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
Radio Campaign
M. Ward Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
By my head ache blues.
And I got pulled by the pull of the tide.
I got stripped of my soul,
Standing in my shoes,
Come back, come back
My little peace of mind
Come back, come back
My little peace of mind
Since the day you been gone,
I cannot keep from crying.
Come back, come back
My little peace of mind.
I sent signals and signs,
From a mountainside
Now I'm gonna try this old microphone light
Now I'm callin' out your name on this radio campaign.
Come back, come back
My little peace of mind.
Come back, come back
My little peace of mind
Since the day you've been gone
I cannot keep from crying.
Come back, come back
My little peace of mind.
The lyrics of M. Ward's song "Radio Campaign" tell a story of a person who is feeling overwhelmed, stripped of their soul, and desperate for their peace of mind to come back. The singer sings of feeling pushed to the edge by the "head ache blues" and being pulled by the tide, which could symbolize the external pressures weighing down on them. The repeated plea to their peace of mind to come back shows how important this feeling of calm and stability is to the singer, and how much they miss it.
The singer also mentions sending signals and signs from a mountainside, which could represent the singer attempting to reach out for help or guidance but not receiving a response. They then turn to the radio, using it as a platform to call out the name of their lost "little peace of mind." Perhaps the singer hopes that if they can manifest this feeling and make it heard, it will somehow make its way back to them. The haunting melody and simple, repetitive lyrics create a sense of longing and vulnerability that is palpable.
Overall, "Radio Campaign" is a song about feeling lost and trying to find a way back to oneself. It's a reminder that sometimes we need to reach out to others and ask for help, or even just shout our sorrows into the void, in order to find our way back to a sense of peace.
Line by Line Meaning
Well I been pushed to the edge,
I'm feeling stressed out and overwhelmed.
By my head ache blues.
I have a headache and it's making things worse.
And I got pulled by the pull of the tide.
I'm feeling pulled in different directions and it's adding to my stress.
I got stripped of my soul,
I feel like I've lost a part of myself.
Standing in my shoes,
I'm struggling in my current situation.
Come back, come back
My little peace of mind
I need a break from everything and some time to relax.
Since the day you been gone,
I cannot keep from crying.
I've been upset ever since you left and can't seem to stop crying.
I sent signals and signs,
From a mountainside
I've tried to reach out to you in different ways.
Now I'm gonna try this old microphone light
I'm going to make one last effort to contact you.
Now I'm callin' out your name on this radio campaign.
I'm using the radio to try and connect with you.
Come back, come back
My little peace of mind.
I'm still hoping you'll come back and help me find some peace.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Matthew Stephen Ward
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Craig R. H. Laurent
Great song!