Berninger is known for his classic baritone voice.
Personal life
Berninger is a 1989 graduate of St. Xavier High School in Cincinnati, Ohio. He went on to study graphic design at the University of Cincinnati, where he met fellow band member Scott Devendorf in 1991. The two quickly became friends. Berninger quit a career in advertising in his thirties to start The National. He told The Telegraph: "I was doing well [in advertising]. But, once I entertained the thought that maybe I wouldn't ever have to go and sit in conference rooms with MasterCard to discuss web ads again, I couldn't shake it."
Berninger is married to Carin Besser, a one-time fiction editor for The New Yorker, who has often contributed to the band's songwriting ("Brainy" and "Ada" from the album Boxer) and backup vocals. Together with Hope Hall and Andreas Burgess, Besser also helped direct the music video for "Bloodbuzz Ohio". They have a daughter named Isla. Berninger has stated that the song "Afraid of Everyone" was influenced by his anxiety about being a new father.
Berninger has two siblings: Tom (who directed Mistaken for Strangers, a film about The National) and Rachel.
In popular culture
In 2011, a portrait of Berninger was painted by British artist Joe Simpson; the painting was exhibited around the UK including a solo exhibition at The Royal Albert Hall.
In 2019, Berninger appeared in Between Two Ferns: The Movie. Along with Phoebe Bridgers, they contributed the song "Walking on a String" to its soundtrack.
In 2020, Berninger was the subject of the fourth episode ("Evie") of the fictional erotic podcast, Dirty Diana, produced by Demi Moore.
All I Want
Matt Berninger Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Just to find a place to stand
Just (?)
When I hold you in my head
It's all I want
I keep trying to remember that
It's all I want
Just to put you in the window
(?)
Just to leave when I go at night
Just to get along with God
I can't tell if you're finally coming back to me
Or if you're finally leaving
Sometimes you've got to keep a little bit to yourself
A little something to keep believing
It's all I want
I keep trying to remember that
It's all I want
I keep trying to remember that
I keep trying to remember that
You know I dance around the things I should (?)
Nobody should ever have to go round anywhere at all in their own town
I don't mean to
Nobody should ever have to go round anywhere at all in their own town
I wouldn't dream to
(?)
Feels like (?)
Because God never sleeps and I'm trying
Trying to reach you to tell you that I am still faithful
We'll be all right
Just to reach you in the morning light
Just to find an easy (?)
Just to be a little less hard on everything
Just to see you face to face
The lyrics of "All I Want" by Matt Berninger depict a person yearning for a connection that's been lost or is slipping away. The opening lines express the simplicity of the desire to see the sun breaking and find a place to stand. The following line appears to be mumbled or deliberately masked, creating an ambiguous effect. But the yearning for the physical presence of a loved one is reinforced by the line "when I hold you in my head."
The chorus emphasizes the significance of this desire by repeating "It's all I want" and "I keep trying to remember that." The second verse describes the desire to share the presence of the loved one with the world by putting them in the window. But there's still uncertainty about whether the loved one is leaving or coming back. The lines "Sometimes you've got to keep a little bit to yourself / A little something to keep believing" express the need for faith and hope in times of uncertainty.
The bridge begins by acknowledging the tendency to avoid facing difficult emotions ("You know I dance around the things I should"), but insists that nobody should have to live that way. The lines "Because God never sleeps and I'm trying / Trying to reach you to tell you that I am still faithful" reveal that the uncertainty is related to faith and possibly religion. The song ends with a hopeful desire to be closer to the loved one again.
Line by Line Meaning
Just to see the sun breaking
Just to have a glimmer of hope or positivity in life
Just to find a place to stand
Just to have a steady or stable place in life
Just (?)
Just to have something that is undefined or not yet realized
When I hold you in my head
When I think of you and our memories together
It's all I want
All I desire and yearn for
I keep trying to remember that
I keep reminding myself of this longing
Just to put you in the window
Just to show you off or display our relationship
(?)
To have something that is undefined or not yet realized
Just to leave when I go at night
Just to be able to leave my problems behind for a moment
Just to get along with God
Just to have a sense of peace or understanding with a higher power
I can't tell if you're finally coming back to me
Uncertainty around the future of a relationship or situation
Or if you're finally leaving
Uncertainty around the future of a relationship or situation
Sometimes you've got to keep a little bit to yourself
Sometimes you need to keep your thoughts or feelings private
A little something to keep believing
Something that gives you hope or faith
You know I dance around the things I should (?)
You know I avoid or ignore the things I should confront
Nobody should ever have to go round anywhere at all in their own town
No one should feel trapped or limited in their own environment
I don't mean to
I don't intend to do harm or hurt
I wouldn't dream to
I would never imagine doing that
(?)
To have something that is undefined or not yet realized
Feels like (?)
Feels like something is missing or unknown
Because God never sleeps and I'm trying
Having faith and belief that a higher power is watching over and helping you
Trying to reach you to tell you that I am still faithful
Wanting to assure someone that you are still committed to them
We'll be all right
Everything will turn out okay
Just to reach you in the morning light
Just to connect with someone in a positive or hopeful time of day
Just to find an easy (?)
Just to find something simple or uncomplicated
Just to be a little less hard on everything
Just to make things a little easier or less stressful
Just to see you face to face
Just to have a personal connection or interaction with someone
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Matthew D. Berninger, Stephan Altman
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
New Alternative 40 Chart
"All I Want" debuted at #25 on the New Alternative 40 Chart this week!
Sambo Jones
Cool, now my arms are covered in goosebumps and I can't get them to go back to normal. These three owe me for the medication I'll need to recover
Collin
Love this so much
Sally H.
I think Julien and Matt are lonely in the same way.
Paulo Cruz
Cool song
HS Ehrlich
mourning it being removed from spotify and found this video(this will now solve all my problems)
Lily Christenson
shoutout to our boy on the cans
Lockdheart
I know the drum says his name is "Phoebe Bridgers," but I saw his driver's license once, and it said, like, "Marsh Boar" or some junk. I think "Phoebe Bridgers" is just his stage name...
o
chords chords chords <3
Thomas Wolff
Das ist ja Wahnsinn. Die Stimmen passen gut zusammen. https://adohraufdieohren.blog/