Pantala Naga Pampa

"Pantala Naga Pampa"
Song by Dave Matthews Band from the album Before These Crowded Streets
Released	April 28, 1998
Recorded	The Plant Studios, Sausalito, CA & Electric Lady Studios, New York, NY
Genre	Rock
Length	0:41
Label	RCA
Writer	David J. Matthews
Composer	Dave Matthews Band
Producer	Steve Lillywhite
Before These Crowded Streets track listing
"Pantala Naga Pampa" (1) "Rapunzel" (2)

"Pantala Naga Pampa" is the first track on the Dave Matthews Band's album, Before These Crowded Streets.

The song is the shortest track recorded by the band in the studio and was based on an old live song known as "What Will Become of Me?" part of which can be heard at the end of "Jimi Thing" on Matthews and Tim Reynolds' album, Live at Luther College.

When performed live, the song regularly segues into "Rapunzel," just as it does on the studio recording. This can be heard on Listener Supported.

A band representative told a band fan site in 2002 that the phrase "pantala naga pampa" is believed by the band to mean "I have a snake in my pants" in colloquial Tamil. They learned the phrase from their cook, who was fond of using the phrase.^[1][2]

References

1. "The Dave Matthews Band FAQ". nancies.org. 2002-11-16. Retrieved 2009-03-07.
2. Nāga (नाग) is Sanskrit for "snake," making at least one third of the phrase publicly verifiable. "Pampa" is snake in Tamil. "Naga Pamba" is the Tamil word for the Indian Cobra