Her somewhat contentious relationship with Green himself would be captured for audiences to see in the 2005 documentary film Rock School. Even at that young age, Madi had forceful ideas about her music, an instinct that has served her well in avoiding lazy categorization.
Green's School of Rock led to a scholarship at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, where Madi would spend the next three years. Beyond musical education, it was at Berklee that she met producer Frank Charlton and engineer Martin Cooke, with whom she would record her first solo album, Skin and Bone, in early 2007. Joining her for the sessions was another Berklee student, Kyle Ryan, her songwriting and performing collaborator ever since.
Skin and Bone is a sparkling debut, capturing a rootsy side of Diaz as singer-songwriter and drawing comparisons to the work of artists like Patty Griffin. But just as soon as Skin and Bone arrived, Diaz was already moving forward. She and Ryan began co-writing with others, and the pair, often joined by bass player Adam Popick, started to play regularly in and around Boston. A chance meeting at a show in New York City lead Madi to her manager Ty Stiklorius (part of John Legend's management team) and in turn to a publishing deal with Cherry Lane (Ryan, too, signed with Cherry Lane).
With support from her new management and publisher, doors began to open and interest in Madi grew, especially after people saw her perform at places like the Rocky Mountain Folk Festival, WXPN Phildelphia's XPoNential Music Festival and the Living Room in New York City's Lower East Side.
Diaz and Ryan began co-writing with folks like Sarah Siskind, Garrison Starr and David Mead, and recording demos with producers Gary Paczosa (Dixie Chicks, Alison Krauss), Marshall Altman (Matt Nathanson) and Jay Joyce (Patty Griffin). Those sessions eventually spurred Diaz and Ryan to uproot from Boston and move to Nashville, where they continued to write new material and ingratiate themselves into the local scene through local gigs at The Basement and Mercy Lounge. Nashville producers, Ian Fitchuck and Justin Loucks (Landon Pigg, Griffin House, De Novo Dahl) became friends and soon collaborators, the first byproduct of which is Diaz and Ryan's new EP, Ten Gun Salute.
The sound of Ten Gun Salute might surprise those who have heard Skin and Bone, as Madi and Kyle veer off into new sonic territories. Toy pianos plink. Fat basslines oomph. Americana overtones give way to imaginative pop structures. All the while there's that amazing voice weaving through. From the simple and sublime "Heavy Heart," to the instantly memorable "Nothing At All," the evocative storytelling of "Love You Now" to the damn-near-epic title track, Ten Gun Salute finds Diaz soaring.
Love You Now
Madi Diaz Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Did you decide to keep me waiting? What you waitin' for?
Wasting time on you - more than I like -
Spent picking up the pieces that you leave behind
Left in your mist, wiping sweat off of my brow
Said I want to learn to love you, try n' teach me how
If being in love takes up all of your time,
So find me
When you want to find me
Say you want me badly
Let me know somehow
And I'll wait up
For you to make your mind up
But I'm so tired, boy, wake up
Say you'll love me now
I need to love you now
So am I fighting a boy,
Or am I fighting a man?
Which side will I see when you show up again?
The man won't want to tell me but at least he'll try
Cuz the boy ain't hanging around tonight
So find me
When you want to find me
Say you want me badly
Let me know somehow
And I'll wait up
For you to make your mind up
I'm so tired, boy, wake up
Say you'll love me now
I need to love you now
Stay, don't explain
Why you stay
Don't explain
If you stay, don't explain
Why you stay
Don't explain
Just find me
When you want to find me
Say you want me badly
Let me know somehow
And I'll wait up
For you to make your mind up
I'm so tired, boy, wake up
Say you'll love me now
I need to love you now
In Madi Diaz's song "Love You Now," the lyrics describe the struggle of waiting for a lover who can't seem to make up their mind about their feelings. The singer leaves her porch light on and unlocks her front door, eager to welcome her lover who seems hesitant to commit to her. She questions why she devotes so much time to someone who won't reciprocate the same level of emotional investment. The chorus repeats the plea for her lover to make a decision and love her now.
The song echoes the all-too-familiar feeling of putting more effort into a relationship than the other person is willing to give. The singer wants to learn how to love her hesitant partner, but is tired of the back-and-forth and indecision. In the second verse, she asks whether she's fighting a boy or a man - someone who is unwilling to communicate their true feelings or someone who is mature enough to have an honest conversation.
The bridge repeats the plea for the lover to just find her and let her know they want to be with her. The repetition highlights the frustration and exhaustion of waiting for someone who can't seem to make up their mind.
Overall, "Love You Now" captures the desperation and exhaustion of waiting for someone who can't seem to commit. It's a relatable theme in relationships and one that Madi Diaz expresses with emotive lyrics and a haunting melody.
Line by Line Meaning
I'll leave my porch light on, unlock my front door
I'm hoping you'll come back to me, I'm leaving the light on and the door unlocked so you can come in whenever you're ready.
Did you decide to keep me waiting? What you waitin' for?
Are you purposely not coming back to me? Why are you waiting so long?
Wasting time on you - more than I like -
I'm spending too much time trying to repair our relationship and it's draining me.
Spent picking up the pieces that you leave behind
I'm constantly trying to clean up your messes and fix things that you've broken.
Left in your mist, wiping sweat off of my brow
I feel lost and confused in your presence, and I'm exhausted from constantly trying to keep up with you.
Said I want to learn to love you, try n' teach me how
I want to make this work and I'm willing to put in the effort to figure out how to love you better.
If being in love takes up all of your time,
If being in love with you means all my time will be consumed,
Then why do I keep giving you so much of mine?
Then why am I always giving you so much time and energy?
So find me
When you want to find me
Say you want me badly
Let me know somehow
If you want me, come find me and tell me how much you want me. Let me know that you're committed to making this work.
And I'll wait up
For you to make your mind up
But I'm so tired, boy, wake up
Say you'll love me now
I need to love you now
I'll be patient and wait for you to decide, but I can't keep waiting forever. I need you to make a decision now and start loving me the way I need to be loved.
So am I fighting a boy,
Or am I fighting a man?
Which side will I see when you show up again?
I can't tell if you're being immature and childish or if you're trying to be mature and responsible. I'm not sure who you really are when you're with me.
The man won't want to tell me but at least he'll try
Cuz the boy ain't hanging around tonight
If you're the man I hope you are, you'll try to communicate with me and make things right. But if you're just a boy who can't handle the responsibility, you'll leave me behind.
Stay, don't explain
Why you stay
Don't explain
If you stay, don't explain
Why you stay
Don't explain
If you're going to stay with me, don't try to justify why. Just stay and love me.
Just find me
When you want to find me
Say you want me badly
Let me know somehow
And I'll wait up
For you to make your mind up
I'm so tired, boy, wake up
Say you'll love me now
I need to love you now
If you truly want to be with me, come find me and tell me how much you want me. I'll be waiting for you to make your decision, but I can't keep waiting forever. I need you to love me now so that I can love you back.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: KYLE HURLBUT, MADI DIAZ
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind