Matthew Herbert is an electronic music producer known for breaking the boun… Read Full Bio ↴Matthew Herbert is an electronic music producer known for breaking the boundaries and conventions of the genre. Since 1996 he has released music on a variety of record labels under many aliases including Doctor Rockit, Wishmountain, Radioboy, Mr. Vertigo, Transformer, under his own name and with his Big Band. He has played at the Montreux and North Sea Jazz Festivals, Paris' Pompidou Centre, Tokyo's Blue Note, Sonar and Glastonbury, and supported Bjork at the Hollywood Bowl. Along with over ten albums of self-written, produced and performed music, he has produced albums by Róisín Murphy, Dani Siciliano and Barbara Panther, worked with Björk and remixed Moloko, R.E.M., Perry Farrell, Serge Gainsbourg, Yoko Ono, John Cale, The Avalanches and Cornelius. He also runs his own label, Accidental Records.

Herbert began creating music with found objects whilst at Exeter University (UK) in the 1990s, where he studied Drama. From bottles, books, and pepper pots he progressed to recording places and experiences, effectively using the sampler as an instrument on many of his Doctor Rockit and Herbert releases. This style evolved into the overtly political when he began sampling objects from McDonald's and The Gap as a protest against corporate globalism on the The Mechanics Of Destruction album. The CD was distributed free at concerts and available as a free download and has never been available in stores.

His 2003 Big Band album, Goodbye Swingtime combined the political commentary of Radioboy with the song structure of his Herbert albums. Recorded with sixteen musicians from the British jazz world, including saxophonists Dave O'Higgins and Nigel Hitchcock and bassist Dave Green, the band is complemented on stage by long-term vocal partner Dani Siciliano and occasionally Arto Lindsay and Warp recording artist, Jamie Lidell. Recently he has provided music for a number of films, including Dogme director Kristian Levring's The Intended along with original music for TV. Herbert's newest album Plat du Jour addresses world famine.

Addiction
Herbert Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Am falling out of you
From heights
I never thought I knew
I am failing without you
In ways I always thought were new
Despite the knowing this is strange
Inside
I hope I'll never change

Shine
I'm trying to be brave
Bring me bring me
Bring the answers on in waves

Turn me on and watch me go
Straight and narrow
Nice and slow
Push me over see me spin
Watch me fight the fight the pull within

I am wasting without you
Broken pieces without glue
Why
Just as I think it's done
You're there
Darkening the sun?

Turn me on and watch me go
Straight and narrow
Nice and slow
Push me over see me spin
Watch me fight the fight the pull within
Turn me on and watch me go
Straight and narrow
Nice and slow

Push me over see me spin
Watch me fight the fight the laws within

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Herbert's song "Addiction" depict a person's struggle with addiction in a relationship. The first verse talks about falling out from heights never thought to be known, failing without the other person in ways previously unimagined. The second line suggests that the person knows that the situation is not normal, but still hopes to remain the same. The third line refers to the person's bravery in trying to maintain the relationship. The chorus highlights the person's struggle to find answers, turn on and watch to go directly, and fight the pull within.

The second verse shows the person wasting away without the other person, with broken pieces without glue. And just when the person assumes the struggle is over, the other person darkens the sun, implying their inability to allow the person to move on. The chorus goes on to describe the person's struggle to remain on the straight and narrow, fight the fight within and resist the addictive pull towards the other person.

Overall, "Addiction" is a powerful song that exposes the painful and emotional struggles of addiction in relationships, where the person knows the situation is unhealthy but cannot resist the pull.

Line by Line Meaning

Am falling out of you
I am losing my connection with you

From heights
From a place of high emotional attachment

I never thought I knew
I never realized how much I needed you until now

I am failing without you
I am not coping well without you

In ways I always thought were new
In unexpected ways, I am struggling without you

Despite the knowing this is strange
Even though I never expected to feel this way

Inside
Internally, within me

I hope I'll never change
I hope to remain the same, with you by my side

Shine
Radiate positivity and light

I'm trying to be brave
I am trying to be strong without you

Bring me bring me
Please give me