In the song "Don't Drink the Water" by Dave Matthews Band, they focus on recreating a moment in the past. The song is a white man's perspective about moving to America. They think it's a dreamland but when they get there they realize other people already live there. They force the Indians to leave their home and make them move thousands of miles away. He uses lyrics like, “Not room for both just room for me,” “you must move on or I will bury you,” and “Yes I will call this home.” Dave came up with this song sitting in an apartment in Manhattan thinking about how there used to be a river there that's now a highway. He says, "you only know the river was there when it rains and your basement floods up." He started to think about what the land was like before people came and thought about what they went through to create where we are now. He realized it was a dangerous and rough time for the Indians and the Americans. They say America was built with freedom and justice but it was more built on slavery and genocide. Dave wanted to write a song about this thought and you can hear his thoughts about the topic throughout the song.
The Feels
In Thank You for Arguing, Heinrichs states that pathos is argument by emotion. Pathos is a rhetorical tool used in Dave Matthews song "Don’t Drink the Water." The tone and lyrics in the song make people understand the anger that people had during a tragic time. It also gives the people that listen to it a feel for what people had to go through to create America. You can hear the anger through the drums and violin. They are fast paced compared to the other instruments. You can also hear anger when Dave starts singing a chant. He says it is an old Indian chant that he threw into the song. Pathos is a very strong way to connect to people in an argument. It grabs a person's attention and makes them think more about how they feel.
In Thank You for Arguing, Heinrichs states that pathos is argument by emotion. Pathos is a rhetorical tool used in Dave Matthews song "Don’t Drink the Water." The tone and lyrics in the song make people understand the anger that people had during a tragic time. It also gives the people that listen to it a feel for what people had to go through to create America. You can hear the anger through the drums and violin. They are fast paced compared to the other instruments. You can also hear anger when Dave starts singing a chant. He says it is an old Indian chant that he threw into the song. Pathos is a very strong way to connect to people in an argument. It grabs a person's attention and makes them think more about how they feel.
I Blame You
Another rhetorical tool Heinrichs mentions is blame. He says, “you can slot any kind of issue involving persuasion into blame, value, or choice.” The argument of the song boils down to blame because the white men blame the Indians for being on a land they thought would be theirs. The Indians also blame the white men for taking their land. We hear a clash between the Indians and Americans in the line, "What's this you say? You feel the right to remain and stay. Well I will bury you." The Indians are saying it's their land and they should be able to stay there. The white men reply by saying if you don't leave i'll kill you. He also says, "Whats this you say? Your'e fathers spirit still lives in this place. Well /i will silence him." This line shows some Indians beliefs and the white men's cruelty. The Indians believe their buried ones have spirits where they live and if they moved away they would be leaving their loved ones behind. The white men did not care because they did not have the same beliefs. He really expresses his thoughts about the past through the song.
Another rhetorical tool Heinrichs mentions is blame. He says, “you can slot any kind of issue involving persuasion into blame, value, or choice.” The argument of the song boils down to blame because the white men blame the Indians for being on a land they thought would be theirs. The Indians also blame the white men for taking their land. We hear a clash between the Indians and Americans in the line, "What's this you say? You feel the right to remain and stay. Well I will bury you." The Indians are saying it's their land and they should be able to stay there. The white men reply by saying if you don't leave i'll kill you. He also says, "Whats this you say? Your'e fathers spirit still lives in this place. Well /i will silence him." This line shows some Indians beliefs and the white men's cruelty. The Indians believe their buried ones have spirits where they live and if they moved away they would be leaving their loved ones behind. The white men did not care because they did not have the same beliefs. He really expresses his thoughts about the past through the song.
Fans See, Fans Do
An obvious rhetorical tool used in DMB songs is decorum. Heinrichs says, “Decorum tells the audience, ‘do as I say and as I do’.” Dave Matthews Band song lyrics make people listen and make people want to do what he says in his song. They will do what he does because they like his music and will want to be like him. Fans will dress like him, dance like him, and maybe try to play instruments like him. A great example would be American Idol winner Phillip Phillips. He is a fan of Dave Matthews Band and you can tell. He has the same style of music as Dave. He was told by the judges that his style wasn't flashy enough to win. He wore grey shirts and jeans like Dave does. He also performs like Dave. They both do a little dance with their feet when they get into their music. Phillip grew up watching and listening to Dave Matthews Band. Fans like Phillip Phillips demonstrate decorum because he does what Dave does.
An obvious rhetorical tool used in DMB songs is decorum. Heinrichs says, “Decorum tells the audience, ‘do as I say and as I do’.” Dave Matthews Band song lyrics make people listen and make people want to do what he says in his song. They will do what he does because they like his music and will want to be like him. Fans will dress like him, dance like him, and maybe try to play instruments like him. A great example would be American Idol winner Phillip Phillips. He is a fan of Dave Matthews Band and you can tell. He has the same style of music as Dave. He was told by the judges that his style wasn't flashy enough to win. He wore grey shirts and jeans like Dave does. He also performs like Dave. They both do a little dance with their feet when they get into their music. Phillip grew up watching and listening to Dave Matthews Band. Fans like Phillip Phillips demonstrate decorum because he does what Dave does.
The Water
Dave’s song truly examines the past. While it makes you want to dance and sing along to the catchy rhythm, it also makes you think about the time period. The lyrics are a history lesson. Dave didn’t intend to teach any history to anyone. Instead, he wanted to make a point that people come in and destroy what doesn’t fully belong to them for their own benefit. He realized there used to be a beautiful river near him and that river is now gone and replaced with a man made highway. I remember when I first heard the song with my dad and he explained the meaning to me. I immediately thought it was so cool that Dave could make history come to life in one song and I listen to it all the time. I connect with the song when I listen to the lyrics and try to understand Dave’s point of view on the past. I enjoy buying t-shirts of his band from his website. I also enjoy his music and his lyrics speak to me. The song "Don't Drink the Water" is one of my favorites because it is one of the first songs by DMB that I heard. It means even more to me that I can connect with my dad through Dave's music instead of just of connecting with the music itself.
Dave’s song truly examines the past. While it makes you want to dance and sing along to the catchy rhythm, it also makes you think about the time period. The lyrics are a history lesson. Dave didn’t intend to teach any history to anyone. Instead, he wanted to make a point that people come in and destroy what doesn’t fully belong to them for their own benefit. He realized there used to be a beautiful river near him and that river is now gone and replaced with a man made highway. I remember when I first heard the song with my dad and he explained the meaning to me. I immediately thought it was so cool that Dave could make history come to life in one song and I listen to it all the time. I connect with the song when I listen to the lyrics and try to understand Dave’s point of view on the past. I enjoy buying t-shirts of his band from his website. I also enjoy his music and his lyrics speak to me. The song "Don't Drink the Water" is one of my favorites because it is one of the first songs by DMB that I heard. It means even more to me that I can connect with my dad through Dave's music instead of just of connecting with the music itself.