The current members of the band are Rob Thomas (vocals, piano), Paul Doucette (drums, now guitar), Kyle Cook (lead guitar, vocals) and Brian Yale (bass). Adam Gaynor (rhythm guitar), who has left the band, performed on their first three albums, as well. Rob Thomas is the principal songwriter and lead singer.
Thomas, Yale and Doucette performed in the band Tabitha's Secret out of Orlando, Florida before splitting apart to form Matchbox Twenty with Cook and Gaynor.
Matchbox Twenty released their first album, Yourself or Someone Like You in 1996. While their first single, "Long Day", was a rock radio-only smash, the album soon spun off several Top 40 hit singles throughout 1997 and 1998, including "Push", "3 A.M.", "Real World" and "Back 2 Good". The album eventually went on to sell over 12 million copies in the U.S. alone, earning diamond status. The band toured relentlessly for several years, performing the songs from their one and only album, along with some beloved cover songs such as Cyndi Lauper's "Time After Time" and The Beatles' "Don't Let Me Down". Their fan base grew from concert to concert because of their electrifying live performances and the longevity of their hit singles on radio. The same year, Matchbox Twenty recorded a live version of their Top-40 hit "3 A.M." for release on the charity album Live in the X Lounge, benefiting cerebral palsy research.
Before recording their second album, Rob Thomas collaborated with Itaal Shur on a song entitled "Smooth" for Carlos Santana's comeback album, Supernatural. The song had a pop-tinged Latin beat and showcased Thomas' lyrical talents. Thomas was supposed to act solely as songwriter on "Smooth", but Carlos Santana had him sing on it as well after hearing the song's demo recording. "Smooth", was the album's lead single and became a gigantic hit in 1999; Thomas earned three Grammys for writing and performing on "Smooth", including Record of the Year and Song of the Year.
In 2000, Matchbox 20 renamed themselves Matchbox Twenty and released their second album, Mad Season. The album featured lush instrumental arrangements and spun off several hit singles, including "Bent" (Number One on Hot 100) and "If You're Gone". The video for "Bent", poked fun of singer Thomas' heightened profile from "Smooth" by showing the other band members assaulting him mercilessly. The evocatively arranged ballad "If You're Gone" became a big hit, especially on adult contemporary formats. The band's next two singles, "Mad Season" and "Last Beautiful Girl" were not particularly successful. Fans also note hearing "Black & White People" receive radio play, despite not being released as a single.
For their third album, More Than You Think You Are, the band returned to a harder rock sound. Thomas shared the songwriting efforts with the other band members on several songs. The album spun off hit singles "Disease", "Unwell", and "Bright Lights".
In May 2004, the band released a live concert DVD, Show: A Night in the Life of Matchbox Twenty, filmed in Atlanta and featuring 20 songs, including all of their hit singles.
In February 2005, rhythm guitarist Gaynor officially left the group, which had been on hiatus to allow other members to pursue side projects. Rob Thomas went on to release a solo album entitled ...Something To Be which became the U.S. Billboard 200 #1 album the first week of its release. The album featured four hit singles: "Lonely No More", "This is How a Heart Breaks", "Ever the Same" and "Streetcorner Symphony".
In January 2007, Rob Thomas released a single entitled "Little Wonders" which he wrote for the Disney movie Meet the Robinsons.
Their "Exile On Mainstream" album was released on October 2, 2007 as a two disc set. The first disc featured 6 new songs, including the hit "How Far We've Come", which could be heard on the accompanying website, along with the music video. The second disc contained 11 of their greatest hits, such as "Push", "Bent" and "Unwell".
The She’s So Mean Songfacts reports that Matchbox Twenty's fourth studio album North is the first record of new material that the band has released for ten years, although they did record seven new songs for their 2007 compilation album Exile On Mainstream. The album was released on September 4, 2012.
www.matchboxtwenty.com
3 A.M.
Matchbox Twenty Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She's always worried about things like that
Well, she said, "It's all gonna end and it might as well be my fault"
And she only sleeps when it's raining
And she screams, and her voice is straining
She says, "Baby, it's 3 AM, I must be lonely"And she says, "Baby, well, I can't help
But be scared of it all sometimes
And the rain's gonna wash away, I believe it"
Well, she's got a little bit of something, God, it's better than nothing
And in her color portrait world, she believes that she's got it all
She swears the moon don't hang quite as high as it used to
And she only sleeps when it's raining
And she screams (screams) and her voice is straining
She says, "Baby, well, it's 3 AM, I must be lonely"
Well, heaven she says, "Baby, yeah, well, I can't help
But be scared of it all sometimes
And the rain's gonna wash away, I believe this"
Well, she believes that life isn't made up of all that you're used to
And the clock on the wall has been stuck at 3 for days and days
She thinks that happiness is a mat that sits on her doorway
But outside, it's stopped raining
She says, "Baby, well, it's 3 AM, I must be lonely"
Heaven, she says, "Baby, yeah, well, I can't help
But be scared of it all sometimes
And the rain's gonna wash away, I believe this"
Well, it's 3 AM, I must be lonely (I must be lonely)
Well, heaven, she says, "Baby, well, I can't help
But be scared of it all sometimes"
The song "3 AM" by Matchbox Twenty is a song about a woman who is struggling with loneliness and fear. The singer is close to this woman and is concerned for her wellbeing. She is always worried about the weather and the end of the world. She only sleeps when it's raining, and her voice is straining when she speaks. The singer is scared of her vulnerability and believes that the rain will wash away the pain.
The woman in the song believes that she has everything she needs in her "color portrait world." She thinks that happiness is a mat that sits on her doorway, but the clock on the wall has been stuck at three for days. It seems like she is stuck in her own world and can't escape it, even though she wants to. The singer wants to help her get out of her situation, but he doesn't know how.
The song has a melancholic tone that captures the sadness and fear of the woman in the song. It is a powerful portrayal of the struggle with loneliness and depression that many people face. The song's ultimate message is that hope is always present, even in the darkest moments of life.
Line by Line Meaning
She say it's cold outside and she hands me my raincoat
She expresses concern for my health by giving me my raincoat when she realizes that it's cold outside.
She's always worried about things like that
She tends to have a worried disposition and is concerned about many things in life.
She says it's all gonna end and it might as well be my fault
She predicts that everything will come to an end and is quick to blame me for it.
And she only sleeps when it's raining
She has trouble relaxing and falling asleep unless it's raining outside.
And she screams and her voice is straining
She becomes very emotional, screaming and straining her voice when expressing her feelings.
She says baby
She uses this term of endearment to address the singer in the song.
It's 3 am I must be lonely
She feels lonely in the middle of the night, as indicated by the time.
Well I can't help but be scared of it all sometimes
She admits to feeling fearful about life and all its uncertainties at times.
Says the rain's gonna wash away I believe it
She believes that the rain will wash away her problems and her worries along with it.
She's got a little bit of something, God it's better than nothing
Despite not having much, she celebrates having something, no matter how small, as a blessing compared to having nothing at all.
And in her color portrait world she believes that she's got it all
In her idealized view of the world, everything seems perfect and she feels she has everything under control.
She swears the moon don't hang quite as high as it used to
She believes that something has changed and nothing is the same as it once was, even the moon doesn't seem in the right place.
She believes that life is made up of all that you're used to
To her, life is defined by routine and what someone is accustomed to and comfortable with.
And the clock on the wall has been stuck at three for days, and days
The singer's clock has been stagnant at three o'clock for an extended period, indicating a sense of stuckness and not moving forward.
She thinks that happiness is a mat that sits on her doorway
She believes that happiness is something that can be found within her home and immediate environment.
But outside it's stopped raining
The rain has stopped and the outside world has gone back to usual, but she still clings to the idea that rain brings peace and happiness.
Lyrics © TECKLAH MUSIC, TABITHA'S SECRET MUSIC INC., Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Robert Thomas, Brian Yale, John Goff, John Joseph Stanley
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@tahsinarahman168
The fact that he wrote this song about his mom who was going through cancer when he was young and had to care for her... he lived a really tough life but created some beautiful music ❤️
@allergictostupidpeople7893
I don't this song LOUDLY I ❤IT ALWAYS HAVE
@DeLeonMintz-pm6qp
Yeah I heard him tell his story about that. And he also mentioned as mom beat the cancer! Great share to you😊
@Magnus2131
I've been fighting cancer getting chemo and radiation on my neck, had to eat through a tube cause my throat and tongue got so tore up. The pain seemed unbearable for awhile. One night I could not sleep as usual, turned on my youtube and this song came up exactly 3:00.
@sheilarose2403
Such a beautiful song 😢
@pelledavill2093
not even close..
but i guess thats what people want the song to be
about so..
@mikewoodson6930
He wrote this song about his Mother. He was 12, she had cancer. He was taking care of her. Written as an adult reflecting on days past. Beautiful!
@enterprise1701f
Mike Woodson wow...didn’t know that. Thx for sharing that nugget of information 😊
@conniedunn6288
He is
Is beautiful
@conniedunn6288
Id love to hang out with him