Influenced by her father, Cunningham started playing guitar when she was seven years old, performing in the church. As a teenager, she met producer Tyler Chester, with whom she made the self-released worship album Authenticity (2014), which she later removed from streaming platforms as she felt it was no longer relatable. In 2017, Cunningham joined the cast of American Public Media's show Live from Here, presented by Chris Thile, of whom she became a frequent collaborator. She also toured with multi-instrumentalist Andrew Bird, being credited for vocals in his 2019 album, "My Finest Work Yet".
Her 2019 album "Who Are You Now" earned her a Grammy nomination in the following year for best Americana album. In 2020, Cunningham released her third EP, "Wednesday", covering songs by Tom Waits, Radiohead, John Mayer and the Beatles.
On 9 September 2022, Cunningham released "Revealer", her third studio album. The album won the 2023 Grammy for Best Folk Album.
Homepage: http://www.madisoncunningham.com/
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“Inspiration isn’t a feeling,” says Cunningham. “It’s something that happens every day.” The observation is signature Madison: pragmatic, hard-working, and disarmingly wise in the outset, before bending to reveal hope and a willingness to celebrate the miracles everyone else overlooks. “I don't think the purpose of songwriting is to write the greatest song ever,” she continues. “Songwriting is supposed to be as common as eating breakfast every day.”
Madison still has been making music for some years. The multi-instrumentalist is most at home on guitar, which she first picked up at age 7, but also writes on piano. “My dad was an influential part of how I started music,” she says. “He was just always doing it.” The oldest of five daughters raised in Orange County, Madison cut her teeth in the church band. While she won’t be found performing for the congregation these days, the band gave her two gifts she still carries: a love of performance and a sincere faith.
“When I turned 15 or 16, I realized I wanted to be a good songwriter,” Madison says. “It’d always been a hobby before, but around then, I realized I wanted to make it a daily practice. Joni Mitchell and Bob Dylan whipped me into shape––woke me up. I thought if I could capture some of their same spirit ever in my life, I’d have to work hard and every day.”
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Like You Do
Madison Cunningham Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Fill the room up with smoke and hide in the laughter
Well no one knows me like you do
No one sees me like you do
I know I'm hard to read
And I'm easy to tear
And I'm unaware that there's something in me
Strong enough to kill something in you
No one breaks me like you
I see the darkness in me when i try to find it in you
A heart that breaks in two
It breaks for you
And maybe we're two parts bound by the same thread
Was it you who said there was some good in me?
Strong enough to heal some good in you
Well no one break me like you
No one breaks me like you
I see the darkness in me when i try to find it in you
The heart that breaks for you
It breaks me through and through
Like you
In Madison Cunningham's song Like You Do, the lyrics are filled with metaphors and complex emotions. The song is about the difficulty of finding someone who truly knows and understands you, and the fear of vulnerability that comes with that level of intimacy. The opening lines of the song, "Sometimes I wanna fade into someone familiar, fill the room up with smoke and hide in the laughter," sets up the idea of wanting to blend in and hide, perhaps to avoid being seen for who you really are. The line "no one knows me like you do, no one sees me like you do" speaks to the rare and special connection the singer has with someone who truly understands them.
The chorus of the song, "I know I'm hard to read and I'm easy to tear, and I'm unaware that there's something in me strong enough to kill something in you," shows the fear of exposing oneself to another person who has the power to hurt you. The line "I see the darkness in me when I try to find it in you" speaks to the idea that we often project our own fears and insecurities onto others, and how difficult it can be to differentiate between our own emotions and the emotions of those we care about.
The song ends on a hopeful note, with the idea that perhaps two people can help heal each other despite their flaws and brokenness. The lines "was it you who said there was some good in me, strong enough to heal some good in you" reinforces the theme of mutual understanding and support.
Line by Line Meaning
Sometimes I wanna fade into someone familiar
Occasionally, I desire to lose myself and become another person who is known, recognized, and comfortable in certain places or situations.
Fill the room up with smoke and hide in the laughter
I want to cloud the environment with smoke and blend in with the cheerful atmosphere, but only to avoid being seen.
Well no one knows me like you do
You are the only individual who can understand me inside and out.
No one sees me like you do
You perceive me in a way that no one else can and recognize me for who I am.
I know I'm hard to read
I acknowledge that I am not easy to understand because I can be complicated and ambiguous.
And I'm easy to tear
I am emotionally sensitive, and it is effortless to upset me.
And I'm unaware that there's something in me
I am oblivious that I contain some hidden traits or characteristics that affect others.
Strong enough to kill something in you
These traits or characteristics could impact you negatively and possibly hurt you.
Well no one knows me like you do
You have a deep understanding of who I am like no one else can.
No one breaks me like you
You have the ability to push me to my breaking point and make me feel vulnerable like no one else can.
I see the darkness in me when I try to find it in you
When I recognize negative emotions or tendencies inside you, it causes me to become aware of my own negative traits.
A heart that breaks in two
My heart shatters into two pieces.
It breaks for you
This heartbreak is related to you specifically.
And maybe we're two parts bound by the same thread
We are connected to each other, and our lives are intertwined because we share similar experiences or emotions.
Was it you who said there was some good in me?
You made me realize that I had some positive qualities in myself as well.
Strong enough to heal some good in you
The good qualities in me have the potential to help and heal you.
Well no one breaks me like you
As I mentioned before, you can push me to a breaking point like no one else can.
No one breaks me like you
This line repeats to emphasize your power over me.
I see the darkness in me when I try to find it in you
This line repeats to emphasize that recognizing negative traits in you causes me to recognize them in myself.
The heart that breaks for you
My heart is full of pain and heartbreak due to you.
It breaks me through and through
My heartbreak is complete and all-encompassing.
Like you
The song ends with a repetition of the song title, emphasizing that the emotions expressed in this song are all connected to you.
Writer(s): Madison Cunningham, Tyler Chester, Eleni Mandell
Contributed by Alexandra M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.