Dave Matthews Band – The Space Between

"The Space Between" as written by David John Matthews and Glen Ballard....
You cannot quit me so quickly
Is no hope in you for me?
No corner you could squeeze me
But I've got all the time for you love

The space between
The tears we cry is the laughter keeps us coming back for more
The space between
The wicked lies we tell to keep us safe from the pain
Will I hold you again?

These fickle fuddled words confuse me
Like will it rain today
We waste the hours with talking talking
These twisted games we're playing
We're strange allies
With warring hearts
What a wild-eyed beast you be
The space between

The wicked lies we tell that hope to keep us safe from the pain
Look at us spinning out in the madness of a roller coaster
You know you went off like the devil in the church
In the middle of a crowded room
All we can do my love

Is hope we don't take this ship down
The space between
Where you smile and hide
Is where you'll find me if I get to go
The space between
The bullets in our firefight
Is where I'll be hiding waiting for you

The rain that falls
Splashed in your heart
Ran like sadness down the window into your room
The space between
Our wicked lies is
The hope to keep us safe from pain

Take my hand
'cause we're walking out of here
Right out of here
Is all we need dear
The space between
What's wrong and right

Is where you'll find me hiding waiting for you
The space between your heart and mind
Is the space we'll fill with time
The space between
The tears we cry is the laughter keeps us coming back for more

The space between our wicked lies
Where we hope to keep safe from pain
The space between
The space between


Lyrics submitted by Demau Senae, edited by rambo25

"The Space Between" as written by David Matthews Glen Ballard

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, THE BICYCLE MUSIC COMPANY

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The Space Between song meanings
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  • +7
    General CommentTo me, this is about a relationship that isn't quite working, despite how badly they want it to. "The space between" that he keeps referring to is the space between the bad and the good. On one hand, the couple is happy ("the laughter keeps us coming back for more") and on the other, the couple is unhappy, forced to lie to one another to make their relationship work and avoid fighting. "Will it rain today?" is him contemplating if it will be a bad day between the two. "Warring hearts" refers to their fighting, even though they love each other deeply. "Will I hold you again?" is him wondering if they will last even a day longer. There are many more references like these as well-- they're equally easy to interpret. This song perfectly describes a relationship I was once in and am still working to get over. I listen to it when I feel like delving back into those buried feelings-- Dave always has a way of helping me to do that.
    uncoveron March 05, 2011   Link
  • +3
    My InterpretationThe Space Between is not just a song with a meaning. It is a concept. The abridged version goes like this:

    Without pain there is no joy. They support each other like night and day do. Like spouses do, like heat and cold do. Without the counterpart the other ceases to exist also.

    EVERYTHING IN LIFE IS HELD IN PLACE BY WHAT IT ISN'T.

    If we lived on a planet with no water or moisture on it the word WET would not exist and therefore we would not have the word DRY either.

    If I divorce you I am no longer a husband which stops you from being a wife.

    The fresh cold spot on your sheet when you roll over is only cold because YOU are hot, not because it's actually cold. If you had hypothermia that sheet would warm you.

    When do we miss school and our friends. In the summer. While in school we can't wait for summer.

    Sex feels great right? But if you do it every hour of everyday it would get old and boring and not feel good anymore.

    Chocolate cake is great unless you eat it for every meal.

    It's the SPACE BETWEEN the sex, the cake, school, trips to vegas, that makes it so great. Without the space between, being Without, the not-ness, the absence of something, it loses it's value. That's why flowers are desirable and weeds not. You don't have to work and suffer for weeds so they don't have value to us. It's why we value gold and not aluminum. Aluminum is plentiful and gold not.
    Does that make sense?

    So I think what Dave is saying is value the space between the joy which is tears; embrace the pains of the "not-ness" accept the "Doing without" because without out 'the lows' the 'highs' cant cycle back into your life.

    Its the space between that makes all of the great things in life great.

    In my humble opinion.
    Greg
    GGonzoon April 15, 2013   Link
  • +2
    General CommentThis song, to me, is a story about two people who for some reason are not able to be together and the love they share is forbidden. They lie to keep it secret but feel the fire between each other's soul when they are together. "The wicked lies we tell and hope to keep us safe from the pain" and "All we can do, my love
    Is hope we don't take this ship down" They know they can't keep going the way they are, but it's unimaginable to stop...thus "You cannot quit me so quickly". This song has so much meaning...but that is the best jist I can come to! lol. Great song!!! Dave is the shiznit!!!!!! hehehe :O)
    SweetButterflyon May 03, 2002   Link
    • 1 Reply
  • +2
    General CommentSelfish fools always think their interpretation of a song is the absolute truth... In truth all of you may be right, and according to those who wrote it, none of you may be right. The beauty of art and music is that it can all be so full of so many different meanings. So, while all people may agree, that may not be what the song was about. And one person who nobody agrees with may be right... In truth nobody is right and nobody is wrong. So many times people overthink and delve into the psyche of their favourite singers, trying to find a more personal meaning when it may be about something so obvious. While one says it's a metaphorical term, it may have originally been intended to be about physical distance. So, enjoy for the sake of enjoyment. Find meaning first in yourself, then in others. A weak man will try to find power in others, a wise man will find power in himself.
    kaisuteon June 09, 2002   Link
  • +2
    General CommentI think this song is about two people who are in a relationship teetering on a breakup. They love each other madly, but fight wickedly “the bullets in our firefight”. They know something has to change, or it has to end. “waste the hours with talking talking” refers to working on the problems of the relationship. The space between refers to the space between the fighting. It’s where the love is most evident. It’s what “keeps us coming back for more”. He sings, “The space between the tears we cry is the laughter…”He wants to get the relationship back to the love, to keep “safe from the pain” which is destroying their hope for a future. When he sings, “all we can do, my love is hope we don’t take this ship down” he’s saying he hopes they don’t destroy the relationship with all the B.S. He saying he’s holding onto the best parts of the relationship and he’ll be waiting for her. He wants to take her hand & walk away from the pain and focus on the love and the future.
    pepperminton June 10, 2002   Link
    • 1 Reply
  • +2
    General Commenti think this song is about two people who are pulled apart by distance and even though when they are together everything is perfect and they make each other laugh and are completely happy, when they are away the distance kills and makes them doubt, fight, cry, and talk and talk about everything but never get anywhere(waste the hours with talking, these games we play), he just hopes they don't fail, b/c things seem so hard being apart that maybe she thinks it isn't worth it, he doesn't want the relationship to fail b/c he knows how happy they are together, even though its shit being apart everything to him is worth it in the end and he doesn't want this ship to go down. great song.
    bmwaldronon February 03, 2009   Link
  • +2
    General CommentOhnestly i'm a grown man who dosent cry much over anything, Funerals, wedding ect. But this is the first song to bring me to tears...
    SeargentGooon March 25, 2011   Link
  • +1
    General Comment'when i first heard this song was after my husband died 'crash' was our'' song.so when this one came out that's what it made me think of the space between me and todd(my husband)"thats where u will find me hiding waiting for you". i even had dream one night where my husband visited me and the space between was playing in the background of my dream .i kept telling my husband ,,listen listen it'S the song and he just smiled and said "i know" it was an AWESOME DREAM!!!
    sunshine23on March 19, 2012   Link
  • +1
    General CommentEach line is stands on it's own, but the sum of them describe people in relationships.

    Favorite line: The space between the tears we cry is the laughter that keeps us coming back for more.

    I think it's pretty clear that the meaning there is: it's the good times (laughter) that outnumber the bad (tears) that keep people together.
    zombiepearon February 14, 2013   Link
  • 0
    General Commentsmartmouth, you are right! it's "if i get to go". this song rocks 100%. dave once again proves that he's a great song writter..........
    flaquitoon January 06, 2002   Link

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