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.
Wait
Mat Kearney Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Cold as I remember
And caught me off guard
In the middle of December
Sometimes a crowded room
Can feel the most alone
Sometimes I wonder
Why you won't pick up the phone
This wall is glaring
And it's too hard for me to climb
I've ran and ran
And now there's nothing left behind
I see a picture of a broken man inside
I tried and tried
And now there's nothing left but time
And I'll wait for you
I'll wait for you alone
And I'll wait for you
I'll wait for you alone
Together we will fly tonight
Leave all of the rest behind
I'll wait for you
These hands can feel
Like they're not even mine
A tree and hill and a cry in the night
Sometimes a little step is the greatest divide
Sometimes I feel your breath right at my side
When this wall is glaring
And it's too hard for me to climb
I've ran and ran
And now there's nothing left behind
I see a picture of a broken man inside
I tried and tried
And now there's nothing left but time
And I'll wait for you
I'll wait for you alone
And I'll wait for you
I'll wait for you alone
Together we will fly tonight
Leave all of the rest behind
I'll wait for you
Here I am at the edge of the road
One hand on the end of the rope
One crack and it breaks alone
Wondering who's gonna take me home
On my knees when you call my bluff
Begging please from the edge of the rough
I know when I've had enough
And I know it, and I know it
I see a picture of a broken man inside
I've tried and tried
And now there's nothing left but time
And I'll wait for you
I'll wait for you alone
And I'll wait for you
I'll wait for you alone
Wait here, stay here
Say you're the only one I need
I know it, I'm holding
Together we will fly tonight
Leave all of the rest behind
I'll wait for you
I'll wait for you
Wait here, stay here
Say you're the only one I need
I know it, I'm holding
Wait
The song "Wait" by Mat Kearney describes the loneliness and struggle of waiting for someone who may not be available or present. The first verse opens with the singer being hit by the cold wind in December, catching him off guard and feeling lonely even in a crowded room. He wonders why the person he is waiting for won't pick up the phone. The second verse describes how the singer feels like his hands are not even his own, and how even a little step can feel like a great divide. The singer sees a picture of a broken man inside, and despite trying and trying, there is nothing left but time.
The chorus repeats the phrase "I'll wait for you alone" with the hope that together they will fly and leave everything else behind. The bridge includes a sense of desperation, as the singer is at the edge of the road with one hand on the end of the rope, wondering who will take him home. He is on his knees, calling the other person's bluff, and begging them to be the only one he needs.
Overall, "Wait" portrays a sense of vulnerability and longing for someone who may not be willing or able to reciprocate the feelings. It conveys the struggle of waiting and the hope that they will one day be together.
Line by Line Meaning
The wind hit my back
The cold wind reminded me of what I experienced in the past.
Cold as I remember
The cold wind made me nostalgic and reminded me of past memories.
And caught me off guard
The cold wind surprised and startled me.
In the middle of December
The cold wind occurred in the month of December.
Sometimes a crowded room
Being surrounded by many people can make me feel isolated and alone.
Can feel the most alone
Despite being surrounded by people, I can still feel lonely.
Sometimes I wonder
I often ask myself.
Why you won't pick up the phone
Why you didn't answer my phone call.
This wall is glaring
This obstacle is glaring and hard to ignore.
And it's too hard for me to climb
It is challenging for me to overcome this obstacle.
I've ran and ran
I have made continuous effort to overcome this obstacle.
And now there's nothing left behind
Despite my efforts, there's nothing to show for it.
I see a picture of a broken man inside
I feel like I'm looking at a picture of a defeated and broken person within myself.
I tried and tried
I have made many attempts to overcome this obstacle.
And now there's nothing left but time
All I can do now is wait and give the situation time to resolve itself.
And I'll wait for you
I'll wait for you to come back or to hear from you.
I'll wait for you alone
I'll wait for you by myself.
Together we will fly tonight
Together, we'll be able to overcome any obstacle and soar high, free from our burdens.
Leave all of the rest behind
We'll forget all our worries and focus only on what really matters.
These hands can feel
My hands can perceive and sense things around me.
Like they're not even mine
Sometimes it feels like I'm disconnected from myself.
A tree and hill and a cry in the night
The sound of a lonely cry in the night can evoke a sense of solitude and loneliness.
Sometimes a little step is the greatest divide
Sometimes, taking a small step can be the difference between success and failure.
Sometimes I feel your breath right at my side
Sometimes, I feel like you're right next to me, supporting me through my struggles.
Here I am at the edge of the road
I'm at the end of my journey or facing a major decision.
One hand on the end of the rope
I'm holding onto the last bit of hope, trying to pull myself out of despair.
One crack and it breaks alone
One mistake can lead to a huge failure, and I might end up alone and lost.
Wondering who's gonna take me home
I'm wondering who'll be there for me when I need help taking the last step.
On my knees when you call my bluff
I'm at my most vulnerable when someone challenges my confidence.
Begging please from the edge of the rough
I'm desperately asking for help from a rough and difficult situation.
I know when I've had enough
I know when I can't take it anymore.
Wait here, stay here
Stay with me, don't leave me in my time of need.
Say you're the only one I need
Remind me that I have your love and support.
I know it, I'm holding
I feel comforted by the knowledge that you're there for me.
Wait
I'm waiting for you, hoping that you'll be there for me.
Lyrics © CAPITOL CHRISTIAN MUSIC GROUP, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Capitol CMG Publishing
Written by: ROBERT L. MARVIN, MATTHEW WILLIAM KEARNEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind