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.

Chemical
Matt Cardle Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Another fever's kicking in
The shivers in my bones begin
A little switch I'm flicking off
And on

The longest nights are rolling in
Naked flames on soaking skin
I don't wanna let it go

I think it's time
That we set it up
Reactions in the chain
Set it off
Don't let it stop
I can't get enough
It's from within us
It's chemical
It's chemical

Cover my face in broken hairs
Can't disguise a broken man
Wanna turn my cravings off
And on

Such a messed up circumstance
In my shoes a stranger stands
I don't wanna let him go

I think it's time
That we set it up
Reactions in the chain
Set it off
Don't let it stop
I can't get enough
It's from within us
It's chemical
It's chemical

Inside my mind it's getting dark
A steady beat of a racing heart
I don't wanna let it go

I think it's time
That we set it up
Reactions in the chain
Set it off
Don't let it stop
I can't get enough
It's from within us
It's chemical
It's chemical

It's chemical
It's chemical

Overall Meaning

Matt Cardle's song "Chemical" is a powerful ode to the intense and sometimes destructive nature of human emotion. The opening line, "Another fever's kicking in/The shivers in my bones begin," sets the stage for a song that explores the physical and emotional effects of strong feelings. The chorus, "It's from within us/It's chemical/It's chemical," is a clear acknowledgement that these intense emotions are a result of physical processes in our bodies.

The lyrics also touch on the idea of control - "A little switch I'm flicking off/And on" - and the struggle to manage one's own desires and impulses. The line "Cover my face in broken hairs/Can't disguise a broken man" speaks to the feeling of being overwhelmed and unable to hide or manage one's own pain.

There is a sense of urgency and desperation to the song, encapsulated in lines like "Don't let it stop/I can't get enough" and "A steady beat of a racing heart/I don't wanna let it go." Overall, "Chemical" is a raw and emotionally charged song that explores the highs and lows of human experience.

Line by Line Meaning

Another fever's kicking in
I'm feeling a strong desire or craving.

The shivers in my bones begin
My body is reacting physically to this craving.

A little switch I'm flicking off And on
I'm trying to control my desires and cravings, like turning a switch on and off.

The longest nights are rolling in
I'm struggling with this craving for a long time, especially at night.

Naked flames on soaking skin
There's a strong physical reaction to this craving, like flames on wet skin.

I don't wanna let it go
Despite the physical and emotional pain, I still want to hold onto this craving.

I think it's time That we set it up Reactions in the chain Set it off Don't let it stop I can't get enough It's from within us It's chemical It's chemical
I know this craving is powerful and comes from within me, and I want to let it take over (set it off) even though I know it's not good for me.

Cover my face in broken hairs
I'm feeling broken and vulnerable, like my broken hairs covering my face.

Can't disguise a broken man
I can't hide or disguise the pain and damage caused by this craving.

Wanna turn my cravings off And on
I want the power to control my cravings, and turn them on and off as I wish.

Such a messed up circumstance
My situation is complicated and difficult.

In my shoes a stranger stands
I don't feel like myself, like someone else is controlling my actions and thoughts.

Inside my mind it's getting dark
My thoughts are becoming negative and self-destructive.

A steady beat of a racing heart
My physical and emotional reactions to this craving are intense and heart-pounding.

It's chemical It's chemical It's chemical It's chemical
This craving is beyond my control, and is driven by chemical reactions in my brain and body.

Contributed by Zoe V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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