Growing up, Mathews had a passion for music, listening to everything from Kurt Cobain, Carrie Underwood, and Bob Dylan to Lil Wayne and Drake, perhaps influencing his style with an added hip-hop flare.
During 2019, 44phantom broke into the grunge-pop scene with his single, Break Your Heart after it wound up on popular YouTube channel Promoting Sounds and amassed a total of over a million streams across streaming platforms.
He stated to have adopted the name 44phantom to honour his late second cousin and carry on his family’s connection to the number 44. In an interview, Mathews confirmed:
My oldest brother was born at 2:44, my sister was born at 8:44, and I was born at 11:44. My dad’s sobriety date is 4/4/15. My grandpa was a very talented baseball player and he wore the number 44. That number was a part of my life before I was even born. My cousin Danny died in a car accident. I was thinking of the Danny Phantom cartoon to honor him, so I came up with 44phantom for my name.
Problems
44phantom Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My eyes red, feel dead, I ain't slept in a week
And I'm too tired to deal with all your shit
And it's okay if you can't stay
I gotta couple things I should probably do anyway
But I can't seem to get you out of my head
But you got me under both your nails, wrapped around your finger
We got problems?
But you know I still got my options
And I want to tell you I'm good so bad
I'm ignoring my conscious
All you wanted was a promise
But some things never get made
So go on, tell me I'm trash like that
Yeah, I don't wanna be saved
It's been three days since you left
I need a couple cigarettes just to take off the edge
And I can't seem to breathe, it hurts my chest
But you got me under both your nails, wrapped around your finger
Do you still think after all I said, it doesn't mean
We got problems?
But you know I still got my options
And I want to tell you I'm good so bad
That I'm ignoring my conscious
All you wanted was a promise
But some things never get made
So go on, tell me I'm trash like that
Yeah, I don't wanna be saved
I don't wanna be saved, oh
I don't wanna be saved, oh
I don't wanna be saved
I don't wanna be saved
I don't wanna be saved
We got problems
But you know I still got my options
And I want to tell you I'm good so bad
That I'm ignoring my conscious
All you wanted was a promise
But some things never get made
So go on, tell me I'm trash like that
Yeah, I don't wanna be saved
In "Problems," 44phantom sings about feeling stuck in a toxic relationship with someone who he knows is bad for him but can't seem to let go of. He admits that he's exhausted and sleep-deprived, unable to deal with his partner's drama and demands. Yet he also acknowledges that he's still drawn to this person and can't get them out of his head. The chorus repeats the phrase "we got problems," suggesting that the issues in the relationship are obvious and numerous, but the singer still can't bring himself to leave.
The second verse reveals that the partner has left, and the singer is struggling to cope with their absence. He's turning to cigarettes to ease his anxiety and feels physical pain in his chest. Despite this, he still can't fully let go of his feelings for this person, as evidenced by the repetition of the chorus. The ending implies that the singer knows the relationship is unhealthy and wants to move on, but he's not ready to be saved from it yet.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, God, I ain't nothin' to see
I feel worthless and unimportant.
My eyes red, feel dead, I ain't slept in a week
I'm exhausted and have been struggling to sleep.
And I'm too tired to deal with all your shit
I don't have the energy to put up with your problems.
And it's okay if you can't stay
I don't mind if you leave.
I gotta couple things I should probably do anyway
I have some important tasks I need to complete.
But I can't seem to get you out of my head
I can't stop thinking about you.
But you got me under both your nails, wrapped around your finger
You have a powerful hold over me.
Do you still think after all I said, it doesn't mean
Do you still believe that what I said was meaningless?
We got problems?
Do we have issues in our relationship?
But you know I still got my options
I still have choices in my life.
And I want to tell you I'm good so bad
I desperately want to convince you that I'm doing okay.
I'm ignoring my conscious
I'm making decisions without considering the consequences.
All you wanted was a promise
You were only looking for a commitment from me.
But some things never get made
Some things can never be achieved or accomplished.
So go on, tell me I'm trash like that
Insult me and put me down like you always do.
Yeah, I don't wanna be saved
I don't want to be rescued or helped.
It's been three days since you left
It's been three days since you walked out of my life.
I need a couple cigarettes just to take off the edge
I'm relying on cigarettes to ease my stress and anxiety.
And I can't seem to breathe, it hurts my chest
I'm feeling suffocated and overwhelmed with emotion.
Writer(s): Jordan Palmer, Matthew Hernandez, Brayton Matthews
Contributed by Addison V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@recinosguillermo711
You quickly have become my favorite artist this year, i hope we get a tour soon!
@o_o9397
Same about artist thing
@doxasvfx3439
Facts
@porttokes
fr
@christianderkatch7664
He’s going on tour with MGK!
@justmatthew4014
Same bruh ! Dudes underrated af
@lillykkk
All the underrated songs are the best songs 😭
@swiftshots_
I honestly have loved songs from all over the world listening to every overrated and underrated song but your music hits diffrent....glad I found this when I needed it the most.
@el.diablo11
This dude is helping me get me thru shit rn and he don't even know it.
@samsmart1884
This man is gonna blow up... im already hooked...