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.
Louisiana
Cerys Matthews Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We ran for shelter
Laughing at the stormy weather
Jack sang bread of heaven
And I thought of you
One sweet day, finally, we'll trace each other
Shine a little light together
I'll walk the earth to find you
And wrap my arms around you
And sing the sweetest songs for you
In all good time we'll come across a mountain haven
Build a house and home and settle
Plant some crops, and pray they'll grow for me and you
Who's to say we might wander in the trees
And shimmer under canopies of autumn's
Rich kaleidoscope of gold and ruby?
I'll walk the earth to find you
And wrap my arms around you
And sing the sweetest words for you
And as for stormy weather
We'll be so good together
I've got to find my way to you
Here and now, the rain's still falling steadily
The damp is crawling up to me, and
Jacks is singing all your favorite melodies
Soon enough I fall into an easy sleep
Now, no one move and no one speak
Let the moonlight carry from me from here to you
I'll walk the earth to find you
Wrap my arms around you
And sing the sweetest songs for you
And as for stormy weather
We'll be so good together
I've got to find a way to you
The song "Louisiana" by Welsh singer Cerys Matthews is a love letter to a person who is far away. The first verse describes a scene where rain has interrupted an outdoor activity and the singer and her companions have taken shelter. The mention of Jack singing "Bread of Heaven" suggests they are in Wales, known for its love of choral singing and rugby. The reference to thinking of the person they are missing implies they are not present in the moment.
The second verse is optimistic and hopeful. The idea of tracing each other and shining a little light together suggests a reunion is possible. The singer pledges to make great efforts to find their lover, even walking the earth. The lyrics paint a picture of a future shared life in a mountain haven, building a home and growing crops, surrounded by autumnal colors. The chorus repeats the image of the singer finding their loved one, embracing them, and singing to them. The final verse returns to the present, with the rain falling and Jack singing favorite songs. The singer falls asleep, imagining the moonlight carrying her thoughts to their beloved.
Overall, "Louisiana" is a beautiful expression of longing and hope, with vivid physical imagery and emotional depth.
Line by Line Meaning
Rain fell; it called off play
The rain disrupted what we were doing and forced us to seek shelter.
We ran for shelter
We quickly tried to find a safe and dry place out of the rain.
Laughing at the stormy weather
Although it was raining heavily, we tried to make the best of the situation by laughing and enjoying ourselves.
Jack sang bread of heaven
Jack sang a well-known hymn called "Bread of Heaven" which brought comfort and joy to those listening.
And I thought of you
While listening to the song, I thought of my loved one who is far away from me.
One sweet day, finally, we'll trace each other
Someday, my loved one and I will find our way back to each other.
Shine a little light together
When we reunite, we will bring positivity and light to each other's lives.
Till that day I hear you though you're faraway
For now, I will try to communicate with my loved one in any way possible, despite the distance between us.
I'll walk the earth to find you
I am willing to go through any obstacle and travel any distance to be with my loved one.
And wrap my arms around you
When we finally meet again, I will hold my loved one close and cherish every moment we have.
And sing the sweetest songs for you
I will express my love through beautiful songs that will convey my feelings in the most heartfelt way possible.
In all good time we'll come across a mountain haven
Eventually, we will find a quiet and peaceful place to call home, where we can enjoy each other's company and be happy together.
Build a house and home and settle
We will construct a place to live where we can make new memories together and grow old in each other's company.
Plant some crops, and pray they'll grow for me and you
We will create a stable life together and rely on nature to provide for us, hoping to enjoy the fruits of our labor in the future.
Who's to say we might wander in the trees
We might explore the wilderness and get lost in nature, enjoying each other's company and relishing the natural beauty around us.
And shimmer under canopies of autumn's
We will bask in the natural beauty of the changing foliage and relish the romantic atmosphere created by the changing seasons.
Rich kaleidoscope of gold and ruby?
The autumn foliage will make an enchanting tapestry of colors that will take our breath away.
And as for stormy weather
When difficult times arise, we will face them together.
We'll be so good together
We will be a source of strength, support, and happiness for each other.
I've got to find my way to you
I am aware that the journey to be with my loved one might be challenging, but I am committed to finding a way to be with them.
Here and now, the rain's still falling steadily
In the present moment, it is still raining outside and there is no immediate end in sight.
The damp is crawling up to me, and
The humidity and dampness from the rain is making me feel wet and uncomfortable.
Jacks is singing all your favorite melodies
Jack is singing a song that reminds me of my loved one and their favorite songs and music.
Soon enough I fall into an easy sleep
Eventually, my tiredness from the events of the day will cause me to drift off into a peaceful sleep.
Now, no one move and no one speak
It is important that everyone stays quiet so that I can sleep soundly and get the rest I need.
Let the moonlight carry from me from here to you
Although we are physically separated, I hope that the light of the moon will carry my love to my loved one, who is far away from me.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: KETCH SECOR, CERYS MATTHEWS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
GaBoGaP
Such a good song. When I listen to it though, I can't help but think of the Overly Attached Girlfriend meme lol