Two Step

Album: Crash (1996)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • In a 1996 interview with Billboard magazine, Dave Matthews said "Two Step," the fourth single from Crash in 1996, is his favorite track on the album. "It's about a love affair that takes place in the middle of great world upheaval. It's romantic and mysterious at the same time," he explained.
  • "Two Step" isn't well known among casual Dave Matthews Band listeners but their big fans know it well. It's one of their most-played live songs, often filled with ecstatic improvisation and a drum solo from Carter Beauford.

    The band started playing it live in 1992 but didn't record it until 1996 when they included it on their album Crash. They've always considered themselves a live band at their core, and really had no interest in signing a record deal until RCA Records, impressed with their fervent fanbase and delectable songs, made them an offer they couldn't refuse. Their first RCA album was Under the Table and Dreaming in 1994. The first two singles from that album, "What Would You Say" and "Ants Marching," were huge in 1995. Lots of listeners heard those songs and headed to shows that year, where they heard the venerable DMB fans singing along to "Two Step," a song they weren't familiar with. Many turned into lifelong fans.
  • The title is a play on the two step dance, but instead of dancing with his partner, Matthews is in step with her as they climb life's metaphorical mountain two by two. If you'd like a song about the dance, there's one by Laura Bell Bundy.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Janet Jackson

Janet JacksonFact or Fiction

Was Janet secretly married at 18? Did she gain 60 pounds for a movie role that went to Mariah Carey? See what you know about Ms. Jackson.

Robert DeLeo of Stone Temple Pilots

Robert DeLeo of Stone Temple PilotsSongwriter Interviews

Stone Temple Pilots bass player Robert DeLeo names the songs that have most connected with fans and tells the stories behind tracks from their Tiny Music album.

The Truth Is Out There: A History of Alien Songs

The Truth Is Out There: A History of Alien SongsSong Writing

The trail runs from flying saucer songs in the '50s, through Bowie, blink-182 and Katy Perry.

British Invasion

British InvasionFact or Fiction

Go beyond The Beatles to see what you know about the British Invasion.

Music Video Director David Hogan

Music Video Director David HoganSong Writing

David talks about videos he made for Prince, Alabama, Big & Rich, Sheryl Crow, DMB, Melissa Etheridge and Sisters of Mercy.

N.W.A vs. the World

N.W.A vs. the WorldSong Writing

How the American gangsta rappers made history by getting banned in the UK.