Matt is a native New Yorker who grew up in Virginia Beach, VA. He has acte… Read Full Bio ↴Matt is a native New Yorker who grew up in Virginia Beach, VA. He has acted in the theater throughout his life, from small community theaters in Virginia to Broadway, where he played the role of Mark in the musical RENT through the summer of 2006. An accomplished guitar player, Matt has been composing and performing songs for almost 10 years, and has toured the country playing in over 25 states and independently building a nationwide fanbase through concerts and record sales. Both of Matt's records - a self-titled demo (no longer in production) and Overtones (still available through mattcaplan.com or cdbaby.com) - are acoustic albums, and range in influence from folk to rock to classical. He is currently working on his first full-band record release.
---Courtesy (mostly) of the official matt caplan website---

September
Matt Caplan Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Where does the world/wound begin
In a closet full of toys
Or a childhood of faceless fathers
And you never let them in
They were only girls and boys
And you know that it's too late to bother now
And if I try too hard to ask yourself that scary question
We all know you'll hide again

You'll just turn your head and sell your soul away

CHORUS
You called my name, you called my bluff
You said September wasn't enough
And when you slip, and if I care

I'll save you, I won't quit when it's tough
That's not good enough x4

And if the war you wage is lost
Because the bombshells are a self-inflicted arsenal
You should turn your head and ask yourself
If it is worth this life in hell
And then you'll let them rip your heart away

CHORUS

You call my name, you call my bluff
You said September wasn't enough

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Matt Caplan's song September are quite complex and poetic, requiring some interpretation to fully grasp the intention behind the words. The first verse mentions the idea of the origin of the world or a wound, posing the question whether it starts in a closet full of toys, which could be interpreted as the innocence of childhood, or from a childhood of faceless fathers, which could symbolize a lack of guidance or influence from a paternal figure. The next few lines suggest the idea of shutting people out, specifically girls and boys who were not allowed to enter. This could represent a fear of vulnerability or intimacy, and now it's too late to address it. The final section of the verse speaks to the fear of asking oneself a difficult question and the tendency to hide from it, turning away from troubling thoughts and selling one's soul away.

The chorus seems to be directed at someone in particular, someone who called out the the singer's name and called their bluff. September is mentioned as not being enough, giving the impression that this person is looking for something more, something deeper. The singer vows to save them and not quit, but the repetition of "that's not good enough" implies that the person they are addressing is looking for something more transformative or meaningful than simply being saved.

The second verse brings up the notion of war, and how if it's lost it is an internal, self-inflicted arsenal of bombshells. This could be interpreted as a reference to self-destructive behavior or negative thought patterns that can wreak havoc internally. The final lines suggest that the person may be allowing their heart to be ripped away, indicating a sort of defeatism or feeling powerless to change their situation.

Overall, the lyrics of September seem to address themes of vulnerability, fear, and the need for something deeper and more meaningful in life. The repetition of "that's not good enough" throughout the chorus emphasizes the idea of wanting more than just surface level solutions or band-aids to deep-rooted problems.

Line by Line Meaning

Where does the world/wound begin
Where do the scars of past trauma originate?

In a closet full of toys
Perhaps from a childhood environment that seemed joyful, but was actually shielding deeper pains and secrets.

Or a childhood of faceless fathers
Or maybe from a childhood absent of a strong, loving paternal figure.

And you never let them in
Whatever the source of pain, you avoided confronting it and instead hoped it would disappear.

They were only girls and boys
As a child, you may have been denied the opportunity to fully experience life as a kid, causing long-term damage.

And you know that it's too late to bother now
Although it's never too late to heal and address past trauma, it's difficult to start when you've spent years avoiding it.

And if I try too hard to ask yourself that scary question
If I (or anyone) tried to confront you about your traumas and past, it may be too scary for you to face.

We all know you'll hide again
Most likely, you'll avoid the conversation and hide from the issue once again.

You'll just turn your head and sell your soul away
In avoiding confrontation about your past, you're sacrificing a piece of yourself, your integrity, and your future happiness.

You called my name, you called my bluff
You reached out to someone for help, but it's unclear whether or not you're serious or just trying to appear as though you're ready to confront your past.

You said September wasn't enough
You may be referring to a specific moment in time where you felt hopeful for change, but ultimately, it wasn't enough to make progress.

And when you slip, and if I care
If you have a moment of relapse or stumble in your healing journey, and if you have people in your life who truly care for you,

I'll save you, I won't quit when it's tough
They'll be there to support you through the more challenging moments and continue to help you overcome.

That's not good enough x4
Despite others' support, you feel like your progress isn't good enough.

And if the war you wage is lost
If you feel like you're fighting a losing battle against your past and the trauma it caused,

Because the bombshells are a self-inflicted arsenal
And the pain you continue to experience is likely caused by patterns of self-destructive behavior you developed in response to past trauma.

You should turn your head and ask yourself
Instead of looking for external reasons or people to blame, you need to look inward and ask yourself hard questions.

If it is worth this life in hell
You need to decide if living with the pain and negative behaviors is worth it, or if you're ready to confront and overcome it.

And then you'll let them rip your heart away
If you don't take action to heal and deal with your trauma, it will continue to control your life and emotions, tearing you apart from the inside out.

You call my name, you call my bluff
Again, you're reaching out to others for help, but it's unclear whether or not you're ready to face the difficult truths about your past just yet.

You said September wasn't enough
September may symbolize a time where you hoped for change, but it wasn't enough to make significant progress in healing from your trauma.

Contributed by Julian N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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