In 2002 the frontman and creative force behind The Beautiful Girls began riding the wave as the band’s Morning Sun EP became the radio hit of the Australian Summer. In 2010, after 12 world tours, eight records and 285,000 album sales, the wave reached a musical high-water mark with the critically acclaimed Spooks – a dub tour de force which peaked at number 6 on the US Billboard Reggae Charts and debuted at number one on the Australian Independent charts. The album won over critics around the world and took McHugh to the US for two national tours in the one year. The first with his band to see the old fans and the second to the church of John Butler with nothing but an acoustic guitar between him and a new cast of thousands. The latter was a watershed moment – and now the tide has receded to reveal a new world of inspiration for one of Australia’s best-loved songwriters.
“Spending a year of my life working on Spooks was an amazing journey and it’s a brilliant record, but The John Butler tour was as influential to me as anything in my musical career so far. It was such a grounding, emotionally-fulfilling experience. I’m used to playing in a band to a few thousand people who are having a party, but playing solo to two or three thousand people, I felt connected. Music, for me, has always been about communication. It was a turning point as far as working out what I was going to do next – and that’s what 2011 is about,” Mat muses.
The result is devolution. Mat McHugh’s first album as a naked, raw solo artist. After a decade of striving to get bigger, better, louder and more colourful, the focus is on being transparent. Simple. Honest. Intimate.
This is a roots record in every sense of the word. No computers. No auto-tune. Nothing but guitar, bass and drums. It’s back to where it all began, albeit through the eyes of a man who has spent three quarters of the last decade sampling beats from around the globe and melting them down in his own brand of earthenware.
Devolution isn’t about fashion. It isn’t about what everyone else is doing. It isn’t about trends. Devolution isn’t about a marketing plan and guest appearances. Devolution is about music at its purest. “I want to contribute to the musical landscape in 2011 by making something more about feelings and emotions than it is about musical cleverness,” McHugh says.
“My favourite records, whether they’re Johnny Cash or Nick Drake sound like they could have been made in 2011 or 1960. There’s nothing added, it’s a simple formula. They’re just a little statement of what the people who created them believed to be inherent truths and that’s all I’m trying."
Under The Landslide
Mat McHugh Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I love my god, god made love
I love my god, god made hate
I love my god, god made hate
I love my god, god made good
I love my god, god made good
I love my god, god made bad
I love my god, god made me
But I don't wanna pray to my maker
I just wanna be what I see
Not just who I am, but the pink in golden land
And that wide wild sky over me
Help me to the sun, hey I'm looking everywhere
See I'm looking to become not the prayer, but the prayer.
And now I don't wanna pray, no
I say I don't wanna pray, no
I don't wanna pray
I don't wanna pray
I love my god, god made love
I love my god, god made love
I love my god, god made good
I love my god, god made hate
I love my god, god made bad
I love my god, god made
I don't wanna pray to my maker
I just wanna be feelin' free
Not like in a book, or the leaves of trees that shook
From a word that means only not a thing
Pardon god and mom, what I'm sayin' isn't fair
See I'm looking to become, not the prayer but the prayer
And now I don't want to pray
I don't wanna pray
I don't wanna pray
Who don't wanna pray
Not much good to talk, better to walk it
Not much good to take, better to give
We are gone forgiven and forgotten of our sins
I promise you my friend all that dies will live again
Pardon god and mom, what I'm sayin' isn't rare
See I'm looking to become, not the prayer but the prayer
And now I don't want to pray
I don't wanna pray
I don't wanna pray
Who don't wanna pray
I love my god, god made love
I love my god, god made love
I love my god, god made hate
I love my god, god made hate
I love my god, god made good
I love my god, god made good
I love my god, god made bad
I love my god, god made me
In Mat McHugh's song "Under the Landslide", he explores his complex relationship with god in a unique and thought-provoking way. Throughout the song, Mat expresses his love for god and all the things that god has created, including love, hate, good, bad, and himself. However, despite this love, he does not want to pray to his maker. Instead, he longs to become an embodiment of the beauty he sees around him, including the pink in the golden land and the wide, wild sky over his head.
The singer in the song is grappling with the same existential questions that many people face: how can we reconcile our love for god with the evil we see in the world? How do we stay true to our faith while also living authentically and striving to be the best versions of ourselves? Mat McHugh doesn't offer any easy answers - instead, he invites the listener to join him on his journey of self-exploration and discovery.
One of the most interesting aspects of "Under the Landslide" is its use of repetition. Throughout the song, Mat repeats the phrases "I love my god, god made love" and "I don't wanna pray" over and over again, creating a sort of mantra that echoes inside the listener's head. This repetition emphasizes the song's central themes of love, faith, and individuality, and helps to create a sense of spiritual transcendence.
Other notable features of the song include its lively, upbeat rhythm and Mat's distinctive vocal style. As the lead singer of the Australian band The Beautiful Girls, Mat McHugh is known for his soulful, reggae-inspired vocals, and these are on full display in "Under the Landslide."
Line by Line Meaning
I love my god, god made love
The singer acknowledges his god's creation of love.
I love my god, god made hate
The singer acknowledges his god's creation of hate.
I love my god, god made good
The singer acknowledges his god's creation of good.
I love my god, god made bad
The singer acknowledges his god's creation of bad.
I love my god, god made me
The singer acknowledges his god's creation of himself.
But I don't wanna pray to my maker
The singer does not wish to pray to his god.
I just wanna be what I see
The singer wants to embody what he sees.
Not just who I am, but the pink in golden land
The singer wants to become the beauty and wonder of the world.
And that wide wild sky over me
The singer envisions the vast expanse of the sky above him.
Help me to the sun, hey I'm looking everywhere
The singer seeks guidance in his search for enlightenment.
See I'm looking to become not the prayer, but the prayer.
The singer desires to embody the essence of prayer, rather than merely reciting it.
And now I don't wanna pray, no
The singer reiterates his lack of desire to pray.
I say I don't wanna pray, no
The singer repeats his disinterest in praying.
I don't wanna pray
The singer reaffirms that he does not want to pray.
I don't wanna pray to my maker
The singer reiterates that he does not want to pray to his god.
I just wanna be feelin' free
The singer desires to feel free.
Not like in a book, or the leaves of trees that shook
The singer desires freedom that does not come from dogma or religion.
From a word that means only not a thing
The singer feels that words are powerless.
Pardon god and mom, what I'm sayin' isn't fair
The singer apologizes to god and his mother for his controversial beliefs.
See I'm looking to become, not the prayer but the prayer
The singer aspires to embody the concept of prayer.
And now I don't want to pray
The singer is resolute in his desire not to pray.
Who don't wanna pray
The singer asks who else does not want to pray.
Not much good to talk, better to walk it
The singer feels that actions speak louder than words.
Not much good to take, better to give
The singer believes that giving is more valuable than taking.
We are gone forgiven and forgotten of our sins
The singer feels that we are absolved of our sins after we die.
I promise you my friend all that dies will live again
The singer believes in the concept of reincarnation.
Writer(s): Matthew Mchugh
Contributed by Lucas L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.