“Let’s not forget these early days . . .”

Anyone here go to college in the 90’s?  Anyone?  If you did, I’m guessing you spent some time listening to Dave Matthews Band.  I sure did.  I had Under the Table and Dreaming (1994) on repeat for most of my junior year.  When I hear one of those songs now, it brings back all of the memories.

When I heard that DMB had a new album out — Come Tomorrow — I was curious.  Especially when the New York Times described the album as “playing to the next generation.”  Hard to image a 51-year-old Dave Matthews playing to the kids, you know?

I gave the album a quick listen, and it’s still the Dave Matthews Band we know and love.  But one song in particular stopped me in my tracks — “Samurai Cop (Oh Joy Begin)” (the song name is from a movie with the same name that Dave Matthews had playing when he wrote the song).  What I really loved about the song is the lyrics.  It’s all about watching your child grow through the different stages of life and all of the milestones — the first step, talking, the first kiss, etc. — and how we must “not forget these early days.”  As a mom of two young kids and a family portrait photographer, this message really spoke to me.  The larger question in the song, which is equally if not more important right now, asks how, if all of us share so many common milestones in life, do we end up so divided?  I wish I knew the answer.

I’m posting the lyrics of the song and a youtube video from the Dave Matthews Band youtube channel.  Isn’t it such a great song?  I played it so much my 5 year old was singing it, which made me love it even more.  This song would be perfect for a slideshow of images of my kids.

Samurai Cop (Oh Joy Begin)
The day you came
Naked, afraid
Young mother screams and pushes you
The day you came
Oh joy begin
Weak little thing
More precious there’ll be nothing, no
Oh joy begin
Let’s not forget these early days
Remember we begin the same
We lose our way in fear and pain
Oh joy begin
First just one step
One word and then
With laughter sing, oh life begin
First just one step
Let’s not forget these early days
Remembering we began the same
We lose our way in fear and pain
Oh joy begin
Innocent kiss
Black magic bliss
First broken bone
Sudden and swift
Oh innocence
Let’s not forget these early days
Remember we begin the same
We lose our way in fear and pain
Oh joy begin
Oh joy begin

Songwriter: David J. Matthews
Samurai Cop (Oh Joy Begin) lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC