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.
Trust Me
Kathy Mattea Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's clear to see
The scar runs wide and reaches deep
Wish I could find the one magic word to dry your eyes and heal your hurt
But you hardly hear me when those memories haunt you so
Baby, believe me you can give up those old ghosts
If you trust me, you don't have to be afraid just trust me
Leave the past to yesterday
I know you've heard me saying lines before
Your heart just wants to lock the door
I'll wait forever till you let me in
Now matter what I'll be your friend
But I'd love to show you the moon is ours tonight
But I'm just glad to hold you till your heart can see the light
And you can trust me
You don't have to be afraid
Just trust me
Leave the past to yesterday
You're never going to ever truly love me
Until you trust me
I'd love to show you the moon is ours tonight,
But I'm just glad to hold you till your heart can see the light
And trust me
You don't have to be afraid
Just trust me
Leave the past to yesterday
You've never going to ever truly love me till you trust me
Trust me, trust me
In Kathy Mattea's song Trust Me, the lyrics speak of a person who has been hurt in the past and is struggling to move on from those painful memories. The singer acknowledges this hurt and wishes they could find the perfect words to comfort the person, but understands that it's difficult for them to trust and let go of the past. The singer assures the person that they will be patient and wait for them to open up and let them in. The chorus of the song repeatedly pleads with the person to trust them, to not be afraid and leave the past behind in order to truly love the singer.
The song speaks to the universal feelings of hurt, pain, and vulnerability that come with opening oneself up to love. It acknowledges the difficulty in letting go of past traumas and the importance of trust in a healthy relationship. The lyrics are filled with empathy, compassion, and a sense of reassurance that the singer is willing to be there for the person, no matter how long it takes for them to trust and love again.
Line by Line Meaning
I know she hurt you
I understand you have been hurt by someone in the past
It's clear to see
The pain is evident and visible
The scar runs wide and reaches deep
The emotional wound is large and has impacted you greatly
Wish I could find the one magic word to dry your eyes and heal your hurt
I wish there was a perfect thing I could say to make you feel better and move on
But you hardly hear me when those memories haunt you so
When you are reminded of the past, it's difficult for you to focus on anything else
Baby, believe me you can give up those old ghosts
You can let go of the past and move on
If you trust me, you don't have to be afraid just trust me
I am asking you to put your trust in me and don't be afraid to do so
Leave the past to yesterday
Forget about what happened in the past, it doesn't define your future
You're never going to ever truly love me, until you trust me
To truly love someone, there has to be trust in the relationship
I know you've heard me saying lines before
I understand if you are hesitant and have heard things like this before
Your heart just wants to lock the door
You want to protect yourself from getting hurt again
I'll wait forever till you let me in
I am willing to be patient and wait for you to be ready
Now matter what I'll be your friend
Regardless of what happens, I will always be there for you as a friend
But I'd love to show you the moon is ours tonight
I want to share special moments with you and make memories together
But I'm just glad to hold you till your heart can see the light
For now, I am grateful to just hold you and comfort you during this difficult time
And you can trust me
Again, I want to emphasize the importance of trust in the relationship
Trust me
Reiteration of the previous message
Lyrics © HIPGNOSIS SONGS GROUP
Written by: ALLYN LOVE, STEVE NOEL WARINER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind