song originally recorded by American singer Elvis Presley and published by Gladys Music, Elvis Presley's publishing company. It was written by Hugo Peretti, Luigi Creatore, and George David Weiss. The melody was based on "Plaisir d'Amour" but with a different...
" towards the end of the song as the crowd sings along. Saxophonist LeRoi Moore
Leroi Moore
LeRoi Holloway Moore was an American saxophonist best known as a founding member of the Dave Matthews Band. Moore often arranged music for the songs written by frontman Dave Matthews...
's plays the melody of the song on the album version. During live performances of the song, the band plays an outro not featured on the studio version. Toward the end of the song, after it decrescendos, the band suddenly and intensely comes back in with the main riff of the song and finishes that way, as opposed to fading out gradually as on the album itself.
Live releases
- Listener Supported
- Live in Las Vegas (Dave Matthews & Tim Reynolds album)
- Live in New York City (Dave Matthews Band)Live in New York City (Dave Matthews Band)Live in New York City is a live album by Dave Matthews Band recorded on July 17, 2010 at Citi Field in Queens. The album was recorded on the second night of a two night stint at the venue...
- Live in RioLive In RioLive In Rio is the fourth DVD by Mexican group RBD shot at Estádio do Maracanã in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on their Tour Celestial.The DVD includes extra features such as a documentary following RBD's first Brazilian tour , in which they performed 13 sold out concerts in 12 cities, the main being...
- 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...
- Live Trax Vol. 3Live Trax Vol. 3Live Trax Vol. 3 is the third release of the Dave Matthews Band's Live Trax series. This concert was recorded on August 27, 2000 at the Meadows Music Theatre in Hartford, Connecticut...
- Live Trax Vol. 8Live Trax Vol. 8Live Trax Vol. 8 is the eighth album in the Live Trax live album series by the Dave Matthews Band. The album was recorded on August 7, 2004 at the Alpine Valley Music Theatre in East Troy, Wisconsin. The show features the band's first, and to date, only performance of "Super Freak," played as a...
- Live Trax Vol. 11Live Trax Vol. 11Live Trax Vol. 11 is a live album by Dave Matthews Band, and is the 11th volume in the band's Live Trax series. The album was recorded on August 29, 2000 at Saratoga Performing Arts Center in Saratoga Springs, New York...
- Live Trax Vol. 19Live Trax Vol. 19Live Trax Vol. 19 is a live album by the Dave Matthews Band and the 19th volume in the band's Live Trax series. The album was recorded at Vivo Rio, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, on September 30, 2008. The album was released on November 5, 2010...
- The Gorge (Special Edition)The 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...
- Warehouse 5 Vol. 2
- Weekend on the RocksWeekend on the RocksWeekend on the Rocks is a live album by Dave Matthews Band. It contains highlights of the four shows in four days the band performed at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison, Colorado on September 9–12, 2005. The set is packaged on two CDs and one DVD. However, a complete recording of the four...