Matchbox Twenty, originally Matchbox 20 and typeset as matchbox twenty on m… Read Full Bio ↴Matchbox Twenty, originally Matchbox 20 and typeset as matchbox twenty on most official merchandise, is a rock band formed in Orlando, Florida, who have sold in excess of 39 million albums worldwide. The band have been well received in many countries.

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

Parade
Matchbox Twenty Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

When the slow parade went past
When it felt so good you knew it couldn't last
And all too soon the end was gonna come without a warning
And you'd have to just go home

And the way it all went by
When somebody said "come on its getting late"
And you thought the world might end if you just looked the other way

And now you wish that you had stayed

And there's so much more that you could see if you just stick around
And all the street light secrets whispering for you to come back out

Oh no
There's so much more that you need to work out
Oh no
You don't want that parade to leave you now

And the days are all the same
And the town so big and no one knows your name
And the people fade away
And all stars are just a flicker
And you're left there all alone

When there's so much more that you could see if you'd just stick around
And all the street light secrets whispering for you to come back out

Oh no
There's so much more that you need to work out
Oh no
You don't want that parade to leave you now

When the music's over
But the song stays in your head

Oh no
There's so much more that you need to work out
Oh no
You don't want that parade to leave you now

Yeah
There's so much more that you need to work out

Yeah
You don't want that parade to leave you now

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Matchbox Twenty's song Parade seem to be about the transient and fleeting nature of life. When the slow parade passes, and all seems right in the world, the singer is aware that it is not going to last forever, and that the end will come sooner or later. The sense of impermanence and inevitability is reinforced by the reference to the world-ending if one looked the other way, and how you're left alone with the music in your head when it's all over.

The overarching message seems to be that life is short and that you should enjoy it while you can. The world may be big, and people may come and go, but there's always something more to see and experience if you stick around. This is reinforced by the allusions to "street light secrets whispering for you to come back out" and the way the song ends on a slightly ambiguous note, with the emphasis on what you might miss if you don't pay attention.

Overall, the song seems to be a reminder to appreciate life's fleeting moments and to not let them pass by unnoticed. It's a call to action for people to take advantage of what life has to offer, and to not let the slow parade of time pass by without making the most of it.

Line by Line Meaning

When the slow parade went past
When life's opportunities presented themselves to you

When it felt so good you knew it couldn't last
You knew the good times wouldn't last but you still enjoyed them

And all too soon the end was gonna come without a warning
You knew the good times would end but you didn't expect it so soon

And you'd have to just go home
And you'd have to leave the good times behind and return to reality

And the way it all went by
And how quickly the good times passed

When somebody said 'come on it's getting late'
When someone reminded you that the good times were ending soon

And you thought the world might end if you just looked the other way
And you feared missing out on something important if you didn't pay attention to what was happening

And now you wish that you had stayed
And now you regret not taking advantage of the opportunities when you had the chance

And there's so much more that you could see if you just stick around
There are still more opportunities to come if you don't give up

And all the street light secrets whispering for you to come back out
And the world is still full of possibilities, waiting for you to take action

Oh no
Expressing disappointment or worry

There's so much more that you need to work out
You still have things to figure out in your life

You don't want that parade to leave you now
You don't want to miss out on more opportunities

And the days are all the same
Every day feels repetitive and uneventful

And the town so big and no one knows your name
You feel insignificant in a large city where nobody knows who you are

And the people fade away
People come and go in your life

And all stars are just a flicker
Even the things that once seemed great are now insignificant

And you're left there all alone
You feel isolated and alone in your struggles

When the music's over
When the good times end