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.
Los Angeles
Mat Kearney Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
With the sun on my windshield
Black 4Runner in the summer like a big deal
Apron at Starbucks
What you gonna miss, B
Nah, I smiled out, over the Mississippi
Got a friend out west
With a little studio time
And the dream gone wild
Ralph's turkey in the pouch
And Ramen in the cup
Check the funds in the account
When the pennies add up
Well, this fire in my chest weighs more like gold
I'm try my best, Lord to let it unfold
For all on the quest
Let the story be told
Right from the soul
Los Angeles
Hit me at the heart of this
Driving the 101
My dream down to the bone
Your smile, your kiss
Every little part I miss
Baby, I'm trying to find a place where we belong
I got a buddy name Shawn
And a minivan too
CDs at our feet
How to tour no clue
Thousand cap room
And only eight people came
And five on the guest list were under my name
But I slayed every one from the bottom of my heart
Maybe there'll be sixteen here next time we start
So move with the wind
Fifty dollars in my pocket
Wait for the sun
That silver-lining rocket
Two traveling souls
Living on the road
To wayward kids livin' how they don't know
So we put it with the wind
We let it all unfold
Straight from the soul
Los Angeles
Hit me at the heart of this
Driving the 101
My dream down to the bone
Your smile, your kiss
Every little part I miss
Baby, I'm trying to find a place where we belong
I got a lone baby darling and the world's on fire
Twenty K to make a record, now we're walking on a wire
Every favor that I got, I'm cashing in to use
Judson, JoJo, Sy, Lindsey, Robert
Thank You
So, Bullet was made
And I'm scared out my brain
And the song's getting played
And everythin' starts to change
People showing up singing along to what I say
And It feels like we might just be on our way
I think that's Letterman, he just said my name
Check the crowd at the House of Blues
Like they're cardboard fakes
Everyone's livin' out loud
And down their mistakes
And these schizophrenic records that I love to make
Los Angeles
Hit me at the heart of this
Driving the 101
My dream down to the bone
Your smile, your kiss
Every little part I miss
Baby, I'm trying to find a place where we belong
The song Los Angeles by Mat Kearney is about the journey of an aspiring musician pursuing his dream in the city of Los Angeles. He begins his journey by leaving Nashville and heading west. The lyrics describe his drive to LA, with the sun on his windshield, driving a black 4Runner in the summer like a big deal with his apron from Starbucks. He is leaving behind what he doesn't need and heading towards his friend's studio out west, with a dream gone wild. The singer struggles to make ends meet, subsisting on Ralph's turkey in the pouch and Ramen in the cup, while checking his bank account for every penny. However, his passion for creating music fuels him in his endeavor to fulfill his dream, and he keeps moving forward to create and live from his soul.
The theme of the song is about the struggles of an artist in pursuing their passion; how the journey may take you down different roads but still come back to the thing you love. The song reflects the struggles of being a musician, and the singer's unwavering faith in his ability to make it big someday. As the song progresses, the singer gets a small break in the career as Bullet is made and starts getting played on the radio. With recognizable names like Judson, JoJo, Sy, Lindsey, Robert, and the support of the audience, the singer feels a sense that they might just be on their way.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, I pulled outta Nashville
I left Nashville behind
With the sun on my windshield
The sun was shining as I drove
Black 4Runner in the summer like a big deal
I was driving a cool 4Runner in the summer
Apron at Starbucks
I had been working at Starbucks
What you gonna miss, B
Someone asked me what I would miss
Nah, I smiled out, over the Mississippi
I smiled and thought about the Mississippi River
Got a friend out west
I have a friend in the west
With a little studio time
Who has a small recording studio
Futon in the valley
I slept on a futon in a valley
And the dream gone wild
My dreams were taking over
Ralph's turkey in the pouch
I had a turkey sandwich from Ralph's
And Ramen in the cup
And a cup of ramen noodles
Check the funds in the account
I checked my bank account
When the pennies add up
To make sure I had enough money
Well, this fire in my chest weighs more like gold
My passion and drive feel valuable
I'm try my best, Lord to let it unfold
I'm doing my best to let things happen naturally
For all on the quest
For anyone who is on a mission
Let the story be told
I want to tell my story
Right from the soul
And tell it honestly and deeply
Los Angeles
Arriving in Los Angeles
Hit me at the heart of this
L.A. spoke to my heart
Driving the 101
Driving on the highway 101
My dream down to the bone
My dream is deep in my soul
Your smile, your kiss
I miss someone's smile and kiss
Every little part I miss
Every small detail is missed
Baby, I'm trying to find a place where we belong
I'm searching for a place where we fit in
I got a buddy name Shawn
I have a friend named Shawn
And a minivan too
And we are driving a minivan
CDs at our feet
We have a bunch of CDs at our feet
How to tour no clue
We have no idea how to tour
Thousand cap room
We played a room that held a thousand people
And only eight people came
But only eight people showed up
And five on the guest list were under my name
And five on the guest list were my friends
But I slayed every one from the bottom of my heart
But I gave it my all and played well
Maybe there'll be sixteen here next time we start
Maybe more people will come next time
So move with the wind
So let's go with the flow
Fifty dollars in my pocket
I only have $50
Wait for the sun
But I'm optimistic and waiting for good things
That silver-lining rocket
Hoping for a big breakthrough
Two traveling souls
My friend and I are traveling together
Living on the road
Living a life on the road
To wayward kids livin' how they don't know
Trying to inspire people who are lost
So we put it with the wind
So we let our music go with the wind
We let it all unfold
And see how it all turns out
Straight from the soul
But we always stay true to ourselves
I got a lone baby darling and the world's on fire
I have someone I care about, but things are crazy
Twenty K to make a record, now we're walking on a wire
We spent a lot of money on our record and it's make or break
Every favor that I got, I'm cashing in to use
We're using every connection we have
Judson, JoJo, Sy, Lindsey, Robert
These are people we're grateful for
Thank You
We want to express our gratitude
So, Bullet was made
Our song, Bullet, was created
And I'm scared out my brain
But I'm nervous about how it will be received
And the song's getting played
But it's getting airtime
And everything starts to change
And things are starting to feel different
People showing up singing along to what I say
More people are coming to shows and singing along
And It feels like we might just be on our way
It feels like we might be making it
I think that's Letterman, he just said my name
We're getting attention from big names
Check the crowd at the House of Blues
And the crowds are growing
Like they're cardboard fakes
But it's hard to believe it's real
Everyone's living out loud
Everyone is expressing themselves fully
And down their mistakes
Even when they make mistakes
And these schizophrenic records that I love to make
And I love making music that reflects the ups and downs of life
Los Angeles
I'm still in Los Angeles
Hit me at the heart of this
But it still resonates with me
My dream down to the bone
My dream is still a part of me
Your smile, your kiss
But I still miss that person's smile and kiss
Every little part I miss
And every small detail is still missed
Baby, I'm trying to find a place where we belong
And I'm still searching for where we fit in
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: MAT KEARNEY, TOM MEREDITH, MASON LEVY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Lloyd Gandari
Well, I pulled outta Nashville
With the sun on my windshield
Black 4Runner in the summer like a big deal
Apron at Starbucks
What you gonna miss, B
Nah, I smiled out, over the Mississippi
Got a friend out west
With a little studio time
Futon in the valley
And the dream gone wild
Ralph's turkey in the pouch
And Ramen in the cup
Check the funds in the account
When the pennies add up
Well, this fire in my chest weighs more like gold
I'm try my best, Lord to let it unfold
For all on the quest
Let the story be told
Right from the soul
Los Angeles
Hit me at the heart of this
Driving the 101
My dream down to the bone
Your smile, your kiss
Every little part I miss
Baby, I'm trying to find a place where we belong
I got a buddy name Shawn
And a minivan too
CDs at our feet
How to tour no clue
Thousand cap room
And only eight people came
And five on the guest list were under my name
But I slayed every one from the bottom of my heart
Maybe there'll be sixteen here next time we start
So move with the wind
Fifty dollars in my pocket
Wait for the sun
That silver-lining rocket
Two traveling souls
Living on the road
To wayward kids livin' how they don't know
So we put it with the wind
We let it all unfold
Straight from the soul
Los Angeles
Hit me at the heart of this
Driving the 101
My dream down to the bone
Your smile, your kiss
Every little part I miss
Baby, I'm trying to find a place where we belong
I got a lone baby darling and the world's on fire
Twenty K to make a record, now we're walking on a wire
Every favor that I got, I'm cashing in to use
Judson, JoJo, Sy, Lindsey, Robert;
Thank You
So, Bullet was made
And I'm scared out my brain
And the song's getting played
And everythin' starts to change
People showing up singing along to what I say
And It feels like we might just be on our way
I think that's Letterman; he just said my name
Check the crowd at the House of Blues,
like they're cardboard fakes
Everyone's livin out loud
And down their mistakes
And these schizophrenicc records that I love to make
Los Angeles
Hit me at the heart of this
Driving the 101
My dream down to the bone
Your smile, your kiss
Every little part I miss
Baby, I'm trying to find a place where we belong
KZ
People are so quick to judge these days. This record is so pure and defines Mat. If you've actually been following him you know that he is strongly influenced by hip-hop and he wanted to continue to explore the hip-hop realm through this record. If people are saying this is "rap" sure go for it, but it's not the negative "rap" you hear just about everywhere in the world. Love this song!
Noble
Unlike most people, how quickly you speak or how long you hold a note doesn't make or break how I feel about your music. I'm a witness to you making some of the best music that my ears have ever had the pleasure of listening to. Your album "Nothing left to lose" is where I first found you, and is often where I go for encouragment. I can't wait for your album to drop. Of coarse it's pre ordered.
Ruben Munguia
What I like about this guy is that he doesn't focus on just one genre, he tries out different things. Very interested to hear his new album
Tobin Jacob
Let's get one thing straight here – Mat's "old style" is rap. His style has always been rap. If you don't know that, you obviously haven't listened to much of his music.
This is a great song, and I can't wait for the new album!!! :D
Danielle Moncrief
This is the music me and my husband fell in love with back in 2004. Your music has been alongside us for over ten years now. And our four kids now sing along.
Great new songs so far! We've loved all your records, but your spoken word songs are always my favorite. Something different. Something deeper than the average song you hear on the radio.
Thanks for your music Mat! You need to come visit WV again sometime soon :)
P.S. Cornerstone is our family favorite.
Danielle Moncrief
Memorial Stones*
Trent Campbell
Great artist. You can hear the feelings as he writes his own songs and leaves a piece of himself in each song. Thank you for being an uplifting artist with many different styles.
Kadesh DuBose
"Mat's Style" is the heart behind the music, not how the music sounds.
It's why Nothing Left To Lose, Closer to Love, City of Black and White, Sooner or Later and Ships in the Night all sound so different but are so iconic Mat. They're stellar because they're from his heart.
And if you don't like Mat's "new sound" that means you never liked his heart.
Peigi Urquhart
I actually didn't really like this song when I first listened to it but now I've listened to it a few times, I absolutely love it. It's filled with references that I get, and that most fans will understand. Mat's music is amazing, whatever style he does.
Lucy Torres
I love this song so much! I discovered it at an Old Navy store in Los Angeles a couple months ago while I was on vacation, since LA is my favorite place in the whole world this song takes me back to it <3