Matt Hales (born January 17, 1972), better known as Aqualung, is a British … Read Full Bio ↴Matt Hales (born January 17, 1972), better known as Aqualung, is a British singer/songwriter best known in the United Kingdom for his song "Strange and Beautiful (I'll Put a Spell on You)", which was featured on a television advertisement for the new Volkswagen Beetle during the summer of 2002 and went on to become a Top 10 hit in the UK singles chart later that year.

Prior to his success as Aqualung, Hales was known as the lead singer of mid-1990s, London-based Britpop band Ruth. Ruth had a string of moderately successful hit singles, including "I Don't Know," "Valentine's Day," and "Fear of Flying," and one album, "Harrison," before changing their name in 2001 to The 45's. As The 45s, the band released two more singles and one posthumous album to little attention before splitting so Hales could focus on his new endeavor as Aqualung. Almost immediately after the band's split, "Strange and Beautiful" began climbing the British charts and gaining massive amounts of attention--a dramatic turnabout from the previous year. In 2005, Aqualung would even achieve elusive success in the United States, where they are best known for the song "Brighter Than Sunshine", which had considerable airplay and was used in the film A Lot Like Love and various television spots. He's also known to some for his song, "Easier to Lie", which was featured on the hit television show, Scrubs. His music also went on to feature in another hit television show the OC. His song, "Strange and Beautiful" was also featured on the hit show CSI. Later, the song "Something To Believe In" was also featured at the ending of an episode of CSI: Miami. It was also featured in the movie "Wicker Park". "The Lake" was also featured on the wildly popular television show Grey's Anatomy. Aqualung has also had songs featured on One Tree Hill in various seasons. In 2009, his song "Easier to Lie" was again featured on a television show, this time Lie To Me.

It has been written that Hales took the name "Aqualung" from a Jethro Tull album of the same name. However, he himself says he was not aware of this album, and that it was descriptive of the underwater feeling he felt listening to his debut album.

His debut single, "Strange and Beautiful (I'll Put a spell on You)", was released in the UK on the B-Unique label on September 16, 2002, and reached number 7 in the UK Top 40 and was used in the film Wicker Park.

The song "Something To Believe In" from the album "Memory Man" was used during the ending of the former ABC show Eli Stone premiered on Jan 31, 2008.

The song "Good Times Gonna Come" has recently been used on the show Skins on the British channel E4.

On April 20th, 2010 Aqualung released his 6th studio album Magnetic North (2010). The first single released is a song called "Fingertip".

Tongue Tied
Aqualung Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I'm tongue tied
Waiting
Hoping
And praying
Lying
Beside you
Longing
To touch you

But this feels like the end

So tired
We are
Drifting
Too far
Eyes closed
Tightly
Thinking
There might be
Some way

But this feels like the end

What went wrong
I need to know
I can feel
You're letting go
Though there is
So much to say
I'm tongue tied
Tongue tied
Waiting

I'm tongue tied
Waiting
Hoping
And praying
So near
Yet so far
Alone
Together

Still this feels like the end

Overall Meaning

The song "Tongue Tied" by Aqualung explores the feeling of being unable to express oneself, trapped in a situation where words fail to capture the enormity of the moment. The lyrics detail the sense of being on the brink of losing a relationship that was once valuable but is now drifting away, held together by a fraying thread of hope. The opening lines "I'm tongue tied, waiting, hoping and praying" set the tone immediately, conveying the desperation of someone who is at a loss for words to express their feelings.

The main theme of the song is frustration and longing, as the singer struggles to understand what went wrong in the relationship and how to reconnect with their partner. The lines "What went wrong? I need to know. I can feel you're letting go" express a deep sense of loss and confusion, as the singer desperately searches for answers that may never come. The song's repeated refrain of "This feels like the end" creates a sense of impending doom and finality, leaving the listener with a feeling of melancholy and resignation.

Overall, "Tongue Tied" is a poignant and deeply emotional song that captures the feeling of being trapped in a situation where words fail to express what we truly feel.

Line by Line Meaning

I'm tongue tied
Feeling a lack of words to express my emotions

Waiting
Expecting or looking forward to something to happen

Hoping
Wishing for something to happen

And praying
Expressing one's deepest desires to a higher force

Lying
Reclining beside someone

Beside you
Being next to you

Longing
Feeling an extreme desire for something unattainable

To touch you
To make physical contact with you

But this feels like the end
Sensing that a relationship is coming to a close

So tired
Feeling exhausted or drained

We are
Both of us together