The Best of What’s Around by Dave Matthews Band Meaning: Finding the Good When Life Gets Heavy

What Is “The Best of What’s Around” About?

“The Best of What’s Around” by Dave Matthews Band is about trying to hold onto the good things in life when everything feels heavy. It is not a song that pretends life is perfect. It feels more like someone reaching out to a person who is struggling and reminding them that they are not alone.

It is hopeful. Dave Matthews sings it with this sense of comfort, like he is trying to pull someone out of a dark moment and remind them that there is still something good in front of them.

To me, the song is about perspective. Sometimes life does not give you a clean answer, and sometimes you cannot fix everything right away. But having the right person beside you can make things feel a little lighter. The song feels like a reminder to look around, breathe, and notice the people and moments that are still worth holding onto.

It is a positive song, but it still feels real. That is why it works so well.

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Quick Details

Song: The Best of What’s Around
Artist: Dave Matthews Band
Album: Under the Table and Dreaming
Released: September 27, 1994
Track Number: 1
Length: 4:17
Written by: Dave Matthews
Producer: Steve Lillywhite
Album Role: Opening track on Dave Matthews Band’s major-label debut
Key Musicians: Dave Matthews, Carter Beauford, Stefan Lessard, LeRoi Moore, Boyd Tinsley, and Tim Reynolds

The Story Behind “The Best of What’s Around”

“The Best of What’s Around” opens Under the Table and Dreaming, and I think that is a big part of why the song feels so important. This was the first song many listeners heard when they put on Dave Matthews Band’s major-label debut, and it immediately shows what made the band different.

The song has Dave’s acoustic guitar, Stefan Lessard’s bass right up front, Carter Beauford’s busy but smooth drumming, LeRoi Moore adding saxophone color, and Boyd Tinsley’s violin giving the track another layer. It is catchy and easy to enjoy, but it is also full of little musical details.

One interesting part of the song’s history is that it already existed live before the album. An early 1992 version was slower and bluesier than the studio version most fans know today. I love that because it shows how these songs had a life before the album. Dave Matthews Band was a live band first, and a lot of these songs grew on stage before they were recorded in the studio.

By the time the band recorded Under the Table and Dreaming with Steve Lillywhite, “The Best of What’s Around” had turned into a brighter and more polished opener. It still feels loose and full of life, but the studio version is focused. It moves quickly, opens the album with confidence, and gives listeners a great first impression of the band.

The title also became important later when the band used it for their 2006 compilation album, The Best of What’s Around Vol. 1. That says a lot about the song’s place in their catalog. It may not always get mentioned as much as “Ants Marching,” “Crash Into Me,” or “Satellite,” but it really captures the heart of early Dave Matthews Band.

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Song Review

“The Best of What’s Around” is such a strong opener because it sounds like Dave Matthews Band walking into the room already fully formed. There is no long build-up or slow introduction. The song starts with energy and immediately gives you that early DMB sound.

Stefan Lessard’s bass is one of the best parts of the track. It is not just sitting in the background. It gives the song a rolling, upbeat feel and helps push everything forward. The bass line adds so much personality to the song.

Dave Matthews’ acoustic guitar gives the track its rhythm and movement, but this never feels like a basic acoustic song with a band behind it. Everyone is adding something important. Carter Beauford’s drumming is light, quick, and full of detail. He keeps the song moving without making it feel overcrowded.

LeRoi Moore’s saxophone brings that warm DMB sound, and Boyd Tinsley’s violin gives the song another texture that makes it stand out from a lot of 90s rock. Tim Reynolds also adds acoustic guitar, helping fill out the sound and giving the track even more movement.

What I really like is how joyful the song feels without losing its emotional weight. It is upbeat, but there is still something meaningful underneath it. Some songs with this kind of energy can feel lightweight, but “The Best of What’s Around” has enough heart in the lyrics and enough personality in the music to make it last.

The ending also has that classic DMB feeling. It opens up into something loose and communal, almost like everyone is being pulled into the same moment. That is probably one of the reasons the song works so well live. It has that feeling of release, where the message becomes bigger than just the words.

As an album opener, it does exactly what it needs to do. It welcomes you into Under the Table and Dreaming with energy, musicianship, and heart.

Where It Fits on Under the Table and Dreaming

“The Best of What’s Around” is the perfect opening track for Under the Table and Dreaming because it introduces so much of the band’s personality right away.

The album has bigger radio songs, darker moments, and deeper fan favorites, but this song starts everything with warmth and movement. It gives listeners the brighter side of the album before songs like “Rhyme & Reason,” “Warehouse,” and “Pay for What You Get” bring in more tension and mood.

That contrast is part of what makes Under the Table and Dreaming such a strong debut. The album is not one-note. It can be joyful, strange, reflective, and heavy, sometimes all within the same stretch of songs.

Opening with “The Best of What’s Around” makes the album feel inviting. It tells you right away that this band can groove, they can play, and they can write songs that feel both personal and big.

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Explore the Under the Table and Dreaming album further with our song reviews of “Ants Marching” & “Rhyme & Reason.”

What Is “Ants Marching” About? Dave Matthews Band Meaning Explained

Rhyme & Reason by Dave Matthews Band Meaning: One of DMB’s Darkest Early Songs

Final Thoughts

“The Best of What’s Around” is one of those Dave Matthews Band songs that just feels good to come back to. It has the energy of a great album opener, but it also has a message that still lands years later.

It does not ignore the hard parts of life. It knows people feel weighed down. It knows there are moments where you cannot fix everything. But it still chooses hope, friendship, and perspective.

That is what makes the song special. It is not just a feel-good track. It is a reminder that sometimes the best thing around you is the person sitting next to you, the moment you are in, or the little bit of light you almost missed.

For me, “The Best of What’s Around” remains one of the best examples of what early Dave Matthews Band did so well. It is warm, musical, uplifting, and full of life.

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FAQ About “The Best of What’s Around” by Dave Matthews Band

What is “The Best of What’s Around” by Dave Matthews Band about?

“The Best of What’s Around” is about finding hope and comfort through the people around you. It is about dealing with hard times while still choosing to focus on the good that remains.

What album is “The Best of What’s Around” on?

“The Best of What’s Around” is the opening track on Dave Matthews Band’s 1994 album Under the Table and Dreaming.

Why is “The Best of What’s Around” a good album opener?

It introduces so much of what made early Dave Matthews Band stand out: acoustic rhythm, strong bass, Carter Beauford’s drumming, LeRoi Moore’s saxophone, Boyd Tinsley’s violin, and an uplifting message that still feels sincere.

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