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.
I Believe In You
Cerys Matthews Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The lonely organ grinder cries
The silver saxophones say
I should refuse you
And the cracked bells and washed-out horns
Blow into my face with scorn
But that not way
I want you, I want you
I want you so bad
Honey, I want you
The drunken politician leaps
Upon the street where mothers weep
And the saviors who are fast asleep
They wait for you
And I wait for them to interrupt me
Drinkin' from my broken cup
And ask me
To open up the gate for you
I want you, I want you
I want you so bad
Honey, I want you
Now all my fathers, they've gone down
True love they've been without it
But all their daughters put me down
'Cause I don't think about it
Well, I return to the Queen of Spades
Talk with my chambermaid
She knows that I'm not afraid
To look at her
She is good to me
And there's nothing that she doesn't see
She knows where I'd like to be
It doesn't matter
'Cause I want you, I want you
I want you so bad
But I want you, I want you
I want you so bad
Honey, I want you
Cerys Matthews's song "I Believe In You" can be interpreted as a declaration of love to someone who is not accepted by society. The lyrics evoke a sense of societal disapproval, with the undertaker and organ grinder sighing and crying respectively, while the saxophones suggest that the singer should refuse the person they love. The use of cracked bells and washed-out horns blowing scornfully implies that the singer and their love are unworthy or illegitimate. However, the singer refuses to let societal norms dictate who they love, stating that they were not born to lose that person.
The second verse introduces the image of a drunken politician leaping into the street where mothers weep, suggesting that those in positions of power are careless and insensitive to the needs of the people they serve. Despite this, the singer waits for the saviors who are fast asleep to awaken and come to their aid. They express a sense of isolation, drinking from their broken cup and waiting for someone to ask them to open up the gate for their loved one to enter. The singer's desire for their love interest is so intense that they repeat the phrase "I want you" multiple times in the chorus.
The third verse presents the singer returning to the Queen of Spades and talking to their chambermaid. The Queen of Spades is a reference to a character in Russian folklore associated with love and death. The chambermaid is likely a manifestation of the singer's subconscious or inner thoughts. Despite feeling rejected by society and the people around them, the singer finds solace in the chambermaid's acceptance and understanding. The singer affirms their love and desire for their love interest, stating that nothing and no one can change that.
Overall, "I Believe In You" is a powerful declaration of love in the face of societal disapproval and rejection. The singer asserts their agency and refuses to let societal norms dictate who they love.
Line by Line Meaning
The guilty undertaker sighs
Even those responsible for death feel regret for losing you
The lonely organ grinder cries
Even those with a talent to produce music seek your love
The silver saxophones say
Even the instruments that make music can sense that you're trouble
I should refuse you
I should resist the temptation of you
And the cracked bells and washed-out horns
Even the worn-out instruments sound harsh when they ring for you
Blow into my face with scorn
The sounds of these instruments seem to mock me
But that not way
But I cannot turn away
I wasn't born to lose you
I was meant to win your love
I want you, I want you
I desire you intensely
I want you so bad
I crave you deeply
Honey, I want you
My dear, I desire you above all else
The drunken politician leaps
Even those in power become desperate for your love
Upon the street where mothers weep
Even in the saddest of places, they long for you
And the saviors who are fast asleep
Even those who try to save others need your love
They wait for you
They anticipate your arrival
And I wait for them to interrupt me
I am expecting someone to disturb me
Drinkin' from my broken cup
Dealing with my emotional turmoil
And ask me
Asking me for help
To open up the gate for you
To help bring you closer to me
Now all my fathers, they've gone down
The previous generation has all died without knowing this kind of love
True love they've been without it
They didn't get to experience true love
But all their daughters put me down
But their daughters don't think much of me
'Cause I don't think about it
Because I am not interested in other women
Well, I return to the Queen of Spades
I find myself returning to a woman who represents bad luck
Talk with my chambermaid
I confide in someone I trust
She knows that I'm not afraid
She knows that I am brave enough to desire someone who may bring misfortune
To look at her
To see her for who she is
She is good to me
She is kind and helpful to me
And there's nothing that she doesn't see
She understands me entirely
She knows where I'd like to be
She knows where I want to go
It doesn't matter
It doesn't matter what may happen or where we may end up
'Cause I want you, I want you
Because I desire you intensely
But I want you, I want you
And I want you more than anything else
I want you so bad
I crave you deeply
Honey, I want you
My dear, I desire you above all else
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Neil Young
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind