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.
Untold Stories
Kathy Mattea Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
All those silent lies
We'll never know each other
Keepin' them deep inside (let's)
Wash away the troubles
Keepin' us apart
Tell those untold stories
Let the healin' start
It's been so long ago
We went our separate ways
Now maybe time has changed us
And worn the hurt away
You look the same as ever
I'm glad you're here with me
Take a look into my eyes
And tell me what you see
All those untold stories
All those silent lies
We'll never know each other
Keepin' them deep inside (let's)
Wash away the troubles
Keepin' us apart
Tell those untold stories
Let the healin' start
Now, I don't want forgiveness
Honey, I don't need you now
We've built a wall between us
It's time to tear it down
Let's plant a tree together
Maybe we can make it grow
If not now then maybe never
We might not ever know (about)
All those untold stories
All those silent lies
We'll never know each other
Keepin' them deep inside (let's)
Well, let's wash away the troubles
Keepin' us apart
Tell those untold stories
Let the healin' start
In "Untold Stories," Kathy Mattea sings about the secrets and unspoken truths that we all hold inside. She begins the song with the somber reminder that we will never truly know each other if we continue to keep our untold stories and silent lies hidden away. She then proposes that the only way to bridge the gap and find healing is to share our stories, to reveal what's been kept secret for too long.
The second verse hints at a past relationship, someone the singer used to know well but has now been separated from for a long time. The mention of time having changed them and worn away the hurt suggests that they may have gone through some kind of conflict or hardship together that ultimately led to their separation. However, the singer seems to have hope for reconciliation and closure, as she invites the other person to take a look into her eyes and tell her what they see.
The third verse is a plea to tear down the wall that's been built between them, to replace it with something fruitful and hopeful like planting a tree together. The suggestion is that even if they don't reconcile or resolve their past issues, the act of working together towards something positive could help them move forward and find some degree of peace.
Overall, "Untold Stories" is a poignant reminder that secrets and lies create distance between people and that true healing can only come from opening up and sharing what's been hidden away.
Line by Line Meaning
All those untold stories
There are so many stories that we have not shared with each other in our past.
All those silent lies
We have kept so many things hidden from each other, including the lies that we have told.
We'll never know each other
We will never truly understand each other if we continue to keep our stories and lies hidden.
Keepin' them deep inside (let's)
We have kept our stories and lies hidden for so long, but maybe it's time to open up and share them with each other.
Wash away the troubles
Sharing our stories and lies with each other could help us get rid of the problems and conflicts that have been keeping us apart.
Keepin' us apart
The secrets that we have been keeping from each other have driven a wedge between us and made it hard for us to truly connect.
Tell those untold stories
We need to open up and share our stories with each other if we want to truly understand and connect with each other.
Let the healin' start
Sharing these stories and lies could be the first step in healing the wounds that have been keeping us apart for so long.
Now, I don't want forgiveness
Forgiveness isn't what I'm looking for, I just want to connect and understand each other.
Honey, I don't need you now
I'm not trying to rekindle our old relationship or make things the way they used to be.
We've built a wall between us
Our secrets and lies have caused a divide between us that has prevented us from truly connecting.
It's time to tear it down
We need to break down this wall and communicate with each other in order to move forward.
Let's plant a tree together
Let's do something together that signifies new growth and a fresh start.
Maybe we can make it grow
We can work together to nurture this new growth and relationship.
If not now then maybe never
We need to act now and take this opportunity to reconnect or we might never get another chance.
We might not ever know (about)
If we don't act now and share our stories, we might never truly understand each other.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Bluewater Music Corp.
Written by: Timothy P. O'Brien
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind