In mid-2005 he began work on a second album with the intention of creating something organic, classic and real. True to his indie spirit, when it came time to record and funds weren't readily available, he called out to his grass-roots fan base for assistance. Loyal fans, eager for a second release, pre-ordered the upcoming album and a small back-log of unreleased demos, generating enough revenue for a completely fan-funded album.
Mattox's stunning sophomore release, Prizefighter [November 1, 2005] is already a knock-out with fans. "My goal was to spend the time and make an album that is easily accessible to people; something they could grasp onto and call their own," he says. He took the better part of 6 months off the road and came up with eleven tales of turmoil and triumph that bob and weave beautifully throughout this stark masterpiece. Mattox and his band recorded Prizefighter during an eight week lock-out with Producer John Briglevich (Goo Goo Dolls, Edwin McCain, Chuck D) at Sonica Recording Studios in Atlanta, Georgia. "I wanted Prizefighter to be very much about my personal struggles this past year," says Mattox "I needed it to reflect who I am as a person and stand as an example for what you can accomplish if you just get up, dust yourself off, and keep going."
Mattox and his band are currently out on the road in support of Prizefighter. "I have had the pleasure of collaborating with a lot of really good musicians over the past two years," says Mattox, "but there's nothing more powerful than sharing a stage and making a record with my best friends." His current touring line-up includes long-time drummer Andy Bauer, keys and rhythm guitarist Rivers Pearce, bassist Mike Lamond and lead guitarist Chris Skogen. Mattox lives in Athens, Georgia, while the band resides in Atlanta, allowing them the privilege of calling both places "home".
Mattox has seen national success on MTV's Real World, Turner Network Television's NASCAR, Delta Airline's Campus Movie Fest, "Good Morning Atlanta" on CBS, and has performed live on FOX Charlotte, Q100's "The Bert Show", and Music Midtown 2004 alongside the Foo Fighters and Switchfoot. His last two Atlanta performances at The Roxy Theatre had over 1,000 in attendance and he has recently seen airplay on The UK's SKY Channel 905, XM radio, Atlanta, Ga.'s 99x, Macon, Ga.'s Q106, and Auburn, Al.'s TigerFM.
Mattox currently reigns as an award-winning artist for:
"Best Rock Band" and "Best Singer-Songwriter" Flagpole Music Awards (Athens, Ga.)
"Best Front-Man" Atlanta Music Guide Music Awards
"Best Singer-Songwriter" and "Best Instrumentalist" Creative Loafing's Best of Atlanta
#1 on The Best Unsigned Band List Alternative Addiction
Creative Loafing says, "As long as Bain Mattox keeps writing simple, stunning, sad songs, he'll maintain both mainstream and indie cred."
Flea Market
Bain Mattox Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
with state lines and counties
I peruse the daily news
to find no ?? line
I may be found
feeling towards love
Millions exchange
My soles are flat on the ground
another six feet, six feet down.
I could lift a foot on high
and separate you from your county lines
I may be found
feeling towards love
Millions exchange
magnetic ??
Feels pretty good
to be the only one
havin' a bad day
Feels pretty good
to be the only one
havin' a bad day
Bad day
I may be found
feeling towards love
Millions exchange
magnetic ??
The song "Flea Market" by Bain Mattox explores themes of distance, separation, and the search for love. The song opens with the lines "You separate me with state lines and counties, I peruse the daily news to find no ?? line." This suggests that the singer is being kept apart from someone they love by geographical distance, and they are struggling to find a way to bridge that gap. The line "I peruse the daily news to find no ?? line" indicates that the singer is searching for some kind of connection or commonality, but is having trouble finding it.
The song goes on to describe the singer's desire for love and connection. They say "I may be found feeling towards love, Millions exchange magnetic ??" which suggests that they are looking for someone to share their feelings with, and that there are many people in the world who are also searching for love. However, despite this desire for connection, the singer feels disconnected and separated from the rest of the world. They say "My soles are flat on the ground, another six feet, six feet down. I could lift a foot on high and separate you from your county lines" which suggests that they feel weighed down by their isolation, and that they would do anything to escape it.
The chorus of the song repeats the lines "Feels pretty good to be the only one havin' a bad day," which suggests that the singer is resigned to their loneliness and struggles to find comfort in the fact that others are also struggling. Overall, the song is a poignant exploration of the human desire for connection and the pain of separation and isolation.
Line by Line Meaning
You separate me
You create distance between us
with state lines and counties
By using boundaries and geography
I peruse the daily news
I look through the news and current events
to find no ?? line
To find no clear separation or distinction
I may be found
I can be located
feeling towards love
Experiencing emotions of affection
Millions exchange
Many people are involved in
magnetic ??
An attraction or connection of some sort
My soles are flat on the ground
I am firmly planted on the earth
another six feet, six feet down.
Once deceased, buried six feet underground
I could lift a foot on high
I could elevate myself above others
and separate you from your county lines
And distance you from the boundaries you've created
Feels pretty good
Feels satisfying or enjoyable
to be the only one
To be the sole person
havin' a bad day
Experiencing a negative and difficult time
Bad day
The negative experience
Contributed by Benjamin I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.