Chapter 14 | "Dancing Nancies" by Dave Matthews Band
- Chris Campbell
- Feb 7, 2024
- 4 min read
Look up at the sky
My mouth is open wide, lick and taste
What's the use in worrying?
What's the use in hurrying?
Turn, turn we almost become dizzy
I first heard of Dave Matthews Band in 1995. I was trading tapes via AOL's Phish Bowl chat room and got an instant message from someone who wanted to set up a trade for some shows I had. They had only just started their Phish collection though, and I already had the tapes they had. I offered to do a B&P for them—that's blanks and postage (look it up if you don't know)—and they happily accepted.
When I received their blanks, I found the package they sent included a surprise: a single tape of a set from a Dave Matthews Band show that was recorded in 1993. Curious, I gave it a listen, liked what I heard, and then took a trip down to Quincy Records & Tapes to pick up Under the Table and Dreaming. I quickly identified several songs that I loved upon first listen, but the one that resonated the most for that time in my life was "Dancing Nancies."
Autumn's Playlist: Tuning the Dial
Could I have been anyone other than me?
That's the central question of "Dancing Nancies"—and it's the question at the heart of Chapter 14.
In this chapter, Autumn is starting to experiment with an idea: What if the music you listen to doesn't just reflect how you feel, but actually influences it?
For years, she's gravitated toward angry, depressing music. And yes, it was therapeutic. It made her feel less alone in her pain…but what if it was also keeping her stuck there?
During a road trip with Brittany, she uses a radio dial metaphor to explain how she’s thinking about this: You're in control. You can change the station.
If all you're listening to is the song that makes you cry, you're going to keep crying. But if you turn the dial and find something that makes you want to move? Maybe you start feeling different.
It's not about toxic positivity or pretending problems don't exist. It's about consciously choosing where to direct your attention.
The Appeal of Absurdity
This is where Phish comes in—and why "Dancing Nancies" fits perfectly.
Dave Matthews Band and Phish occupy similar space in the jam band universe: improvisational, playful, refusing to take themselves too seriously even when the musicianship is extraordinary.
"Dancing Nancies" is whimsical. It's philosophical without being heavy. It asks big existential questions but does so with a lightness that keeps you from spiraling.
What's the use in worrying? What's the use in hurrying?
For someone who spends most of her time problem-solving and worrying, this message is revolutionary.
What if she just... didn't? What if she let herself be silly? What if she listened to songs that made her smile instead of songs that kept her stuck in darkness?
What if she danced when the music moved her instead of standing still?.
Could I Have Been Anyone Other Than Me?
The genius of "Dancing Nancies" is how it frames identity as both fixed and fluid.
Could I have been
A parking lot attendant
Could I have been
A millionaire in Bel Air
Could I have been
Lost somewhere in Paris
Could I have been
Your little brother
Could I have been
Anyone other than me
Could I have been
Anyone other than me
Could I have been
Anyone…
But the song doesn't answer those questions. It just acknowledges them and then it pivots:
Look up at the sky
My mouth is open wide, lick and taste
What's the use in worrying?
What's the use in hurrying?
Turn, turn we almost become dizzy
Keep moving. Keep spinning. Don't get stuck in the what-ifs.
That's what Autumn is trying to do. She's trying to turn the dial, to tune into joy over gloom, to dance even when she's not sure she knows how.
The Reality Check
Of course, changing your music doesn't magically fix everything. Chapter 14 doesn't end with everything falling perfectly into place because the music is happier. Life is seldom that simple, but there is still some truth in what’s at the heart of the point Autumn tries to make to Brittany. Your perspective really can make all the difference.
Monty Python knew it…and you should too.
Your Dial, Your Choice
Have you ever noticed how the music you listen to on repeat starts to shape your mood?
How a breakup playlist can keep you stuck in heartbreak longer than necessary, or an angry driving playlist can make you more aggressive on the road?
"Dancing Nancies" asks: What if you consciously chose differently?
Not to avoid processing difficult emotions—that's necessary and healthy—but to recognize when you're stuck in a loop that's no longer serving you.
What's the use in worrying? What's the use in hurrying?
Maybe the answer is: there isn't one. Maybe the use is in turning, spinning, almost becoming dizzy.
Maybe the use is in asking, “Could I have been anyone other than me?” and then choosing, deliberately, to be exactly who you are…but with the dial turned to a different station.
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