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/
Refuge
Matisyahu Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
As for me, I am poor and destitute. Hashem my G-d will think about me. My help, my rescuer, you are.
My word is like a hammer like a shattering rock,
crack through your heart and take the evil apart
From the end of the earth unto you I call, time and again I fall, back to you I crawl
You have been a refuge for me, a tower of strength in the face of the enemy
You can't have my heart I'm taking back what's mine
I know it lie just smoke in your eye and you saved my soul from the other side
When faint grows my heart to a rock that too hard for me to climb alone lead me
For you have been a refuge
With you I smash a troop and with my G-d I leap over a wall
May the king answer you on the day that you call
Stand tall, battle yawl, the clouds crawl low, all stalled,
heavens lay draped over New York like a prayer shawl,
the holy one enthroned upon the praises of Israel
Pathways of my heart clogged like a traffic jam
From the start, I want to take the blockage apart
The lyrics of the song "Refuge" by Matisyahu are deeply spiritual and speak of the singer's faith in God as his source of help and strength. The lyrics describe the singer as poor and destitute and rely on God to save him. The lines, "Ani auni vevyone. Hashem yashav li. Ezrati, umafalti, atau," translate to "As for me, I am poor and destitute. Hashem my G-d will think about me. My help, my rescuer, you are." The singer believes that his words have the power to destroy evil and that he seeks refuge in God when he is facing his enemies.
The lyrics continue to describe the singer's relationship with God as he reaches out to Him for help in times of trouble. He calls out to God from the end of the earth and falls back on God's refuge. He knows that his heart sometimes grows faint and he cannot climb alone, but God is always willing to lead him. The lyrics suggest that the singer has faced many challenges, and his heart and mind have become blocked like a traffic jam. But he is determined to break through these barriers and reach out to God for help. Through his faith, he believes he can overcome any obstacle in life.
Line by Line Meaning
Ani auni vevyone. Hashem yashav li. Ezrati, umafalti, atau.
As for me, I am poor and destitute. Hashem my G-d will think about me. My help, my rescuer, you are.
My word is like a hammer like a shattering rock,
My words are powerful and can cut through anything like a hammer or rock.
crack through your heart and take the evil apart
My words can break through the hardest of hearts and eradicate evil.
From the end of the earth unto you I call, time and again I fall, back to you I crawl
I call out to you from the farthest reaches of the earth, and even when I stumble and fall, I crawl back to you.
You have been a refuge for me, a tower of strength in the face of the enemy
You have been my shelter and my stronghold when I face my enemies.
Enemy, enemy lines I find I let myself get tied up too many times
I realize that I have allowed myself to become entangled and trapped by my enemies too many times.
You can't have my heart I'm taking back what's mine
My enemies cannot have my heart - I am reclaiming what is rightfully mine.
I know it lie just smoke in your eye and you saved my soul from the other side
I know that the lies of my enemies are just an illusion, and you have rescued my soul from their grasp.
When faint grows my heart to a rock that too hard for me to climb alone lead me
When my heart becomes weak and I cannot climb the rocky path alone, lead me and guide me.
For you have been a refuge
Because you have been a place of safety and protection for me.
With you I smash a troop and with my G-d I leap over a wall
With you by my side, I can conquer armies and with my G-d I can overcome any obstacle.
May the king answer you on the day that you call
May the king (G-d) always answer you when you call out to him.
Stand tall, battle yawl, the clouds crawl low, all stalled,
Stand strong and be ready for battle, even when everything seems to be at a standstill and the clouds hang low.
heavens lay draped over New York like a prayer shawl,
The heavens cover New York City like a prayer shawl.
the holy one enthroned upon the praises of Israel
The holy one (G-d) is enthroned and honored by the praises of Israel.
Pathways of my heart clogged like a traffic jam
My heart's pathways are blocked, like a traffic jam.
From the start, I want to take the blockage apart
From the beginning, I want to break apart the blockages in my heart.
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Peermusic Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: JOSHUA WERNER, MATTHEW MILLER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
The Funkadelic
I will always love this song
Chigwe Sibanyama
I love this song sooo much. Both the studio version and this one.
TheCfclan4life
Jus chillin in the dark feeling the vibe with a cigarette on my lips. Slow steady movement of a head nodding to a beat hidden under lyrical brain surgery. A man with a deep mind sings an ocean of wisdom. A reason to smile and have faith in this world.
TheCfclan4life
@Jeremiah Schnell keep askin, and hold your breath for a response while you're at it
Jeremiah Schnell
@TheCfclan4life once again, I ask you to explain what was narcissistic? I didn't post anything any more or less narcissistic than you did, yet for some reason you decide to come down on me. You feel that YOU can pontificate and post whatever you want, but when someone interacts with you about it you become full of vitriol and anger. What's the problem? Did I say anything that was untrue? If you think I am lying, go ahead and show me how. If what I said has truth to it, perhaps you should listen rather than lashing out. I end this response with the same request: explain HOW I am a narcissist by what I posted, please. What did I say that was narcissistic? Perhaps you are uncomfortable with anyone challenging you to grow and thrive? Perhaps you are uncomfortable with someone besides you having an opinion or interaction regarding something you said? Remember, freedom of speech goes both ways. Also remember, it's a mark of intelligence to challenge things that don't make sense. I say that you accusing me of being a narcissist does not make sense. Allow me to explain: A narcissist is completely overcome with their OWN image and how great they are. My original response to you had NOTHING to do with me, but had EVERYTHING to do with good things for YOU. For this reason, I think you are mistaken to call me a narcissist. Rather, I think you are uncomfortable with any real interaction and exchanging of thought...much like most people have been trained in these days. My advice? take a moment, look at what I said in my original reply to you, and realize the good things I intend rather than lashing out at me for something that I never said, never asserted, and never included in our exchange. I was reaching out in kindness, not in self-righteousness. If you are THAT bent on hating me for that, you are a truly sad human being! Realize I was being kind, not being the opposite. Respond in kindness, not in an un-thought-out, rude, and hateful way. if you'd rather not hear it or are uncomfortable exchanging ideas, please say so without lashing out irrationally.
Scott Reynolds
just an awesome album
Moral Compass
Fucking beautiful. No words can explain
RIP Blake O'Bier
IN G
May the King answer you, may the God of the Heavens answer you when you call , may you be worthy of His attention to your struggles..
Chris Carnicle
Awesome song!!!!!
anthonyrichens77
Love it!