Ants Marching

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“Ants Marching”
“Ants Marching” cover
Single by Dave Matthews Band
from the album Under the Table and Dreaming
Released 1995
Format CD single
Recorded Bearsville Studios, Bearsville, NY
Genre Rock
Length 4:31 (6:08 on R2T)
Label Bama Rags Records
Dave Matthews Band singles chronology
"Typical Situation"
(1994)		 "Ants Marching"
(1994)		 "Satellite"
(1995)
Remember Two Things track listing
Beginning of Album "Ants Marching" (Live)
(Track 1)		 "Tripping Billies" (Live)
(Track 2)
Under the Table and Dreaming track listing
"Dancing Nancies"
(Track 6)		 "Ants Marching"
(Track 7)		 "Lover Lay Down"
(Track 8)
The Best of What's Around Vol. 1 track listing
"Louisiana Bayou" (Live)
(Track 6)		 "Ants Marching" (Live)
(Track 7)		 "Two Step" (Live)
(Track 8)

"Ants Marching" was the second successful single off of the Dave Matthews Band's 1994 album Under the Table and Dreaming. It reached #18 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart and received some album-oriented rock play as well. It was originally on their album Remember Two Things. A version of this song live 3/26/05 is also featured on the Dave Matthews Band compilation album The Best of What's Around Vol. 1.

The song is centered on the idea that people get caught up in the monotony of their everyday lives and forget to focus on what is truly important. The metaphor used is that people are like marching ants in the line, "All the little ants are marching, red and black antennae waving, they all do it the same, they all do it the same way." The title of one of the albums that it appears on is mentioned in the verse "Goes to visit his mommy, she feeds him well, his concerns he forgets them, and remembers being small, playing under the table and dreaming."

With its distinctive semi-start-stop beat and unusual imagery, it is one of the best-known Dave Matthews Band songs among the casual rock music audience.

Contents

[edit] Track listings

[edit] U.S. Single

  1. "Ants Marching" (Album Version) – 4:31
  2. "Ants Marching" (Live Version) – 4:35
  3. "Ants Marching" (Live Acoustic Version) – 4:19

[edit] Australia Single 1

  1. "Ants Marching" (Album Version) – 4:31
  2. "Ants Marching" (Live Version) – 4:45
  3. "Ants Marching" (Live Acoustic Version) – 4:19
  4. "All Along the Watchtower" – 7:04

[edit] Australia Single 2

  1. "Ants Marching" (Album Version) – 4:31
  2. "What Would You Say" – 3:41
  3. "Typical Situation" (Edit) – 3:57
  4. "Ants Marching" (Live Version) – 4:45

[edit] Chart performances

[edit] Trivia

Chart Peak
position
US Adult Top 40 22
US Modern Rock Tracks 18
US Top 40 Mainstream 19
Trivia sections are discouraged under Wikipedia guidelines.
The article could be improved by integrating relevant items and removing inappropriate ones.
  • This song is quoted on the hit video by Derrick comedy entitled "Bro Rape."
  • In the CHIKARA wrestling promotion, the team of Fire Ant, Soldier Ant, and Worker Ant, collectively known as "The Colony" uses "Ants Marching" as their theme song.
  • The song is featured on Neil Peart's A Work in Progress (DVD), with Carter Beauford demonstrating his drum technique.

[edit] Music sample

"Ants Marching"

Problems listening to the file? See media help.
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