Beauford / Lessard / Matthews / Moore / Tinsley / Batson (2006)

Illicit and immoral obsession? Fond remembrance of childhood love? The lyrics taken at face value can make you uncomfortable in many versions. Then again, when we think about ex-loves, we remember them as they were, not as they are now. Some versions seem one way, some versions seem the other, but it's clear the person singing isn't 100% OK with his feelings. In 2007, Dave prefaced the song with "this is a song about my babysitter when I was a kid." The lyrics have changed slightly to fall in line.

The Idea of You debuted at the former Deer Creek Music Center on June 2, 2006. It also marked the debut of the Veillette soprano 12-string (originally used exclusively on this and Shotgun), and was the first full band song to be played from the 2006 Spring studio sessions. Of all the 2006 songs, The Idea of You was the most complete when debuted. Its compact structure and standardized harmonic horn duet leave only the lyrics unfinished (though most contain the theme and several lines are consistent).

Many times Dave has said afterwards how much he loves the song and it showed with steady play throughout the 2006 Summer Tour.