He has toured with Owl City, John Mayer, Sheryl Crow, The Fray, Jason Mraz, Vedera Newsboys, MUTEMATH, Meiko, Cary Brothers, and Train; and headlined VH1's first ever "You Oughta Know Tour" in the spring of 2007.
Kearney's songs have appeared on the television series: Dirty Sexy Money, Kyle XY, The Unit, Without A Trace, Laguna Beach, The Hills, Bones, Jericho, Friday Night Lights, Wildfire, What About Brian, South Beach, 8th & Ocean, One Tree Hill, Scrubs, The Closer, NCIS, Life Unexpected and Grey's Anatomy.
He attended California State University, Chico in Chico, California where he majored in literature and played soccer until his junior year. It was also at this time when Mat picked up a guitar for the first time. Using a roommate's guitar, he tried covering other songs. Realizing he wasn't too good at it, he began writing his own.
Kearney has stated that his legal name is Mathew due to a nurse's error on his birth certificate. He discovered the error while in the 8th grade when he noticed how his mom corrected the error with red ink, never legally correcting it. Since then, he embraced the one T in his legal name.
Down
Mat Kearney Lyrics
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He got the letter they're gonna take their house away
I'm 'bout to have a daughter he yells it in the air
Feeling the weight of a world that just don't care
He lit a cigarette felt it on his lip
Driving home on a long road with regret
He pulls the window down shouts it out loud
He's looking for a reason watching the sun coming down
Can you here when we call
There where we fall
Standing our backs against the wall
Top of our lungs hallelujah
Where pain and love bleed into one
Baby when all you see is darkness
It's coming down now
We all need forgiveness
Coming round now
It was Monday night under the street lights
She's turning seventeen in seven nights
Out on the fairgrounds walking in monotone
She kicks a bottle as empty as her soul
On the road alone in a house that's half a home
They give her pills just to kill when she feels alone
She's looking for a reason watching the sun coming down
Can you here when we call
There where we fall
Standing our backs against the wall
Top of our lungs hallelujah
Where pain and love bleed into one
Baby when all you see is darkness
It's coming down now
We all need forgiveness
Coming round now
Take these broken streets
Take these broken dreams
Hold my hand like we we're walking free
Tell me it will change I see it in your face
The hope the fear the love the faith
I'm working late again slaving to make the rent
I'm slanging coffee with dreams heavy as cement
They're coming one by one the face of falling love
I write a song with a prayer as I slide the cups
Can you here when we call
There where we fall
Standing our backs against the wall
Top of our lungs hallelujah
Where pain and love bleed into one
Baby when all you see is darkness
It's coming down now
We all need forgiveness
Coming round now
Can you hear when we call
There were we fall
Standing our backs against the wall
At the Top of our lungs how far we've come
Were pain and love bleed into one
All that we need it's so bitter sweet
The pain that opens our eyes to see
Baby when all you see is darkness
Coming down now
We all need forgiveness
Coming round now
It's coming down now
Mat Kearney's song "Down" tells the story of various individuals going through hardships and struggling to make it through their circumstances. The first verse introduces a man who receives a notice that he is going to lose his house. He is overwhelmed with emotions as he realizes that he is also about to have a daughter. As he drives home, he yells his frustration out into the open air. He is looking for a reason to keep going in life.
The second verse focuses on a young girl who is feeling lonely and desperate. She is turning seventeen soon and feels like she is living in a half-home. She is given pills to help her cope with her emotions, but she is still searching for something to cling to. The chorus repeats and emphasizes that no matter how hard life becomes, we all need to ask for forgiveness and come together.
The final verse just demonstrates how everyone is potentially struggling in life. The singer is working late hours to make ends meet, and every customer who comes into the coffee shop represents someone who's battling their own life challenges. Despite this, the chorus repeats the message that there is always a need to ask for forgiveness and come together to overcome challenges.
Overall, the song emphasizes the struggles that come with life for many people. However, it highlights the need for forgiveness and how we can overcome these challenges when we come together.
Line by Line Meaning
It took his breath away holding the bank page
Seeing the bank statement made him lose his composure
He got the letter they're gonna take their house away
He received a letter threatening the seizure of his home
I'm 'bout to have a daughter he yells it in the air
He announced joyfully that he is going to be a father to his soon-to-be-born daughter
Feeling the weight of a world that just don't care
He's feeling the burden of a world that is indifferent to his problems
He lit a cigarette felt it on his lip
He lights up a cigarette and feels the heat on his lip
Driving home on a long road with regret
He's driving home lonely and unhappy with his life choices
He pulls the window down shouts it out loud
He opens the window and shouts out his frustrations
Pushing the pedal and praying lord help us now
He hits the accelerator and prays for divine intervention
He's looking for a reason watching the sun coming down
He's seeking an explanation while watching the sunset
Can you here when we call
Asking if anyone hears when we cry out
There where we fall
Asking if anyone is there for us when we stumble
Standing our backs against the wall
Feeling cornered and hopeless
Top of our lungs hallelujah
Crying out with all our might
Where pain and love bleed into one
Where pain and love become inseparable
Baby when all you see is darkness
When all you can see is despair
It's coming down now
Things are starting to crumble
We all need forgiveness
We all need to be forgiven
Coming round now
Hope is starting to resurface
It was Monday night under the street lights
It was a Monday night under the streetlights
She's turning seventeen in seven nights
She's about to turn seventeen in a week
Out on the fairgrounds walking in monotone
She's walking on the fairgrounds feeling numb
She kicks a bottle as empty as her soul
She kicks an empty bottle that mirrors her vacant soul
On the road alone in a house that's half a home
She's alone on the road, and her home feels incomplete
They give her pills just to kill when she feels alone
They give her medication to numb her loneliness
Take these broken streets
Let's take these damaged streets
Take these broken dreams
Let's take these shattered dreams
Hold my hand like we we're walking free
Let's hold hands as if we're walking without a care
Tell me it will change I see it in your face
Assuring that things will change by observing the hopeful expression
The hope the fear the love the faith
The collection of emotions that make up hope, fear, love, and faith
I'm working late again slaving to make the rent
Working late again to make ends meet and pay the rent
I'm slanging coffee with dreams heavy as cement
Serving coffee while carrying aspirations as heavy as cement
They're coming one by one the face of falling love
People are coming in one by one, showing the face of losing love
I write a song with a prayer as I slide the cups
He writes a song with a plea as he serves coffee
At the Top of our lungs how far we've come
At the top of our voice, marveling at how far we've come
Were pain and love bleed into one
Where we feel both pain and love at the same time
All that we need it's so bitter sweet
All that we require is both painful and sweet
The pain that opens our eyes to see
The agony that enables us to see
Coming round now
Hope is starting to resurface
It's coming down now
Things are starting to crumble
We all need forgiveness
We all need to be forgiven
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: MATHEW KEARNEY, ROBERT MARVIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind