Don't Drink the Water

There's blood in the water
Composer
Matthews (1998)
Also Known As
Drop D
Evolved From:Leave Me Praying
Album:Before These Crowded Streets

Releases

Studio Albums: 2
Box Sets: 5
Compilations: 5
Singles: 2
Band Promotionals: 1
Live Albums: 12
DMBlive Series: 3
Warehouse Discs: 4
Bonus Discs: 2
V/A Compilations - Promotional: 1
Covers and Tributes: 4
Live Trax Series: 23
V/A Compilations - Retail: 2
V/A Compilations - Radio Promos: 2

Song History

This famous single was produced in the Studio Sessions for "Before These Crowded Streets" from an effort to entirely rework the raw song, "Leave Me Praying." The result was a politically charged song that became the first single from the new album. From the debuting tour of Spring '98 to the Summer of 99, it was the most frequently played song on every tour including Dave and Tim. In the Spring of 2002, it highlighted as one of the top openers for the tour.

Studio personnel:
Tim Reynolds - electric guitar/mandolin
Béla Fleck - banjo
Alanis Morissette - vocals

04.18.98

live debut

971 Known Plays

over 27 years

17 Days Since

last fully played (08.31.24)

108:04:18

total song time

Stats By Show Artist 

ArtistFirst ShowLast ShowAvg LengthPlay Count% Total Plays% Total Shows
Dave Matthews Band4/18/19988/31/20247:3876879.1%45.0%
Dave Matthews7/1/19987/2/20235:48687.0%26.3%
Dave Matthews & Tim Reynolds1/19/19992/17/20246:5713313.7%62.1%
Dave Matthews & Friends12/13/200312/13/20035:5310.1%4.5%
Dave Matthews & Carlos Varela11/13/201611/13/2016—10.1%50.0%

Plays By Year 

Slot Count By Year 

Song Length Over Time 

Slots and Types 

Opener164 (16.9%)
Set 2 Opener7 (0.7%)
Midset706 (72.7%)
Closer30 (3.1%)
Encore62 (6.4%)
2nd Encore2 (0.2%)
aborted1
 

Longest Full Versions 

# LengthDateLocation
112:503/23/2005Brisbane, QLD, AUS
212:3010/5/2004Madison, WI
312:007/8/2006Boston, MA
411:4711/5/2022Portland, OR
511:439/21/2021Wantagh, NY
611:238/11/2006West Palm Beach, FL
711:126/1/2018Burgettstown, PA
811:115/22/1999Philadelphia, PA
911:103/20/2005St Kilda, VIC, AUS
1011:086/18/2005Hartford, CT

Shortest Full Versions 

# LengthDateLocation
14:054/28/1998New York, NY
24:281/28/2004Shoreline, WA
34:533/11/2012West Hollywood, CA
45:009/26/2020Charlottesville, VA
55:065/26/2001Las Vegas, NV

Top Segues 

#Song Count
1» Seek Up7
2» Everyday4
3» Typical Situation3
4» You & Me3
5» Dreamgirl2
6» Shake Me Like a Monkey2
7» Warehouse2
8» Digging a Ditch2
9» So Damn Lucky2
10» Heartbeat Intro2
11» All Along the Watchtower2
12» Long Black Veil1
13» Hopeful Heresy1
14» Sugar Will1
15» Anyone Seen the Bridge1
16» Grace Is Gone1
17» Two Step1
18» Ants Marching1
19» Crash Into Me1
20» Crush1
21» Stone, The1
22» Squirm1
23» Funny the Way It Is1
24» Corn Bread1
25» Riff, The1
26» Kill the Preacher1
27» Here On Out1