Mattea was born in South Charleston, West Virginia, because it had the nearest hospital to her parents' home in Cross Lanes, where she grew up, graduating from nearby Nitro High School. In 1976, while in college, she joined the bluegrass band Pennsboro, and two years later dropped out of school to move to Nashville. She worked as a tour guide at the Country Music Hall of Fame, did backup vocal work for Bobby Goldsboro , and sang demos for several Nashville songwriters and publishers including Nashville songwriter/producer Byron Hill, who brought her to the attention of Frank Jones (then head of Mercury Records), who signed her to her first record deal in 1983.
Mattea's third album, 1986's folky Walk the Way the Wind Blows, proved to be her breakthrough both critically and commercially. Her cover of Nanci Griffith's "Love at the Five and Dime" was her first major hit, reaching #3 (and in addition, earned Griffith notice as a songwriter); and the album produced three other top ten songs: "Walk the Way the Wind Blows" (#10), "You're the Power (#5), and "Train of Memories" (#6).
Further hit songs include her first #1, "Goin' Gone"; the truck-driving song "Eighteen Wheels and a Dozen Roses" (1988); "Come From the Heart" and "Burnin' Old Memories" (both #1 hits in 1989); "She Came From Fort Worth" (1990); "Lonesome Standard Time" (1992); "Walking Away a Winner" (1994); "Nobody's Gonna Rain on Our Parade" (1994); "Maybe She's Human" (1994); and "455 Rocket" (1997). "Eighteen Wheels," in late May 1988, became the first single by a solo female to spend multiple weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard country singles chart since Dolly Parton's "You're the Only One" in August 1979; both singles were on top of that chart for two weeks.
The heart-wrenching "Where've You Been," which Mattea's husband Jon Vezner co-wrote with singer/songwriter Don Henry, reached #2 on the country chart and won her a 1990 Grammy for Best Female Country Vocal. Mattea is a repeat winner of the County Music Associations Female Vocalist of the Year, which she won on the success of "Eighteen Wheels and a Dozen Roses" and "Where've You Been."
The following year, Mattea took part in Voices That Care, a multi-artist project that featured other top names in music for a one-off single to raise money for the allied troops in the Gulf War. The project included fellow country singers Garth Brooks, Kenny Rogers and Randy Travis. She has also been heavily involved in HIV/AIDS-related charities beginning in the early 1990s, and is often credited with leading the country music community, commonly regarded as the last segment of the entertainment industry to address the AIDS epidemic, to finally do so. She performed with Mary Chapin Carpenter on VH1's very first Save The Music concert, which also starred Bette Midler.
Mattea won another Grammy in 1993 for her gospel-oriented Christmas album Good News. Her first single from the album, "Mary, Did You Know?" went on to be covered by Kenny Rogers with Wynonna, as well as Reba McEntire.
Mattea subsequently moved to MCA and, in 2000, released the ballad-heavy The Innocent Years, a heartfelt tribute to her ailing father. Wanting to explore her taste for Celtic folk, Mattea hopped labels to Narada, for whom she debuted in 2002 with the eclectic Roses.
With her social activism and her taste for songs with introspective lyrics, it has been often said that Mattea owes as much to the traditions of folk music as mainstream country.
Though her recent work has failed to make the country charts, Mattea continued to enjoy a strong following throughout the late 1990s and early 2000s; her albums are critically well received, and she continues to tour and perform. She continues to have strong support from a very active fan club, run by Sue Phelps, whose members refer to themselves as Matteaheads.
Kathy travelled the country presenting Al Gore's "An Inconvenient Truth" and speaking to crowds about the importance to fight global warming.
Before leaving Narada she released another album full of differing influences, Right Out Of Nowhere, including a cover of a Stones tune.
Her CD "Coal" released on her own label is a collection of songs about mining and received a nomination for a Grammy. She continues to tour across the US and in early 2008 she made a welcome return to the UK.
In 2018, Mattea announced a new album, Pretty Bird, which was released independently with Tim O'Brien serving as producer.
Come From The Heart
Kathy Mattea Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A lesson he learned, it was a long time ago
If you want to have someone to hold onto
You're gonna have to learn to let go
You got to sing like you don't need the money
Love like you'll never get hurt
You got to dance like nobody's watchin'
If you want it to work
Now here is the one thing I keep forgettin'
When everything is falling apart
In life as in love, you know I need to remember
There's such a thing as trying too hard
You got to sing like you don't need the money
Love like you'll never get hurt
You got to dance like nobody's watchin'
It's gotta come from the heart
If you want it to work
You got to sing sometimes like you don't need the money
Love sometimes like you'll never get hurt
You got to dance, dance, dance like nobody's watchin'
It's gotta come from the heart if you want it to work
In "Come From The Heart" by Kathy Mattea, the singer tells a story about the lessons she learned from her father when she was a young girl. Her father's lesson was to learn to let go if she wants someone to hold on to. This refrain is repeated throughout the song. The song imparts upon listeners a message to embrace life and love to the fullest, to let go of their inhibitions, and to be true to their own hearts. It's about being yourself and not caring about what others think, but instead, living life authentically.
The song is an uplifting and empowering anthem for living life to the fullest. It encourages people to take risks and be true to who they are. The lyrics are straightforward and easy to understand, but they deliver a powerful message about living life to its fullest. The uplifting melody and the memorable chorus makes "Come From The Heart" a beloved classic.
Line by Line Meaning
My daddy told me when I was a young girl
My father had taught me a valuable lesson about life when I was a kid.
A lesson he learned, it was a long time ago
It was a lesson that he had learned a long time ago.
If you want to have someone to hold onto, You're gonna have to learn to let go
If you want to keep someone in your life, you have to learn to let them go sometimes.
You got to sing like you don't need the money
When you're singing, you should do it for the love of the art and not just for the financial gain.
Love like you'll never get hurt
You should love someone without having the fear of getting hurt, as it might hold you back from fully enjoying the bond.
You got to dance like nobody's watchin'
Try to avoid getting into your head too much while dancing and just let loose without any inhibitions.
It's gotta come from the heart if you want it to work
Whatever you do in life, it should come from the depths of your heart and soul, true to yourself, if you want it to succeed.
Now here is the one thing I keep forgettin'
There is a crucial point that I often overlook.
When everything is falling apart
At times when everything seems to be going the wrong way.
In life as in love, you know I need to remember
In both life and love, there is something that I have to keep in mind.
There's such a thing as trying too hard
There can sometimes be an instance where trying too hard can cause more harm than good.
You got to sing sometimes like you don't need the money
It's important to sing solely for the love of the art rather than financial gain on some occasions.
Love sometimes like you'll never get hurt
There are moments where it's essential to love without holding back in fear of the pain it might cause.
You got to dance, dance, dance like nobody's watchin'
It's crucial to let yourself be free and dance without worrying about what anyone thinks.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: RICHARD C LEIGH, SUSANNA WALLIS CLARK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
rody692
When I was a young girl, my daddy told me
A lesson he learned, it was a long time ago
If you want to have someone to hold onto
You're gonna have to learn to let go
You got to sing, like you don't need the money
Love ,like you'll never get hurt
You got to dance, like nobody's watchin'
It's gotta come from the heart
If you want it to work.
Now here is the one thing ,I keep forgettin'
When everything is falling apart
In life as in love, you know I need to remember
There's such a thing as trying too hard
You got to sing, like you don't need the money
Love, like you'll never get hurt
You got to dance, dance, dance like nobody's watchin'
It's gotta come from the heart
If you want it to work.
You got to sing, sometimes, like you don't need the money
Love, sometimes, like you'll never get hurt
You got to dance, dance, dance like nobody's watchin'
It's gotta come from the heart if you want it to work.
Hiep Hoang
(Susanna Clark/Richard Leigh)
My daddy told me when I was a young girl
A lesson he learned, it was a long time ago
If you want to have someone to hold onto
You're gonna have to learn to let go
You got to sing like you don't need the money
Love like you'll never get hurt
You got to dance like nobody's watchin'
It's gotta come from the heart
If you want it to work
Now here is the one thing I keep forgettin'
When everything is falling apart
In life as in love, you know I need to remember
There's such a thing as trying too hard
You got to sing like you don't need the money
Love like you'll never get hurt
You got to dance like nobody's watchin'
It's gotta come from the heart
If you want it to work
You got to sing sometimes like you don't need the money
Love sometimes like you'll never get hurt
You got to dance, dance, dance like nobody's watchin'
It's gotta come from the heart if you want it to work
Read more: Kathy Mattea - Come From The Heart Lyrics | MetroLyrics
rody692
When I was a young girl, my daddy told me
A lesson he learned, it was a long time ago
If you want to have someone to hold onto
You're gonna have to learn to let go
You got to sing, like you don't need the money
Love ,like you'll never get hurt
You got to dance, like nobody's watchin'
It's gotta come from the heart
If you want it to work.
Now here is the one thing ,I keep forgettin'
When everything is falling apart
In life as in love, you know I need to remember
There's such a thing as trying too hard
You got to sing, like you don't need the money
Love, like you'll never get hurt
You got to dance, dance, dance like nobody's watchin'
It's gotta come from the heart
If you want it to work.
You got to sing, sometimes, like you don't need the money
Love, sometimes, like you'll never get hurt
You got to dance, dance, dance like nobody's watchin'
It's gotta come from the heart if you want it to work.
stratman2k
Great song. Written by Richard Leigh and Susanna Clark, Guy Clark's wife. A brilliant artist and songwriter.
Mike Wright
Kathy Mattea singing Standing knee deep in a rivertogether with the awesome musicianship blows your socks off
Dave Wollenberg
To be official, Kathy hit #1 in Billboard, 7-1-89. God bless you, sister Kathy!
Paulette Bang
Kathy has touched my heart for so many years. She is a smile personifided.
barbara searcy
Amen!
Adelissa Hunsley
First tape I ever bought with my own money around age 9 was willow in the wind. I sung where have you been at elementary talent shows. Kathy was such a pivotal part of my childhood.
Fred Thomas
Hello Adelissa
Rebecca Hansen
Kathy Mattea is one of my favorite female singers of the 80s and 90s
Angela Allen
I absolutely love her lyrics.2 this song. It was one of her greatest hits...