Matthew Sheridan Cardle (born 15 April 1983) is an English singer-songwrite… Read Full Bio ↴Matthew Sheridan Cardle (born 15 April 1983) is an English singer-songwriter and guitarist who rose to fame after winning the seventh series of The X Factor in 2010. He received a £1 million recording contract with Syco Music by winning and his debut single When We Collide was released immediately after he won. It sold 439,000 copies in its first week to become the UK Christmas number one.

Before applying to The X Factor, he was the frontman, lead vocalist and acoustic guitar player of the band Seven Summers and also Darwyn. Seven Summers released a self-titled debut rock album Seven Summers on 22 January 2010. The band performed live on Sue Merchant's BBC radio program on 8 December 2009. Darwyn released two albums entitled When You Wake, and Little Sunlight between 2005 and 2009 as well as playing Sue Marchants BBC radio programme. He also still plays the occasional acoustic gig with former Darwyn band mate Ali McMillan.

He auditioned for The X Factor with "You Know I'm No Good". After Cardle made it through the bootcamp stages, he was sent to Australia and was put into Dannii Minogue's group (in the Boys category). There he began to form a bromance with fellow contestant Aiden Grimshaw. Minogue mentored Cardle throughout the whole show until he won the final on December 12, 2010. After coming second in week one (Final 16 round) of public voting, Matt Cardle consistently came first from week 2 onwards until week 10, the competition final held on 11-12 December 2010.

On week 1 he sang When Love Takes Over by David Guetta & Kelly Rowland, on week 2 he sang Just the Way You Are by Bruno Mars, on week 3 he sang ...Baby One More Time by Britney Spears, on week 4 he sang Bleeding Love by Leona Lewis, on week 5 he sang The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face by Roberta Flack, on week 6 he sang Goodbye Yellow Brick Road by Elton John, on week 7 he sang Come Together by The Beatles, on week 8 he sang I Love Rock N' Roll by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts & Nights in White Satin by The Moody Blues, on week 9 he sang You've Got The Love by Florence + The Machine & She's Always a Woman by Billy Joel and on week 10 (the final) he sang Here With Me by Dido, Unfaithful (duet with Rihanna) by Rihanna, Firework by Katy Perry & When We Collide by Biffy Clyro.

Cardle is a former painter and decorator living in Little Maplestead in Essex. Born to parents David and Jennifer Cardle, he was diagnosed with Wilms' tumour, a form of cancer when he was a toddler. He recovered after one of his kidneys was removed at age 2. He is now in a serious bromance with Aiden Grimshaw and together they have a massive fanbase supporting them every step of the way.

All for Nothing
Matt Cardle Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Use your eyes, oh father
'Cause I had a dream last night
I saw her body broke, still and cold where she lay
And it was all for nothing
This love I gave

And I pray you keep her safe
Bring her home, keep harm away

And I pray, don’t let me down
Bring her back 'cause I need her now
I pray, someone else can take her place
Don’t make it all for nothing
This love we made

She’s my best friend, oh mother
No other woman could turn my eye, drag me away
With the blessing comes the worry, and I worry
Don’t make it all for nothing
The love we made

And I pray you keep her safe
Bring her home, keep harm away
And I pray, don’t let me down
Bring her back 'cause I need her now
I pray, someone else can take her place
Don’t make it all for nothing
This love we made

Falling in love is like playing with fire
Pulling me down but it’s takin’ me higher
I know it’s my fault and I’m asking for favors
I needed a knife but you gave me the razor

I pray you keep her safe
Bring her home, keep harm away
And I pray, don’t let me down
Bring her back 'cause I need her now
I pray, someone else can take her place
Don’t make it all for nothing
This love we made

Don’t make it all for nothing
This love we made

Overall Meaning

In the song "All for Nothing," Matt Cardle sings about the fear and worry that come with falling in love. He specifically mentions two people, his father and mother, and how they play a role in this struggle. He had a dream that his lover was killed, and it becomes clear that he is anxious about their safety. He acknowledges that his lover is his best friend and that he needs her in his life. At the same time, he realizes that love can often be dangerous, and he is asking his parents and a higher power to protect her. The refrain, "Don't make it all for nothing, this love we made," suggests that Cardle is aware of the possible consequences of his actions, but he still hopes that his love will be worth it in the end.

The bridge of the song, "Falling in love is like playing with fire / Pulling me down but it's takin' me higher / I know it's my fault and I'm asking for favors / I needed a knife but you gave me the razor," illustrates Cardle's vulnerability and his desire to be with his lover despite his reservations. He feels like he is playing with fire, but he cannot resist the temptation. The reference to a knife and a razor suggests that the decision to love again was a difficult one and perhaps even self-destructive.

Overall, "All for Nothing" is a touching and introspective song about the complexities of love and the fear of losing someone close. Cardle's vocal delivery is emotive, and the simple yet effective arrangement complements the lyrics well.

Line by Line Meaning

Use your eyes, oh father
Father, please pay attention and heed my warning.

'Cause I had a dream last night
I had a dream last night that was disturbing and bothersome.

I saw her body broke, still and cold where she lay
In my dream, I saw her lifeless body on the ground.

And it was all for nothing
Everything I did and gave in our relationship went to waste.

This love I gave
All the love I had for her.

And I pray you keep her safe
Please protect her from harm.

Bring her home, keep harm away
Help her come back home safely where she belongs.

And I pray, don’t let me down
Please don't disappoint me and keep her safe.

Bring her back 'cause I need her now
Bring her back because I can't live without her.

I pray, someone else can take her place
If it’s not possible to bring her back, I hope someone else can fill the void she left.

Don’t make it all for nothing
Don't let everything we had go to ruin.

She’s my best friend, oh mother
Mother, she's my closest friend.

No other woman could turn my eye, drag me away
I'm completely devoted to her and no one could ever take her place.

With the blessing comes the worry, and I worry
With all the good things, there's always the fear of losing them.

The love we made
All the love we shared and built together.

Falling in love is like playing with fire
Entering a relationship is like taking a big risk.

Pulling me down but it’s takin’ me higher
Even though love can be tough, it can bring happiness and fulfillment.

I know it’s my fault and I’m asking for favors
I recognize my mistakes and I'm asking for help to fix them.

I needed a knife but you gave me the razor
I wanted something small to help me, but you gave me too much.

Don’t make it all for nothing
Don't let everything we shared and built together go to waste.

This love we made
All the love we shared and built together.

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: FRANCIS EG WHITE, MATTHEW CARDLE

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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