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 Sheβs 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
the way
Matchbox Twenty Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Lying there in front of me
Maybe we were here before
I just didn't wanna believe
But in all that time we never talked
You wrote it down so I couldn't ignore it
This is the way you want it to be
Oh, this is the way you want it to be
Guess you don't want me
We had love
Always thought it would be enough
Oh, but then it goes away
But I don't really wanna give up
It feels like hell to let you walk
Bet it all down but I couldn't afford it
This is the way you want it to be
This is the way you want it to be
Oh, this is the way you want it to be
Guess you don't want me
And I never really said it before
But I really should have given you so much more
But this is the way you want it to be
This is the way you want it to be
Oh, this is the way you want it to be
Guess you don't want me
Guess you don't want me
No
Guess you don't want me
Yeah, you don't want
Guess you don't want
Me
The song "The Way" by Matchbox Twenty is about a failed relationship and the confusion and heartbreak that comes with it. The first verse describes the scene of the breakup, with the singer looking at their former lover lying in front of them. They acknowledge that maybe they saw it coming, but refused to believe it. In the second half of the verse, the singer realizes that they never talked about their issues, and the lover wrote down their feelings instead, hoping to be heard.
The chorus repeats the line, "This is the way you want it to be," implying that the lover is the one who initiated the breakup and wanted it to be this way. The singer's repeated guessing that the lover doesn't want them confirms this feeling of rejection. The second verse reveals the past happiness of the relationship, with the singer believing love would be enough. But then, it ended with the relationship coming to a point of no return. The last lines of the song show regret for not expressing more love to the lover but, still ultimately accepting that "this is the way" it has to be.
Line by Line Meaning
All I see
The start of a reflection on the relationship with the person lying in front of the singer
Lying there in front of me
The person the singer was with is now lying in front of the singer, a metaphor for their present situation
Maybe we were here before
The idea that the two of them have experienced a similar situation in the past
I just didn't wanna believe
The singer is in denial about the reality of the situation
But in all that time we never talked
The lack of communication in their relationship
You wrote it down so I couldn't ignore it
The other person felt the need to write down their true feelings to ensure the singer couldn't dismiss them
This is the way you want it to be
The realization that the other person is content with the current state of the relationship
Guess you don't want me
The other person's lack of desire to continue the relationship
We had love
The acknowledgement of the past love the two shared
Always thought it would be enough
The singer believed that their love could overcome any obstacle
Oh, but then it goes away
The realization that love can fade over time
But I don't really wanna give up
The singer still wants to hold on to what they had
It feels like hell to let you walk
The pain the singer feels at the prospect of losing the other person
Bet it all down but I couldn't afford it
The singer took a gamble on the relationship, but it didn't pay off
And I never really said it before
The singer admits that they didn't express their love fully in the past
But I really should have given you so much more
The singer recognizes that they could have done more in the relationship
Guess you don't want me
Reinforcement of the fact that the other person has moved on
Yeah, you don't want
Further confirmation that the other person has no interest in continuing the relationship
Guess you don't want
Final acknowledgement that the other person has no desire to be with the singer
Me
Singer accepts that the relationship is over and the other person has moved on
Lyrics Β© Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: KYLE COOK, PAUL DOUCETTE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
TheRazzaManazza
I continue to love this song. It doesnt get old somehow, classic MB20
Tiffany Cartwright
I truly love this song...the guitar is amazing. It just says so much. You don't want me.....but you really do
amani576
After a 6 1/2 year relationship and failed engagement I realize that these lyrics are basically 100% spot on. She doesn't want me anymore, and there's so much I could've, and should've done.
KerriLyn
My favourite song on the album. Excellent lyrics, perfect rhythm, superb voice. Love everything about this. Hope you come to Toronto so I can see this performed in person!
Stumbling Free
I never noticed till this year, when I watched a video of them playing it live! One of my favorites too!
Jasmine
Great song!
bigtimetorifan
Love me some Kyle singing. Love my Rob too, but wish Kyle had some more stuff of his own. Saw him do this live, was amazing!
Bruno Radicheski
Isn't Rob singing?! Because of this I didn't recognize the voice. haha
Joey Siebrasse
Rivers and rust.
jonathanpiercemusic
This is freakin amazing!!!!