1. Matisse is a… Read Full Bio ↴There are at least 6 artists with the name matisse:
1. Matisse is an English language-singing alternative rock band from Athens, Greece formed in 1999. Matisse was originally formed in 1997 by Aris Siafas, Giannis Massouras, Grigoris Κolias, Petros Tsolis, Kostas Synodinos and Basilis Zervos without making any significant actions as a band. In 2009 the band released their third album, Rock 'N Roll Mafia.
2. Matisse is an Italian eurodance act produced by Lorenzo Vio, Max Giunta, Morris Capaldi and Sandy Chambers. It recorded the hit "I Wanna Lose My Mind"
3. Matisse is an Italo Disco act produced by Tony Verde. Vocalists were Alexandra Millet, Sal Garau, and Stefano De Carli. They released the singles "Fool For Love", "Indigo Girl", "La Dolce Vita" and "Plateau Rosa".
4. Matisse (born 1985 in Connecticut) is a singer signed to Jive Records. She was part of a group called Brit and Alex with her identical sister. They broke up after her sister decided to go back to school. Brit now has a single out on iTunes called “Better Than Her” under her new name Matisse. She is working on her debut album and is being called one of the best new artists of 2010.
5. Lithuanian electronica (trip-hop and such) producer.
6. A possible mis-tag of electronic music duo Matisse & Sadko.
This Town
Matisse Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I watched their eyes in sick disguise
I left
All that I was back just because
and you
A snapshot in your darkest eyes
No words
No traces
Never could believe
All this ugliness around me
I had to run away from my dream
Reconcile with the hell travelling with me
And people feel so funny when asked
To perceive all this nothingness around us
I had to run away from this town
When I first came to this town
There was only trouble I left
All that I knew and nothing new
from you
Just snapshots in your darkest eyes
No words
No traces
Faces cruel as swords
Never could believe
All this ugliness around me
I had to run away from my dream
Reconcile with the hell travelling with me
And people feel so funny when asked
To perceive all this nothingness around us
I had to run away from this town
Again
, Matisse's song This Town depicts a journey to a place where he had to face harsh realities and ugliness prevalent in the society. The lyrics capture the initial shock and surprise he experienced when he first came to this town. The line "watched their eyes in sick disguise" describes how the people in this town hide their true selves and emotions with a mask of pretense to fit into the society. This realization makes Matisse nostalgic about his past life and everything he left behind. He then goes on to mention a snapshot of a person in their darkest eyes, a painful memory that seems to haunt him. The lines "No words, no traces, faces cruel as swords" convey the silent hurt that he feels due to the cruelty and inhumanity that he sees around him.
The song talks about how Matisse couldn’t believe the ugly reality of the society he was living in- "All this ugliness around me, I had to run away from my dream, reconcile with the hell traveling with me". He feels out of place and disturbed by the people's indifference to the surrounding nothingness, which humanizes the feeling of being disconnected from one's surroundings. The line "And people feel so funny when asked to perceive all this nothingness around us" describes the helplessness one feels when they confront the harsh world and the superficiality of contemporary society. This feeling prompts Matisse to run away from this town as it contradicts his ethos and morals.
The song essentially highlights the harsh realities that people tend to ignore in contemporary society due to their survival instincts. Matisse's personal experience can be interpreted as a metaphor for the feeling of being caught between a dream and harsh reality - something that almost everyone can relate to nowadays.
Line by Line Meaning
When I first came to this town
Upon arriving at this location for the first time,
I watched their eyes in sick disguise
I observed their eyes filled with deceit and dishonesty,
I left
I departed hastily,
All that I was back just because
All of my prior self resurfaced once more,
and you
And then, there was you,
A snapshot in your darkest eyes
A fleeting glimpse in your eyes, dark with despair,
No words
Without any expression,
No traces
No evidence,
Faces cruel as swords
Their faces were as cruel as the sharpest swords,
Never could believe
I could never fathom,
All this ugliness around me
All the depravity and unpleasantness that surrounded me,
I had to run away from my dream
I had to flee from my aspirations,
Reconcile with the hell travelling with me
I had to come to terms with the infernal horrors following me,
And people feel so funny when asked
People find it amusing when inquired,
To perceive all this nothingness around us
To acknowledge the emptiness that surrounds us,
I had to run away from this town
I had no choice but to flee this place,
When I first came to this town
Once again, when I arrived in this locale for the first time,
There was only trouble I left
I departed because all there was, was trouble,
All that I knew and nothing new from you
You didn't bring anything new into my life,
Just snapshots in your darkest eyes
All you left me with were brief glimpses of your forlornness,
No words
Without any words,
No traces
No indications,
Faces cruel as swords
Their visages were as cutting as swords,
Never could believe
I never could have imagined,
All this ugliness around me
All the hideousness that surrounded me,
I had to run away from my dream
I had to leave my dream behind,
Reconcile with the hell travelling with me
I had to come to terms with the torment that was with me,
And people feel so funny when asked
People find it hilarious when questioned,
To perceive all this nothingness around us
To notice the void that engulfs us,
I had to run away from this town
I had no choice but to flee this place once again,
Contributed by Brooklyn Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.