In early 2003, Costa's homemade demo reached No Doubt guitarist Tom Dumont, who offered to record more demos for Costa in his home studio. Those first recordings led to two EPs that Costa and Dumont distributed themselves. These were later combined and mixed by Phil Ek in order to form Costa's first full-length CD entitled Songs We Sing.
Costa spent the summer of 2005 opening on Jack Johnson's summer tour. He has since toured with Modest Mouse, Oasis, Ryan Adams & The Cardinals, G. Love & Special Sauce, and Death Cab for Cutie. Costa joined Jack Johnson for his 2006 European tour. He has also contributed to the Jack Johnson and Friends Curious George soundtrack; his track is entitled "Lullaby". This song was taken from his The Elasmosaurus EP. Costa has also toured extensively in Australia, New Zealand, Europe, Asia and South America.
The video for Costa's first single "Cold December" was released February 2, 2006. On July 31, 2007, he released a song titled "If You Took To Me" as part of the environmentally minded polar bear documentary Arctic Tale and its soundtrack.
On October 7, 2007, Costa released the first single, "Mr. Pitiful," from his record Unfamiliar Faces. The song "Mr. Pitiful" was used during a scene with Paul Rudd in the movie I Love You, Man, the redband trailer for the film Youth in Revolt starring Michael Cera, and the movie Marmaduke. The song is featured during the opening credits of The Answer Man (film). Apple also used an instrumental cut of this song for the worldwide iPhone 3GS ads.
Mobile Chateau, Costa's next album, was released on September 21, 2010, via Brushfire Records. His 2013 self-titled album was recorded at Pheasant Studios in Santa Ana, CA, as Costa's first solo production.
Avenal
Matt Costa Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There's a feather falling on my street
There's a glow of the lights
Giving me hope that you'll be by my side
To look behind your eyes
To hear the things that no one knows
To see beyond the noise
At least to try
In the fields through the dawn
There's a town that still holds my arm
In the dusk of memories
There's a road I wanna take you down
To look behind your eyes
To hear the things that no one knows
To see beyond the noise
To feel the moon
At least to try
This place has changed
There's not much pain
There's not a door
That leads up to this place
Some have moved
Some have passed
So when you see it
You will know at last
And look behind my eyes
To hear the things that no one knows
To see beyond the noise
To feel the moon
At least to try
At least to try
The lyrics of Matt Costa's song "Avenal" convey a sense of longing, hope, and nostalgia. The singer finds solace in the simple things, symbolized by the feather falling on his street. This feather represents a small sign of positivity and possibility, amidst the challenges and uncertainties of life. The glow of the lights further emphasizes the hope that the person he longs for will be by his side. It suggests that even in the darkest times, there is always a flicker of optimism.
The singer expresses a desire to understand and connect with the person he cares about on a deeper level. He wants to "look behind [their] eyes" and discover their innermost thoughts and emotions. This could imply a yearning for intimacy and genuine connection, a longing to be seen and understood on a profound level. Additionally, he wants to "hear the things that no one knows," suggesting a desire for vulnerability and open communication in their relationship.
Amidst the noise and distractions of life, the singer longs to see beyond it all. He wants to go beyond the surface level and delve into the essence of things, searching for a deeper understanding and meaning. Feeling the moon symbolizes an appreciation for the mystical and intangible aspects of life, challenging himself to explore beyond what is visible or easily comprehensible.
The lyrics also allude to a place called Avenal, which holds significance to the singer. It represents a town that holds memories and holds his arm, possibly signifying a connection to his past and the importance of his roots. While this place may have changed and people may have moved on, the singer believes that by visiting it, the person he loves will finally understand the depth of his emotions.
The overall theme of these lyrics emphasizes the importance of trying to delve deeper, to truly see and understand each other. The singer acknowledges that it may not always be easy, but he is willing to make the effort to "look behind [their] eyes" and "to hear the things that no one knows." It's a plea to his loved one to open up emotionally and to connect on a profound level, even amidst the changes and uncertainties of life.
Line by Line Meaning
It's all right cause tonight
Everything is fine because of the current moment
There's a feather falling on my street
There is a small sign of grace or luck in my surroundings
There's a glow of the lights
The presence of illumination brings warmth and comfort
Giving me hope that you'll be by my side
The lights make me believe that you will be there supporting me
To look behind your eyes
To explore the depths of your true emotions and thoughts
To hear the things that no one knows
To listen to the secrets and intimate details that nobody else is aware of
To see beyond the noise
To perceive beyond the distractions and chaos
To feel the moon
To experience the tranquil and mysterious energy of the moon
At least to try
Even if it's difficult, attempting is worthwhile
In the fields through the dawn
In the open countryside as the sun rises
There's a town that still holds my arm
There is a place that still has a strong grip on my memories and emotions
In the dusk of memories
During the fading moments of recollections
There's a road I wanna take you down
There is a path or journey I desire to embark on with you
This place has changed
The current location or situation is different now
There's not much pain
There is a lack of suffering or distress
There's not a door
There is no entrance or opportunity
That leads up to this place
That guides or directs one towards this particular situation
Some have moved
Certain individuals have left or relocated
Some have passed
Some people have died or gone away
So when you see it
Therefore, when you witness or encounter it
You will know at last
Finally, you will understand or realize
And look behind my eyes
To examine the hidden emotions and thoughts within me
At least to try
At the very least, make an effort
Lyrics © REACH MUSIC PUBLISHING
Written by: Matt (ASCAP) Costa, Chase Perkowski
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@chagy93204
Cheers from our small town Avenal.....
@itzelperegrino9072
This song was inspired while Matt Costa was traveling through central California and stopped at a town Call Avenal. This is my hometown. Small farming community. Love the song and love the name 😉
@vallesvaldez
That's beautiful.
@fatmum7479
AVL NORTE
@michyan82
Matt, I started listening to you when I was just out of college in the mid 2000’s. You’re like a soundtrack to my adult life 🙏
@ketchumuu
one of the most underappreciated songs I have seen
@o0GrayMatters0o
how do you see the song being more appreciated
@sc4115
That's because he's one of the most under appreciated artists ever.
@GLo_2kTv
This hits different! Avenal is home🖤🌄
@guillelorca1
Finally YouTube brought me to a song that I will listen to a lot.