Ward was previously with the band Rodriguez, which included bassist Kyle Field (of Little Wings fame) and drummer Mike Funk. They recorded and released on cassette Box Plots and Cash Crops and then the album Swing Like a Metronome in 2000. Duet for Guitars #2 was released on Howe Gelb's Ow Om record label. Ward's 2001 album, End of Amnesia, was released by Future Farmer Records, and his subsequent albums have been released on Merge Records. A collection of live recordings, Live Music & the Voices of Strangers, was a self-released disc that was sold at his shows. His next album, Transfiguration of Vincent, was released in 2003, followed by Transistor Radio in 2005. A year later, Post War was released.
In 2006, he contributed a song to, and helped produce, the John Fahey tribute album, I Am the Resurrection. He also contributed the song "Transfiguration #1" from Transfiguration of Vincent to the Brushfire Records soundtrack for A Brokedown Melody, a Jack Johnson surfing film.
His album, Hold Time, was released in 2009. The album A Wasteland Companion followed in 2012. The album title alludes to T.S. Eliot's 1922 modernist poem, The Waste Land. In 2016, he released More Rain. On June 8, 2018, M. Ward released What a Wonderful Industry.
Side Projects
In 2008 M. Ward combined forces with Zooey Deschanel and became She & Him. They have released two albums so far, Volume One in 2008 and Volume Two in 2010. He is also one fourth of the folk supergroup, Monsters of Folk, alongside Jim James from My Morning Jacket, and Conor Oberst & Mike Mogis from Bright Eyes. Their self-titled release, Monsters of Folk, was released in 2009.
* Official website
Hi-Fi
M. Ward Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Where you gonna run to now
That you ain't got space to fill
What you gonna do with your time now
You ain't got time to kill
Where you locked in coverage falling in time
I'm gonna give it to you
If you let me give it to you
Hey hey
So let me turn the volume up get a little bit of Hi-Fi
Drown out all the sirens in the back of my mind
Bah bah bah ba
Now you gonna settle your ties
With you ain't got bind to tie up
Why burn your bridges?
When you can blow your bridges up
Where you locked in coverage falling in time
And it's hot enough just to let your ideas go by
I'm gonna give it to you
If you let me give it to you
Hey hey
So let me turn the volume up get a little bit of Hi-Fi
Drown out all the sirens in the back of my mind
Let me turn the volume up get a little bit of Hi-Fi
Drown out all the sirens in the back of my mind
Now they're calling all cars from the north to the Southside
Better get the east and its coming from the Westside
They're calling all cars from the north to the Southside
Better get the east and its coming from the Westside
In the song Hi-Fi, M. Ward seems to be addressing someone who is feeling lost and uncertain about what to do with their life now that they are faced with new, unfamiliar circumstances. The lyric "Where you gonna run to now / That you ain't got space to fill" highlights this feeling of being trapped and unsure of what direction to take. Additionally, the line "What you gonna do with your time now / You ain't got time to kill" suggests a sense of urgency and the need to use one's time wisely.
The chorus of the song is a call to action, where M. Ward encourages the listener to turn up the volume and embrace the power of music. By saying "So let me turn the volume up get a little bit of Hi-Fi / Drown out all the sirens in the back of my mind," he is suggesting that music can be a way to escape the chaos and noise of everyday life and find some peace.
The final verse of the song seems to suggest that there is some sort of imminent danger or crisis on the horizon, with the repeated refrain of "They're calling all cars from the north to the southside / Better get the east and it's coming from the westside." It's unclear what this danger might be, but the urgency of the lyrics suggest that something big is about to happen.
Overall, Hi-Fi seems to be a song about trying to find direction in a confusing and uncertain world, and using music as a way to escape and find a sense of purpose.
Line by Line Meaning
Where you gonna run to now
What is your plan now that you have nowhere else to escape?
That you ain't got space to fill
You have no more room left to do anything else in your life.
What you gonna do with your time now
What do you plan to do now that you have no more time to waste?
You ain't got time to kill
You have no more free time left.
Where you locked in coverage falling in time
You are stuck in a routine and following a predetermined path.
And it's hot enough just to let your song go by
You are afraid to share your true creativity because of fear of criticism or rejection.
I'm gonna give it to you
I am willing to help you overcome these fears.
If you let me give it to you
But only if you allow me to help you.
So let me turn the volume up get a little bit of Hi-Fi
Let me help you escape reality and dive into creativity.
Drown out all the sirens in the back of my mind
Leave behind all the negative thoughts and distractions that are holding you back.
Now you gonna settle your ties
You need to resolve your unfinished business.
With you ain't got bind to tie up
But you have nothing left to tie up since you have no more attachments.
Why burn your bridges?
Why ruin the relationships you have worked so hard to build?
When you can blow your bridges up
Instead, you should start fresh and create a new path for yourself.
Now they're calling all cars from the north to the Southside
Something big is happening and everyone needs to be prepared and involved.
Better get the east and its coming from the Westside
Be ready from all angles because you never know what surprises may come your way.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Matthew Stephen Ward
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind