I watched a show on Chester Copperpots channel from 1994 at a blockbuster video store and someone in the audience requested Spotlight and he said "the chance of that happening is getting less and less with the direction my life is taking," This was a month or so before UTTAD was released.
I used to go to the $5 TRAX Tuesdays shows. This song was always a treat. I was always surprised it didn't make it into the DMB cannon. I still miss Peter Griesar on keys. He added such depth to the music.
This song doesn't make Dave sound like a jerk - as it's satire. It's song about how great the fame is, when the reality is that it causes many, many problems for people who ever achieve it. This kind of awareness is what has set DMB apart from decades of other artists. Dave has an appreciation for what he's achieved, not an entitlement for it.
its a shame Dave doesn't like this song, I wish I had the talent to dismiss a song like this as not up to my own standards. amazing. The sirens call from every corner.
I'm sure the reason why Dave doesn't like this song is that it has to do with fame taking over oneself. Knowing how fame can change your life, and staying away from it. Know that DMB never chased the fame, they just wanted their music to be heard. Being that their talents surpassed most expectations, they became famous. Thus the mainstream audience picked up on it, and now their who they are. You see how the song is a contradiction? I like how Dave doesn't play this song, shows he really takes his music and the thoughts about it seriously. I dig this song though lol. 😀
I've been trying to find this song again for about 20 years now!! I came across a MIDI file of this song LONG ago. (mp3 format had JUST come about). I instantly fell in love with the song, and for the life of me could NOT understand why he had never released it! The version I heard was even better than this one too! So glad to have found ANY version of it again!
Best Dave Matthews song ever. Loves the lyrics and flow. It has that Ant Marching drum bet. Why have I never hear this song live recently. It is amazing.
In the spotlight life is so peachy, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah Wouldn't you like to retire with a million? A million beating hearts behind brick and cold steel piping Fighting for the top, fighting for the room to be bench park sleepers Like cold blanket bed-less babies Here this must stop, here I cannot stay Big city, black city rises up around me, steal my soul away Big city, black city rise and take me over, steal my soul away But out, out in the world, the night it falls It falls much harder than I recall Out in the world, the sirens calls from every corner to say In the spotlight life is so peachy, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah Unless you're in the spotlight for reason, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah Caught for stealing somebody's riches, no, no, no, no Wouldn't you like to retire with a million bucks? yeah Came here from a small town Seen my dreams here in the big cities How disappointing, here i cannot stay Big city, black city rise and take me over, steal my soul away Big city, black city rising all around me, steal my soul away But out, out in the world, the night it falls It falls much harder than I recall Out in the world the sirens call from every corner, they say In the spotlight life is so peachy, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah Unless you're in the spotlight for reason, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah Caught for stealing somebody's riches, no, no, no, no Wouldn't you like to retire with a million bucks? yeah Big city, black city rise and take me over, steal my soul away Big city, black city rising all around me, steal my soul away But out, out in the world, the night it falls It falls much harder than I recall Out in the world the sirens call from every corner, they say In the spotlight life is so peachy, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah Unless you're in the spotlight for reason, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah Caught for stealing somebody's riches, no, no, no, no Wouldn't you like to retire with a million bucks? yeah
@DanielLaNoue...... I agree 100%. After a while of doing the same thing, an artist HAS to mix it up and change sounds. ALL great artists do it. Notably the Beatles. Electric was the obvious switch to go with. I personally love the acoustic way better. However, I agree that Everyday has MANY gyms on it, #1 for me being "What you Are". Awesome, powerful song.
I can understand why Dave doesn't want to sing these lyrics in front of, say, a sold-out audience in Madison Square Garden, but the melody is so good that I think the song is salvageable. Dave could change up the lyrics a little or just offer a quick apology before he plays it, explaining that he wrote it a long time ago and that it makes him sound like kind of a jerk now, but he doesn't really feel that way. I guarantee you, no one will hate him for it.
@1223JOEY1223 No. This is a original DMB tune which was last played 10.22.93. Dave has since in several interviews referred to this song as a turd and likely to never be played ever again.. Too bad because I really do love this song and would like to see them play it again someday. Check out People People by DMB another classic long since forgotten.
Wow, I didn't even know a studio version existed. Good stuff. Not as bad as I thought it was. Haven't heard this in awhile. Might have to start a "Spotlight" chant at Fenway.
Damn that sucks that he hates it. It's got such a jazzy vibe, it's very refreshing to hear this kind of thing coming from the band simply because it's a different sound. It reminds me of the track dave did with Soul Live (Joyful girl).
Your criteria for a huge song = frequency on set lists. I contend that there's more that weighs into the significance of a song than how many set lists it appears on.
Except, "Spotlight," apparently!!! WTF?!? Old pal, that tune is excellent. I don't mean to be THAT guy, but sheesh! What gives? "...a turd," you conjecture? Dave, I think not. Bring it back, brother. It's more relevant than ever.
I think Everyday gets a bad wrap strictly because he went electric... There are some hidden gems on that album - So Right, Fool to Think, When the World Ends and Angel just to name a few.. Check out the Fool to Think @ Benaroya or So Right at Folsom Field - These are classics my friend!
Benaroya is probably the best solo performance David has ever done...that is a timeless masterpiece that everyone who listens to dMb must watch... *normally don't type in the comment section but I had to back up your Benaroya comment and say thank you for having this uploaded for all these years...☝🏼💜
Wow, this is a very cool song. It's so different sounding and the sax is incredible. I'm assuming this is Jeff Coffin and not Le'roi, it doesnt sound like the track Le'roi would lay down.
it's a shame they didn't pursue this song more. this version's good but i find the acoustic version to be where it's at. wish he never sold out with the EVERYDAY album.
Gotta disagree with ya brother. If we're going to throw a title around like, "huge fan," they should have heard this tune. NOT just because it hasn't been played in a while therefor making it a 'litmus test' of how LONG you've been listening. This isn't just some cast aside tune that Dave used to play. This was huge tune and one of pretty great significance especially considering WHY it's no longer played. And no, it's not because Dave or the boys think it's a poor tune. It's the meaning.
It's a shame dave has said before he hates this song. I'd love to see it live! Been to about 22 shows, whenever he plays a rare song while you're there, it's such an amazing experience
@janiegirlnumber41 Everyday wasn't a bad album I has some real gems but it does lack the meatiness that many of us were used to with the lillywhite albums.
This is Dave's "If I Had a Million Dollars". He needs to embrace it and/or tweek it if he thinks it's required. I kinda dig it. Don't think it's the turd he says it is.
There are a lot of tools for download youtube videos and audio. There are a lot of tools for recording audio. Try searching on your search engine of choice.
The only real complaint that Dave has ever said about the song is that he felt the lyrics made it seem like the band had a big ego, that he had a big head. That they were better than the rest type of feeling. It wasn't from any such experience, just he felt the wording made him feel like he had a big ego. And we all know how lazy Dave can be sometimes, so instead of new lyrics they just trashed it.
does anyone know why dave doesnt like it for sure? I think its because hes speaks badly of NYC and was probably inspired to write a song about a bad experience he had there, like as if he was booed off stage or something. and now that hes obviously successful he doesnt think of NYC city as a black city that tears his soul away. "damn you big city, black city rising up around me, tear my soul away"
i can see why they hate this song, is not them. they are playing like they always do but it just doesnt fit the bands personality. damn they are so talented
gotta disagree with you actually champ, this song was only played thirty six times and never released on an album. when tunes like jimi thing have been played over eight hundred times, it's kind of a bold statement saying that this was a huge tune? and the reason it's not played is definitely because they dislike the song it's been mentioned in several interviews and he's even mentioned that if the song were matter it would be a turd. try not to make bold statements with no facts.
i have a recording of a dave and tim show where someone shouts, "SPPPOTTTTLIGHTTT!!" and dave goes you wanna know why i won't play it, cuz i hate it. if that song were anything other than a song it would be a big turd yeah yeah like a hot steaming turd like a pizza and beer turd. that is what that song would be. and that is why i won't play it.
idk i don't really dig this song lol "yeah....yeah.....yeah....yeah...." this is probably the only song of DMB's that I really dislike. That's a good thing right?
I almost replied to the person who made this comment with, "I understood this reference." Then I realized it was I who made this comment - 8 years ago. Weird.
![Dave Matthews Band - #41 w/ The Flecktones - 4/20/02 - Ottawa - [32min Version] - [Upgrade]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/S828_f0-dQI/mqdefault.jpg)
I watched a show on Chester Copperpots channel from 1994 at a blockbuster video store and someone in the audience requested Spotlight and he said "the chance of that happening is getting less and less with the direction my life is taking,"
This was a month or so before UTTAD was released.
I used to go to the $5 TRAX Tuesdays shows. This song was always a treat. I was always surprised it didn't make it into the DMB cannon. I still miss Peter Griesar on keys. He added such depth to the music.
This song doesn't make Dave sound like a jerk - as it's satire. It's song about how great the fame is, when the reality is that it causes many, many problems for people who ever achieve it. This kind of awareness is what has set DMB apart from decades of other artists. Dave has an appreciation for what he's achieved, not an entitlement for it.
In fact, I'd suggest that the type of confusion in this thread regarding this is *exactly* why Dave doesn't like the song.
Dave Matthews voice is an instrument in itself.
+Mike Pesci damnnnn
yeah... ouch!
really laying down the law there... lmao!!
"Wouldn't you like to retire with a million?" Dave's gonna retire with about $300 million.
Exactly why he doesnt play this and hates it now
its a shame Dave doesn't like this song, I wish I had the talent to dismiss a song like this as not up to my own standards. amazing. The sirens call from every corner.
Really like this..I always wondered about this song.. kinda reminds me of r.e.m
I'm sure the reason why Dave doesn't like this song is that it has to do with fame taking over oneself. Knowing how fame can change your life, and staying away from it. Know that DMB never chased the fame, they just wanted their music to be heard. Being that their talents surpassed most expectations, they became famous. Thus the mainstream audience picked up on it, and now their who they are. You see how the song is a contradiction? I like how Dave doesn't play this song, shows he really takes his music and the thoughts about it seriously. I dig this song though lol. 😀
I've been trying to find this song again for about 20 years now!! I came across a MIDI file of this song LONG ago. (mp3 format had JUST come about). I instantly fell in love with the song, and for the life of me could NOT understand why he had never released it! The version I heard was even better than this one too! So glad to have found ANY version of it again!
easily one of my favorite unreleased DMB tunes. Perfection
I always liked the lyrics "a million beating hearts, behind brick and cold steel piping, fighting for the top, fighting for the room to breathe"
This is one of the better songs, wish that I could here this live. One day he will perform this again!!!
never ever
Hey guys, there is a compilation out there called 'Off The Record' which has all of these rare songs! It's a great set!
Being at the Folsom Field show was an amazing experience... show starts with the rain stopping as Dave steps on the stage...with a double rainbow...
For some reason this song reminds me of the song, The Beauty of Gray, by Live... or has an R.E.M. band kinda sound. #GoodSong #ILikeIt
Like something from the Pageant/Document era.
Best Dave Matthews song ever. Loves the lyrics and flow. It has that Ant Marching drum bet. Why have I never hear this song live recently. It is amazing.
He doesn’t play it, hasn’t since 93, he doesn’t like the lyrics
I love when I come across stuff like this on youtube.
this is such a great song.
i cant believe he didn't like it.
Love this song ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Kind of reminds me of the Remember Two Things album. Like The Song That Jane Likes and Recently, you know?
Aiden Vanasco would have fit perfectly.
Dave calls this a turd...he's got to be kidding.
+FamilyGuyFanSince2008 i guess he just shits songs better than most of us can write, huh?
I think he dropped it once he started to realize he might retire with a millon...
@bassthump1111 this is how Dave sounds like for any live recording prior year 94. i love it cause its two different styles now, and i love both.
In the spotlight life is so peachy, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Wouldn't you like to retire with a million?
A million beating hearts behind brick and cold steel piping
Fighting for the top, fighting for the room to be bench park sleepers
Like cold blanket bed-less babies
Here this must stop, here I cannot stay
Big city, black city rises up around me, steal my soul away
Big city, black city rise and take me over, steal my soul away
But out, out in the world, the night it falls
It falls much harder than I recall
Out in the world, the sirens calls from every corner to say
In the spotlight life is so peachy, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Unless you're in the spotlight for reason, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Caught for stealing somebody's riches, no, no, no, no
Wouldn't you like to retire with a million bucks? yeah
Came here from a small town
Seen my dreams here in the big cities
How disappointing, here i cannot stay
Big city, black city rise and take me over, steal my soul away
Big city, black city rising all around me, steal my soul away
But out, out in the world, the night it falls
It falls much harder than I recall
Out in the world the sirens call from every corner, they say
In the spotlight life is so peachy, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Unless you're in the spotlight for reason, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Caught for stealing somebody's riches, no, no, no, no
Wouldn't you like to retire with a million bucks? yeah
Big city, black city rise and take me over, steal my soul away
Big city, black city rising all around me, steal my soul away
But out, out in the world, the night it falls
It falls much harder than I recall
Out in the world the sirens call from every corner, they say
In the spotlight life is so peachy, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Unless you're in the spotlight for reason, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Caught for stealing somebody's riches, no, no, no, no
Wouldn't you like to retire with a million bucks? yeah
this video should have 5 millions views
@DanielLaNoue...... I agree 100%. After a while of doing the same thing, an artist HAS to mix it up and change sounds. ALL great artists do it. Notably the Beatles. Electric was the obvious switch to go with. I personally love the acoustic way better. However, I agree that Everyday has MANY gyms on it, #1 for me being "What you Are". Awesome, powerful song.
@DanielLaNoue yeah fool to think and so right are my favs on that album.
I can understand why Dave doesn't want to sing these lyrics in front of, say, a sold-out audience in Madison Square Garden, but the melody is so good that I think the song is salvageable. Dave could change up the lyrics a little or just offer a quick apology before he plays it, explaining that he wrote it a long time ago and that it makes him sound like kind of a jerk now, but he doesn't really feel that way. I guarantee you, no one will hate him for it.
It just one of those mystery tracks
This is what Blue Nile's Walk Across the Rooftops would have sounded like if Hootie & the Blowfish had written it.
I recall him saying how he looked back at this song and thought how much it sucks. I believe he called it a "turd".
I wouldn't argue that...
@1223JOEY1223 No. This is a original DMB tune which was last played 10.22.93. Dave has since in several interviews referred to this song as a turd and likely to never be played ever again.. Too bad because I really do love this song and would like to see them play it again someday. Check out People People by DMB another classic long since forgotten.
i have been waiting for this version for years.
Wow, I didn't even know a studio version existed. Good stuff. Not as bad as I thought it was. Haven't heard this in awhile. Might have to start a "Spotlight" chant at Fenway.
Damn that sucks that he hates it. It's got such a jazzy vibe, it's very refreshing to hear this kind of thing coming from the band simply because it's a different sound. It reminds me of the track dave did with Soul Live (Joyful girl).
Your criteria for a huge song = frequency on set lists. I contend that there's more that weighs into the significance of a song than how many set lists it appears on.
Muito muito show. beleza pura.
Except, "Spotlight," apparently!!! WTF?!? Old pal, that tune is excellent. I don't mean to be THAT guy, but sheesh! What gives? "...a turd," you conjecture? Dave, I think not. Bring it back, brother. It's more relevant than ever.
I am a huge fan who approves this statement.
I think Everyday gets a bad wrap strictly because he went electric... There are some hidden gems on that album - So Right, Fool to Think, When the World Ends and Angel just to name a few.. Check out the Fool to Think @ Benaroya or So Right at Folsom Field - These are classics my friend!
you had me until Angel. I can do without that song never played again
Benaroya is probably the best solo performance David has ever done...that is a timeless masterpiece that everyone who listens to dMb must watch...
*normally don't type in the comment section but I had to back up your Benaroya comment and say thank you for having this uploaded for all these years...☝🏼💜
Wow, this is a very cool song. It's so different sounding and the sax is incredible. I'm assuming this is Jeff Coffin and not Le'roi, it doesnt sound like the track Le'roi would lay down.
it's a shame they didn't pursue this song more. this version's good but i find the acoustic version to be where it's at. wish he never sold out with the EVERYDAY album.
true. still a great song. thanks for the info
I'm pretty sure all "huge" dave fans have heard Spotlight...
Yeah. Spotlight and Blue Water kind of separate the casual fans from the obsessed.
I think its great. Dave reffered this song saying that if it were something other than a song, it would be a "turd"
lol hahaha wanna know how I know you're a DMB fan? LOL
Gotta disagree with ya brother. If we're going to throw a title around like, "huge fan," they should have heard this tune. NOT just because it hasn't been played in a while therefor making it a 'litmus test' of how LONG you've been listening. This isn't just some cast aside tune that Dave used to play. This was huge tune and one of pretty great significance especially considering WHY it's no longer played. And no, it's not because Dave or the boys think it's a poor tune. It's the meaning.
@gregy606 It's ironic, then, that he kept the line "could I have been a magnet for money?" in Dancing Nancies.
@rockuc10
Where can I get the acoustic version? Can't find it :S
sick !
It's a shame dave has said before he hates this song. I'd love to see it live! Been to about 22 shows, whenever he plays a rare song while you're there, it's such an amazing experience
@janiegirlnumber41 Everyday wasn't a bad album I has some real gems but it does lack the meatiness that many of us were used to with the lillywhite albums.
i agree completly, where can i find that version of the song?
@aaflt1871 are these songs all on an album too? like the ones like these? and what are some other songs he dosen't like?
This is Dave's "If I Had a Million Dollars". He needs to embrace it and/or tweek it if he thinks it's required. I kinda dig it. Don't think it's the turd he says it is.
There are a lot of tools for download youtube videos and audio. There are a lot of tools for recording audio. Try searching on your search engine of choice.
Did you ever get the MP3 of this? If not, I'll tell you how to rip it off of UA-cam and convert it to MP3.
this is amazing; i did't know there was a studio version out there. where can you download this?
The only real complaint that Dave has ever said about the song is that he felt the lyrics made it seem like the band had a big ego, that he had a big head. That they were better than the rest type of feeling. It wasn't from any such experience, just he felt the wording made him feel like he had a big ego. And we all know how lazy Dave can be sometimes, so instead of new lyrics they just trashed it.
Good as it gets, really. Brilliant :)
if anyone has this song on an mp3 could they send it to me? i will give someone my email if they could
Stefan teasing this on Twitter is so beyond troll. Never gonna happen. And if it could happen (see what I did there) no one would appreciate it
Where did you get this
@aaflt1871 yes i did. the guy who put it up sent it to me. but how do u rip stuff off youtube and convert it to an mp3?
Thanks Danny!!!!!! Joe Engman
That is such a creepy picture XD
does anyone know why dave doesnt like it for sure? I think its because hes speaks badly of NYC and was probably inspired to write a song about a bad experience he had there, like as if he was booed off stage or something. and now that hes obviously successful he doesnt think of NYC city as a black city that tears his soul away. "damn you big city, black city rising up around me, tear my soul away"
search google for dvdvideosoft, download that, u can rip audio or video off of youtube. it is safe.
@janiegirlnumber41 so right, so right.
when was this recorded??
Daniel Moynihan 1992, at Ardent Studios.
@DanielLaNoue Agreed!
🍄🍄
i can see why they hate this song, is not them. they are playing like they always do but it just doesnt fit the bands personality. damn they are so talented
whats the date on the recording
@DanielLaNoue Fool To Think @ Benaroya is awesome
Stolen is one of my favorite songs ever
is this a cover?
@rockuc10 dont even, bro. Everyday holds its own
Dave said if it was anything else besides a song. It would be a turd! This is a very early song. While they were figuring out who they are
gotta disagree with you actually champ, this song was only played thirty six times and never released on an album. when tunes like jimi thing have been played over eight hundred times, it's kind of a bold statement saying that this was a huge tune? and the reason it's not played is definitely because they dislike the song it's been mentioned in several interviews and he's even mentioned that if the song were matter it would be a turd. try not to make bold statements with no facts.
Not a Studio version
If he hates the lyrics, can he not just re-write at least part of the song?
this is real dave right here... none of this new shit.
i have a recording of a dave and tim show where someone shouts, "SPPPOTTTTLIGHTTT!!" and dave goes you wanna know why i won't play it, cuz i hate it. if that song were anything other than a song it would be a big turd yeah yeah like a hot steaming turd like a pizza and beer turd. that is what that song would be. and that is why i won't play it.
Also What You Are
idk... i love this song, lol sounds great to me. i mean, a few of his songs that made it i think are worse than this... lets be real.
Dave hates this song. Such a shame cause Id piss myself if he played it live
i think he just considers it prepubescent dave ya know
idk i don't really dig this song lol "yeah....yeah.....yeah....yeah...." this is probably the only song of DMB's that I really dislike. That's a good thing right?
Amazing song.
but seems very pre-pubescent to Daves current style
If this song was anything other than a song, it would be a turd. A summertime beer and pizza turd. Still like it though.
Life pro tip: Paint chips are not food.
I almost replied to the person who made this comment with, "I understood this reference." Then I realized it was I who made this comment - 8 years ago. Weird.
according to dsve spotlight was a hot turd
Sorry , i really don't like this. The main dislike for me is Dave's vocal work.. just grates on me a little. Sorry 😥
btw Dave HATEEEEESSS the FIRST Song!!! "spotlight" he has said was dead on arrival! It was garbage and he knew it writing it.
Haha. I love it, but I can see why