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
Shame
Matchbox Twenty Lyrics
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Past yourself forget the light, things look dirty when it's on
Funny how it comes to pass, that all the good slips away
And there's no one around you can remember being good to you
Shame, shouldn't try you, couldn't step by you
And open up more
Shame, shame, shame
What we lost here is something better left alone
Second steps been forgotten, will you tell me how they go
Set yourself, situate, like a fool try again
There's no one around you can remember being good, for you so
Shame, shouldn't try you, couldn't step by you
And open up more
Shame, shame, shame
Shame, shouldn't try you, couldn't step by you
And open up more
Shame, shame, shame
We never thought we'd getter so troubled
We could never think that much
It should never get this bad
So let the wind blow ya across a big floor
But there's no one around who can tell us what we're here for
Funny in a certain light, how we all seem to look the same
And there's no one in life you can remember ever stood
For you, so
Shame, shouldn't try you, couldn't step by you
And open up more
Shame, shame, shame
Shame, shouldn't try you, couldn't step by you
And open up more
Shame, shame, shame
The song "Shame" by Matchbox Twenty appears to be a lamentation on the experience of losing love and the subsequent feelings of isolation and regret. The opening lines describe the bitterness that lingers when love is gone, and the ways in which the world seems to change when one is no longer in a state of love. The singer reflects on the inevitability of love slipping away, and the sense that there is no one in the world who has been consistently good to them.
The song then builds on this theme of shame and regret, describing a sense of loss that is better left alone. The repetition of the line "Shame, shouldn't try you, couldn't step by you/And open up more" suggests a feeling of being trapped or stuck, unable to move past the feeling of shame and regret. This could speak to a more general sense of being held back or unable to move forward in life, due to the weight of one's past mistakes and regrets.
The closing lines of the song are particularly poignant, highlighting the sense of sameness that can come with life, and the difficulty in finding someone who has truly stood up for us in our lowest moments. It's a song that speaks to the universal experience of regret and lost love, and the lingering sense of shame that can cloud our lives.
Line by Line Meaning
What we learned here is love tastes bitter when it's gone
Love is sweet when it's present, but when it's gone, it leaves behind a bitter taste.
Past yourself forget the light, things look dirty when it's on
When you lose perspective, things that used to seem bright and positive look dark and negative.
Funny how it comes to pass, that all the good slips away
It's strange how easily the good things in life can slip away before we realize it.
And there's no one around you can remember being good to you
When things are going bad, it's hard to remember anyone who has ever been good to you.
Shame, shouldn't try you, couldn't step by you
Shame is a difficult emotion to deal with, and it's hard to overcome it.
And open up more
Opening up and being vulnerable is a difficult thing to do, especially when dealing with shame.
What we lost here is something better left alone
Sometimes it's better to let things go and move on, rather than trying to hold onto something that's already gone.
Second steps been forgotten, will you tell me how they go
It's easy to forget the second steps in life after the initial excitement has died down, and it can be hard to figure out how to move forward.
Set yourself, situate, like a fool try again
It's important to keep trying even when you feel like a fool, and to keep pushing forward even when things are difficult.
We never thought we'd getter so troubled
Sometimes problems can sneak up on us and become much bigger than we ever thought they would be.
We could never think that much
When things are going well, it's easy to underestimate the potential for problems.
It should never get this bad
It's easy to look back and wish things hadn't gotten so bad, but sometimes it's hard to see what's happening while you're in the middle of it.
So let the wind blow ya across a big floor
It's easy to feel like you're being blown around by life and have no control over what's happening.
But there's no one around who can tell us what we're here for
At times, it's difficult to understand what the purpose of life is, and it's hard to find someone who can provide answers.
Funny in a certain light, how we all seem to look the same
When we're going through difficult times, it can feel like we're all the same and struggling with the same things.
And there's no one in life you can remember ever stood
When things are tough, it's hard to remember anyone who has ever stood up for you or supported you.
For you, so
It's lonely and difficult to feel like there's no one in your corner when things are tough.
Shame, shouldn't try you, couldn't step by you
Shame can be all-consuming and difficult to overcome.
And open up more
It can be helpful to open up and share your struggles with others, even when it's painful.
Shame, shame, shame
The repetition of 'shame' emphasizes just how all-consuming and difficult this emotion can be.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ROB THOMAS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind