Known for blending traditional Jewish themes with Reggae, rock and hip hop sounds, Matisyahu is most recognizable for being an orthodox Jew and writing a number of songs based on his faith and beliefs. Since 2004, he has released four studio albums as well as one live album, two remix CDs and one DVD featuring a live concert, and a number of interviews. Through his short career, Matisyahu has teamed up with some of the biggest names in reggae production including Bill Laswell and duo Sly & Robbie. The Tel Aviv'n Songfacts states several tracks of his fourth studio album, Spark Seeker, were recorded in Tel Aviv, Israel.
Since his debut, Matisyahu has received positive reviews from both rock and reggae outlets. Most recently, he was named Top Reggae Artist of 2006 by Billboard as well as being named a spokesperson for Kenneth Cole.
Matthew Miller was born in West Chester, Pennsylvania, USA on June 30th 1979, corresponding to the Jewish date of the 5th of Tamuz 5740. Shortly after his birth, the Miller family moved to Berkeley, CA and eventually settled in White Plains, NY. Growing up, Matisyahu's parents sent him to Hebrew School a couple of times a week, but like many kids, he resisted the additional school hours and was frequently threatened with expulsion for disrupting the lessons.
By the age of 14, Matthew Miller slid comfortably into the laid-back lifestyle of a teenage hippie. Having fallen in with the "Dead-Head" crowd, he grew dreadlocks and wore his Birkenstocks all winter long. He played his bongos in the lunchroom and learned how to beat-box in the back of class. By 11th grade, despite his carefree days, Matisyahu couldn't ignore the void in his life. After nearly burning down his chemistry class, he knew his mission must begin immediately. He decided to set off on a camping trip in Colorado. Away from his suburban life in White Plains, Matisyahu had the opportunity to take an introspective look at himself and contemplate his environment. It was there in the awe-inspiring landscape of the Rocky Mountains, that Matisyahu had an eye-opening realization: there is a God.
After Colorado, his spiritual curiosity piqued and Matisyahu took his first trip to Israel. There, for the first time in his life, he felt a connection to the God he discovered in Colorado. Israel was a major turning point. Matisyahu relished the time he spent there, praying, exploring, and dancing in Jerusalem. In every nook he encountered, his dormant Jewish identity stirred into consciousness.
Leaving Israel proved to be a difficult transition. Once back in White Plains, Matisyahu didn't know how to maintain his new connection with Judaism. Feeling dejected, he fatefully dropped out of high school and began following Phish on a national tour. On the road, Matisyahu thought seriously about his life, his music, and his thirst for Judaism.
After a few months, burnt out and broke, he returned home. By this time his parents insisted that Matisyahu go and "straighten" himself out at a wilderness school in Bend, Oregon. The school encouraged artistic pursuits and Matisyahu took advantage of this time to delve further into his music. He studied up on reggae and hip-hop. He attended a weekly open-mic where he rapped, sang, beat-boxed, and did almost anything he could to stay creatively charged. It was then that he started to develop the unique reggae-hip hop sound for which he would one day become known.
After 2 years in the "sticks," the 19-year old Matisyahu returned to New York a changed man. He moved to the city to attend The New School where he continued honing his musical craft, and also dabbled in the theater. During this time, he happened on the Carlebach Shul, a synagogue on the Upper West Side, well known for its hippie-friendly vibe and exuberant singing. This encounter further fueled his soul-fire, turning him on to the mystical power of song in Hasidic Judaism. Now, instead of beat boxing in the back of the classroom, he was leaving the classroom to pray on the school's roof. (Religious or not, this guy ain't made for the classrooms.)
While studying at New School, Matisyahu wrote a play entitled "Echad" (One). The play was about a boy who meets a Hasidic rabbi in Washington Square Park and through him becomes religious. Shortly after the play's performance, Matisyahu's life strangely imitated his art. Indeed, years after the initial sparks were lit, Matisyahu met a Lubavitcher rabbi in the park, spurring his transformation from Matthew to Matisyahu.
A person who was once skeptical of authority and rules, Matisyahu began to explore and eventually fully take on the Lubavitch Hasidic lifestyle. He thrived on the discipline and structure of Judaism, making every attempt to abide by Jewish Law. The Chabad-Lubavitch philosophy proved to be a powerful guide for Matisyahu. It surrounded him with the spiritual dialogue and intellectual challenge he had been seeking for the past decade. The turmoil and frustration of his search subsided, and now, 2 years later, Matisyahu lives in Crown Heights, splitting his time between the stage and his yeshiva.
Drawing from the sounds of Bob Marley, Shlomo Carlebach, Buju Banton, and Sizzla, yet remaining wholly original, Matisyahu's performance is an uplifting, powerful experience for all in his presence. Even the most pessimistic in his audience is inspired by his ability to so honestly convey such a delicate topic as faith/spirituality. It is his dedication to his belief and openness to others that compels one to respect his artistry and message. It's in that fleeting moment when our skepticism melts and our souls open up, that Matisyahu enters with his booming sound of faith.
http://www.matisyahuworld.com/
Raise Me Up
Matisyahu Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Won't you please wake me up won't you please bring me back
Daydream fantasy and my mind went to sleep
Eyes closed up from you with my heart heavy
So won't you please wake me up and shake me up and take me up said babylon will make me shock wave yes I had enough
So open up and lift the gates redemption coming like a run away truck
Op! diggy do-do-do, you make my heart want to serve you and I'm bound to erupt you lift me up from quick sand in a world gone corrupt no longer stuck up up and away we go Yerushalayim is our home
(chorus:
When it started it'd be etched into my brain elevation
The shield that david blazed, into my brain waves
And I'm raisin' my soul like a sword in ancient days
When protection surrounded me like the sun's rays
Started it'd be etched into my brain elevation
The shield that david blazed, into my brain waves
And I'm Raisin' my soul like a sword in ancient days
When protection surrounded me Like the sun's rays
(chorus)
In Matisyahu’s “Lord Raise Me Up,” the singer is asking God for assistance in waking him up and bringing him back to reality. He admits to being absent-minded and having daydreams about fantasy, leading him to shut his eyes and heavy-heartedness. Matisyahu pleads for God to wake him up and take him out of Babylon, as he’s already had enough of its destructive ways.
The singer believes that redemption will come, like a runaway truck through the lifted gates, and expresses his gratefulness to God for lifting him out of quicksand in a corrupt world. He’s no longer stuck and is excited about returning home to Yerushalayim. The song’s chorus reinforces the singer’s request for God’s help in being raised up from the ground.
In the second verse, Matisyahu references King David’s shield and the power behind it. He envisions himself raising his soul like a sword in ancient times, seeking protection from God’s rays like the sun. Overall, the song is a plea for spiritual awakening and guidance, acknowledging the difficulty of staying grounded in a world full of distractions and challenges.
Line by Line Meaning
Said I been gone for so long where my mind been at
I've been away from my true self for a long time, disconnected from my inner clarity and purpose.
Won't you please wake me up won't you please bring me back
I'm seeking a wake-up call or a transformative experience to reconnect with my inner self.
Daydream fantasy and my mind went to sleep
I've been lost in daydreams and fantasies instead of being grounded in reality and my own experiences.
Eyes closed up from you with my heart heavy
I've been avoiding facing myself and my emotions, leading me to feel burdened and weighed down.
So won't you please wake me up and shake me up and take me up said babylon will make me shock wave yes I had enough
I'm calling for a powerful, transformative experience - shock waves - to help me break free from the negative influences of Babylonian culture that have been holding me back.
So open up and lift the gates redemption coming like a run away truck
I'm eagerly awaiting a new beginning or redemption, which is arriving with unstoppable force and power.
Op! diggy do-do-do, you make my heart want to serve you and I'm bound to erupt you lift me up from quick sand in a world gone corrupt no longer stuck up up and away we go Yerushalayim is our home
I'm acknowledging the power of divine inspiration to motivate me to serve a higher purpose, freeing me from the corrupt and sticky nature of the world. I'm moving forward unbound, feeling at home in Jerusalem.
Said lord raise me up from the ground I've been here so long I said lord raise me up from the ground) bass man!
I'm calling on God to lift me up from my stagnant position, as I've been struggling for a long time. The bass emphasizes the intensity and depth of my plea.
When it started it'd be etched into my brain elevation
The memory of my spiritual awakening was deeply imprinted in my mind, and continues to motivate me.
The shield that david blazed, into my brain waves
The metaphor of King David's shield symbolizes my spiritual protection, which has become deeply ingrained in my consciousness.
And I'm raisin' my soul like a sword in ancient days
I'm raising my spirit to a higher level, like a warrior preparing for battle in ancient times.
When protection surrounded me like the sun's rays
I'm recalling a time when I felt protected like the warmth of the sun's rays, which motivates me to strive for that feeling again.
(chorus)
The repetition of this plea and call for divine intervention emphasizes its importance and emotional power.
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Capitol CMG Publishing, Peermusic Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Fintage House Publishing
Written by: BENJAMIN HESSE, MATISYAHU MILLER, MATTHEW MILLER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@yongminjeong9651
[Chorus]
Said lord raise me up
From the ground
I've been here so long
I said lord raise me up
From the ground
[Verse: Matisyahu]
See I been gone for so long where my mind been at
Won't you please wake me up
Won't you please bring me back
Daydream fantasy and my mind well asleep
Eyes closed up from you with my mind heavy So won't you please wake me up
And shake me up and take me up
And babylon will make me shock
Wave yes I had enough
So open up and lift the gates
Redemption coming like a run away truck
You make my heart want to serve you
And I'm bound to erupt
You lift me up from quick sand and a world gone corrupt
No longer stuck up up and away we go
Yerushalayim is my home
[Chorus]
Said lord raise me up
From the ground
I've been here so long
I said lord raise me up
From the ground
@JusTGiaH
Said I been gone for so long where my mind been at
Won't you please wake me up won't you please bring me back
Daydream fantasy and my mind went to sleep
Eyes closed up from you with my heart heavy
So won't you please wake me up and shake me up and take me up said babylon will make me shock wave yes I had enough
So open up and lift the gates redemption coming like a run away truck
Op! diggy do-do-do, you make my heart want to serve you and I'm bound to erupt you lift me up from quick sand in a world gone corrupt no longer stuck up up and away we go Yerushalayim is our home
(chorus:
Said lord raise me up from the ground I've been here so long I said lord raise me up from the ground) bass man!
When it started it'd be etched into my brain elevation
The shield that david blazed, into my brain waves
And I'm raisin' my soul like a sword in ancient days
When protection surrounded me like the sun's rays
Started it'd be etched into my brain elevation
The shield that david blazed, into my brain waves
And I'm Raisin' my soul like a sword in ancient days
When protection surrounded me Like the sun's rays
(chorus)
@Steve-ec6ed
Matisyahu is super underrated. I remember when this CD came out I played the shit out of it. An album you can just toss in and listen to all the way through without skipping tracks. Pretty rare thing.
@user-hi1dh1ol1t
couldn't agree more
@cyannahamadeus1064
I am a believer in the power of redemption. I LOVE this song!!!!
@BarakGrossberg
Cool
@thevillageyid
@@BarakGrossberg Barak n roll
@Nomka13
I am a Christian and I love him, too! God bless you!
@Natalie-ll2if
Me too!!
@livefree316
Jesus Christ was resurrected to raise you up to give you that reason power to raise you up from depression to raise you up from a bad relationship to raise you up when you're too weary to get up to raise you up from ashes to Beauty
@CrazyCrystalChronicles
no one in there right mind...not matter what faith or background should be able to appreciate positive uplifting music...thank you matis!
@dannycapone24
this is what i been missing in my life, positive inspirational reggae music. god bless from Los angeles. i been down too long, lost hope in this sad hard life. world needs more love and understanding, perhaps im just a dreamer .