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
Feel
Matchbox Twenty Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Live your life in a crawl space
I'll help you out but you don't want a chance at a better life
You said you never took a ride and now you wanna play
Well, it's a big, big city let me show you around some time
Oh, some time
And now you crossed that line
Tell me how does it feel now
It's too late too much to forget about
Can't stop now
How does it feel now
I'm only asking because I wanna know
How...you...wanna...feel
Well, I'm a wreck
I'm a mess
I'm a spot on the pavement
I'm a number on your wall
I make you so tired
And I don't think I like this game no more
It goes around and round and round
I'll tell you one more time
Yeah, one more time
And now you crossed that line
You can't come back
Tell me how does it feel now
It's too late too much to forget about
Can't stop now
How does it feel now
I'm only asking because I wanna know
How...you...wanna...feel
How you wanna feel
And now you crossed that line
You can't come back
Tell me how does it feel now
It's too late too much to forget about
Can't stop now
How does it feel now
I'm only asking because I wanna know
How...you...wanna...feel
How...you...wanna...feel
How...you...wanna...feel
The song "Feel" by Matchbox Twenty explores themes of self-discovery, regret, and questioning the choices one has made in life. The opening lines suggest a sense of longing for something more, as the singer describes someone living their life in a "crawl space" and not wanting to take a chance at a better life. The offer to show them around the big city implies a desire to help this person break out of their limited perspective and experience new things.
However, the singer also acknowledges their own flaws and mistakes, describing themselves as a "wreck" and a "mess." The repetition of the line "And now you crossed that line / You can't come back" suggests that some kind of irreversible action has taken place, and the other person can no longer undo it. The question "Tell me how does it feel now" implies a sense of regret or consequences that cannot be undone.
Despite this, the song does not dwell on the negative, and the chorus repeatedly asks "How you wanna feel," suggesting that there is still a chance to choose a different path and make different choices. The final repetition of the chorus is the most upbeat and optimistic, with the emphasis on "I'm only asking because I wanna know." This implies that the singer genuinely cares about how the other person is feeling and wants to help them find a better way forward.
Overall, "Feel" is a complex and nuanced exploration of the ideas of regret, self-discovery, and the power of choice.
Line by Line Meaning
What you want, what you got
Talking about the things one desires and what they actually have
Live your life in a crawl space
Living in small places or sticking to a narrow way of living
I'll help you out but you don't want a chance at a better life
Offering help, but the person isn't willing to take advantage of it and improve their life
You said you never took a ride and now you wanna play
The person being inexperienced and suddenly wanting to try new things
Well, it's a big, big city let me show you around some time
Offering to show the person a different view of the world
And now you crossed that line
The person has done something that can't be undone
You can't come back
The person can't go back to how things were before
Tell me how does it feel now
Asking how the person feels after crossing the line and experiencing the consequences
It's too late too much to forget about
The damage is already done and can't be undone or forgotten
Can't stop now
Can't go back or stop the negative effects from happening
I'm only asking because I wanna know
The person asking out of curiosity and concern
I'm a wreck
Feeling like a mess and not put together
I'm a mess
Feeling like everything is chaotic and out of control
I'm a spot on the pavement
Feeling insignificant and unnoticed
I'm a number on your wall
Feeling like just another tally or statistic to someone
I make you so tired
Feeling like a burden or causing exhaustion to others
And I don't think I like this game no more
Not enjoying the negative cycle of events and wanting out
It goes around and round and round
Referring to the repetitive cycle of negative events
I'll tell you one more time
Reiterating the previous point
How...you...wanna...feel
Asking again how the person wants to feel
How you wanna feel
Final repetition of the question
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: KYLE COOK, PAUL DOUCETTE, ROB THOMAS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind