Though Ketchum first began recording in the mid-1980s, not until his 1991 record deal with Curb Records did he have a major hit with the album Past The Point Of Rescue. The title cut to the album was a Top 3 single, and other singles that met similar success included "Small Town Saturday Night" and "Sure Love".
In 1994 Ketchum toured Britain, issuing the single "Past The Point Of Rescue" on that side of the Atlantic. Though the single failed to make the UK Top 100 pop charts, it received extensive airplay on country radio. The album Every Little Word (of which the UK release featured a bonus disc of past US hits including "Past The Point...") made the Top 40 on the UK country charts and also did the same back in the US.
Ketchum continued to record and release new material. His final US releases were Father Time in 2008, and I'm the Troubadour in 2014.
His film credits included appearing in the 1988 film Heartbreak Hotel and a small role in the 1994 film Maverick.
Don't Strike a Match
Hal Ketchum Lyrics
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And some are precious and fine
Lately all of my dreams of you are the hurtin' kind
Lyin' beside you, I miss the heat and I feel so alone
I'm afraid if I fall asleep you'll be gone
When it's late at night and I close my eyes
I know what I'll be dreamin' of
As you strike a match to the book of love
Honey, don't strike a match to the book of love
Imagination will run so wild, I can't believe that it's true
And I don't want to imagine me without you
When it's late at night and I close my eyes
I know what I'll be dreamin' of
See the flames go high, watch the ashes fly
As you strike a match to the book of love
When it's late at night and I close my eyes
I know what I'll be dreamin' of
See the flames go high, watch the ashes fly
As you strike a match to the book of love
Honey, don't strike a match to the book of love
No honey, don't strike a match to the book of love
The lyrics of Hal Ketchum's song Don't Strike a Match portray the unfortunate situation of someone who is experiencing nightmares every time they fall asleep because of a heartbreak. The song talks about the different types of dreams that come to the singer at night and how all of them are hurting. The singer admits missing the feeling of being next to their loved one and the fear of waking up and realizing that they are gone. The last thing the singer wants to do is to imagine life without their loved one, which they try so hard to avoid.
The chorus of the song talks about the singer's recurring nightmare, where they see flames and ashes from the burning book of love every time their partner lights a match. The singer vociferously shares their concern, imploring their partner not to set their love ablaze. The singer is trying to save their relationship from burning down, asking them to put down the match while carrying their message of undying love.
Overall, the song is an emotional representation of the pain caused by heartbreak, the importance of holding on to what matters and not giving up on love, and the powerful effect that dreams have on our lives.
Line by Line Meaning
There are dreams that come to me in the night
I have dreams at night
And some are precious and fine
Some dreams are good
Lately all of my dreams of you are the hurtin' kind
Recently, my dreams of you have been painful
Lyin' beside you, I miss the heat and I feel so alone
Being next to you makes me miss you and I feel lonely
I'm afraid if I fall asleep you'll be gone
I'm scared you'll leave if I fall asleep
When it's late at night and I close my eyes
At night, when I go to sleep
I know what I'll be dreamin' of
I know what I'll dream of
See the flames go high, watch the ashes fly
I imagine flames and ashes
As you strike a match to the book of love
Because you've ruined our relationship
Honey, don't strike a match to the book of love
Please don't ruin our relationship
Imagination will run so wild, I can't believe that it's true
My imagination gets out of control
And I don't want to imagine me without you
I don't want to imagine my life without you
No honey, don't strike a match to the book of love
Please don't ruin our relationship
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: HAL KETCHUM, PATRICK ALGER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind