On Thursday, March 26, Dave Matthews offered an eight-song set live from his living room for Verizon’s new Pay It Forward live stream series.

The set included a number of Matthews’ live favorites as well as a brand new composition, “Windows,” inspired by the world’s struggles with COVID-19.

After opening with “So Damn Lucky,” Matthews later introduced “Windows” by saying, “I’ve never played this song [for anyone] before. Well, sparingly my family who hear the puzzle pieces come together. I’ve never played it before, don’t know if I’ll never play it again. But it’s quite sweet, I think. I hope everybody’s doing good, though.”

The tune refers to the recent phenomenon of quarantined people singing to one another from their windows, as Matthews expounds, “Singing from the windows/ Sirens in the dark, where are you going?/ Pretend that it’s nothing/ But look at this fire burning wild.”

Matthews also laments, “Sometimes things just fall apart/ No matter how we try, they can’t stop,” but ends on a hopeful note, looking ahead to “when the war is over.”

Watch Matthews’ performance, check out the full setlist and read the lyrics for “Windows” via dmbalmanac below:

Dave Matthews
March 26, 2020
Verizon Pay It Forward Livestream

So Damn Lucky, Mercy, Dancing Nancies, Virginia in the Rain, Grey Street, Windows^, Sweet, Don’t Drink The Water

Notes:
^live debut

“Water” by Dave Matthews
When the war is over
and we go back to everyday, everyday
will it be the same again
when you’ve been turned inside out and outside in?

Singing from the windows
shadow on the wall, the way they dance
not much of nothing
and look at this fire burning bright

Look at how the children play
none of us know what’s to come tomorrow
but I’m not going out today
so dance with me like the time we’ve got is borrowed

Singing from the windows
sirens in the dark, where are you going?
pretend that it’s nothing
but look at this fire burning wild

Well this is how we keep holding on
every day, all day long
but sometimes things just fall apart
no matter how you try, they won’t stop

Singing from the windows
something outside and I don’t know

When the storm is over
and picking up the pieces of everyday
memories in picture frames
trying to put the inside out and the outside in

Singing from the windows
walking down the hall, nowhere to go
(it’d) be good to see you, but
suppose when it’s all said and done

This is how we keep holding on
all the days, all day long
but sometimes things just fall apart
no matter how we try, they can’t stop

Singing from the windows
voices outside and no one knows
singing from the windows
we’ll get going again

When the war is over