Matthews learnt to play guitar at the age of nine, sang Welsh folk songs and taught herself traditional songs from all over the globe including blues and Irish folk songs. She was a member of the West Glamorgan Youth Orchestra. The band Catatonia formed in 1992 after Matthews and guitarist Mark Roberts began dating, as well as writing songs together, at the end of 1991. Catatonia split in mid-2001, and Matthews released her first solo album , Cockahoop, in May 2003. Her second album Never Said Goodbye was released in August 2006. In November 2007 she released a mini-album of Welsh language songs Awyren=Aeroplane.
At the 2013 Sony Radio Academy Awards, Matthews won Gold for her popular BBC 6 music Sunday morning show, which she programmes and hosts. She is the One Show’s cultural reporter and writes and presents radio and television documentaries on subjects as diverse as Cuba, early classical composers, shark fishing and early female blues players. A collector of songs for over thirty years, Matthews is a columnist for the world music magazine ‘Songlines’, and her sing-along book, ‘Hook, Line and Singer’, published by Penguin was a Sunday Times bestseller. She is the author of children’s stories ‘Tales from the Deep’ and ‘Gelert: A Man’s Best Friend’.
Matthews has curated for theatres and the Tate Modern and was artistic director for the opening ceremony of the World Music Expo 2013. She was awarded an inaugural St David Award for her services to culture this year from the First Minister of Wales.
Also in 2013, Matthews wrote and presented a six-part television series looking into the history of centuries old folk songs in her native Wales. In October 2014 Matthews releases an album of music and poetry by Dylan Thomas as well as an Archive Hour programme for BBC Radio 4 looking into her uncle Colin Edward’s role in amassing a huge archive on this great lyrical poet. Matthews has created a cultural festival, 'The Good Life Experience'. She is a judge for the Dylan Thomas Prize for young writers, and for the Forward Prizes for poetry.
Her 2010 self-produced album of traditional Welsh songs, ‘Tir’, is the biggest selling Welsh language album of the decade; the second volume, ‘Hullabaloo’ followed in 2013.
Matthews dueted with Sir Tom Jones on the perennial winter favourite, ‘Baby it’s Cold Outside’. She is Vice President for the homeless charity, Shelter, Vice President of the Hay Festival of Literature and the Arts, is patron of the Dylan Thomas Society and Ballet Cymru, and is Arts Ambassador for the Linden Lodge School - a specialist school for sensory impairment.
Matthews lives in West London with her husband and children.
Blue Light Alarm
Cerys Matthews Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
and let the roads be clear
and let nobody be in the way
daylight traffic moves so slow
going to finally let you go
dogwoods bloom by the river
you'll be there where i ought to
now i always want to be there
when you work the whole thing through
you ask me to decide
like there's a choice that matters
like writing letters everyday
broke at last, you're eyes won't fail
walking out on the wrong day
going to love you anyway
come hell or high water
you'kk be there where i ought to
now i always want to be there
when you come out the other side
everything i thought we knew
someone's old is our new
hits me like a hurricane
blue eyed mornings don't come cheap
talk too much, too easily
but there's always more to say
The lyrics of Cerys Matthews’s song “Blue Light Alarm” paint a picture of a person stuck in traffic, waiting for the lights to turn green and the roads to clear, hoping that there is no one in the way. In the daylight traffic that moves slowly, they finally decide to let go of something or someone that has been holding them back. The line “dogwoods bloom by the river” creates a vivid image of the beauty around them that they have failed to appreciate. The person then declares that they will be there for their loved one “come hell or high water,” through thick and thin, and even when they are walking out on the wrong day, they will love them anyway. The chorus emphasizes their commitment to be there for their loved one, to support them when they work the tough parts through and to be there for them when they come out on the other side.
The next verse talks about the difficulty of making decisions that matter, and the struggle of keeping a relationship alive through writing letters every day. The phrase “broke at last, your eyes won’t fail” seems to suggest that one of the parties is tired of fighting and ready to give up, but the singer is still determined to love them anyway. The chorus repeats, emphasizing the commitment of the singer, and the bridge talks about how the singer’s understanding of the world has changed since they’ve been with their loved one. They see the world through their loved one’s eyes, and although it’s not always easy, they want to keep talking and learning together.
In conclusion, “Blue Light Alarm” is a song about the complexities of love and relationships, and how difficult it can be to navigate them in the face of life’s challenges. It’s a reminder that love requires commitment, empathy, and understanding, and that no matter what happens, we have to be there for the people we care about.
Line by Line Meaning
let the lights turn green
Give me a sign that it's time to move on
and let the roads be clear
I'm ready to start fresh with no obstacles in my way
and let nobody be in the way
I don't want anyone to hold me back or try to change my path
daylight traffic moves so slow
Metaphor for how slowly my life is moving, and how long it's taking me to move on
going to finally let you go
Ready to release the past and move on from the person holding me back
dogwoods bloom by the river
Nature continues to move on and bloom outside of me
come hell or high water
I'll overcome any obstacle to get where I need to be
you'll be there where I ought to
Metaphor for my own subconscious guiding me where I need to be
now I always want to be there
I'm more aware of what I need to do now
when you work the whole thing through
I'll be there to support you through whatever you need to go through too
you ask me to decide
You're putting the power back in my hands and helping me make a decision for myself
like there's a choice that matters
Implying that there isn't really a choice that will impact the outcome, but it's the act of making a decision that has power
like writing letters every day
Tasks that may seem mundane can sometimes hold more meaning than we realize
broke at last, your eyes won't fail
Even at rock bottom, you'll still be holding strong
walking out on the wrong day
Timing can be everything, and sometimes we get it wrong
going to love you anyway
Despite the bad timing, my love for you is still strong
when you come out the other side
I'll be there to help you when you come out of your own darkness
everything I thought we knew
Sometimes the things we think we know or believe in can change over time
someone's old is our new
What used to be outdated or unfashionable can become the new trend or norm
hits me like a hurricane
Change can feel overwhelming and all-consuming, like a disaster that comes through and leaves destruction in its wake
blue-eyed mornings don't come cheap
Sometimes the things/people we want come at a cost, and they can be difficult to obtain
talk too much, too easily
I may babble on about what I want, but it's because I'm excited and passionate about it
but there's always more to say
My excitement and passion for my desires and goals continue regardless of how much I've already talked about them
Contributed by Jayden E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Papapas9
beautiful like always