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.
Ballad Of Miss Kate
Matt Costa Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Where once I had faith now all I see is black
Black seeing black
I gave you up rather than giving in
Where once there was virtue, it's fallen to sin
Black seeing black
You gave me your word
Never looking back
You can run, you can try
But you won't get away this time
You played me for a fool, in your heart you had deceit
I made you up inside my mind, when finally you I meet
You had turned black turning black
I never could have seen how you'd shoot that 44
You hit me right below the shoulder, I fell to the floor
I'm on my back, on my back
You shot me with your gun
Then you run, run, run, run
Never looking back
You can run into the street
My tire tracks you will soon meet
And if you run into the woods
I'll chop you down just like a tree
I rolled into town from years spent in my sleep
The word that the people held was that your price is cheap
Your price is cheap, price is cheap
The house with the red light on and fancy decor
You built your new life hastily so now I find you poor
I find you poor, find you poor
The sheriff found you out
There is guaranteed no doubt
You ain't coming back
We watched you catch a railroad car
That didn't get you very far
And when you finally met your match
We watched you kiss the railroad tracks
Black seeing black
The Ballad of Miss Kate by Matt Costa tells the story of a woman who deceives her lover, leading him to lose faith and trust in her. The lyrics talk about how the man had faith in the woman but she took her word back leaving him feeling betrayed, seeing everything in black. The song includes a metaphor of "flying like a bird" which refers to the woman leaving and not looking back, trying to escape from the consequences of her actions. The man in the song doesn't give in to the deceit and decides to move on rather than staying with someone who has turned black or dishonest.
As the song progresses, it becomes clear that the woman has played the man for a fool, and the consequences are dire. She shoots him with a 44, leaving him injured and on his back. The man then pledges to get even but ends up rolling into town only to find that the woman has lost everything and is rushed out of town by the sheriff. The song includes a message that dishonesty and betrayal come with consequences, and they will catch up with you eventually.
Line by Line Meaning
You gave me your word, then you took your word back
I trusted you, but you broke your promise and went back on your word
Where once I had faith now all I see is black
I used to believe in you, but now I see only darkness or evil
Black seeing black
A continuation of the previous line, emphasizing the darkness and negativity of the situation
I gave you up rather than giving in
Instead of compromising my values or beliefs, I chose to end our relationship
Where once there was virtue, it's fallen to sin
Your good qualities or morality have turned into bad ones, leading to immoral behavior
You gave me your word
You made a promise to me
Then you flew like a bird
You left quickly and without warning
Never looking back
You didn't have any regrets or consideration for what happened before
You can run, you can try
You can attempt to escape or evade the consequences
But you won't get away this time
However, you will not be able to avoid facing the repercussions this time
You played me for a fool, in your heart you had deceit
You manipulated me and were dishonest, despite what you truly felt
I made you up inside my mind, when finally you I meet
I had imagined you to be someone else, and was disappointed when I finally met you in person
You had turned black turning black
Your behavior and personality had become even worse than before
I never could have seen how you'd shoot that 44
I did not anticipate that you would act so recklessly and harmfully, such as using a gun
You hit me right below the shoulder, I fell to the floor
You physically harmed me, causing me to fall to the ground
I'm on my back, on my back
I am lying on the ground, possibly injured or defeated
You shot me with your gun
You wounded me with a weapon
Then you run, run, run, run
You quickly fled the scene
You can run into the street
You can try to escape by running out into public
My tire tracks you will soon meet
However, I will track you down and find you
And if you run into the woods
If you attempt to hide in the woods
I'll chop you down just like a tree
I will harm you or cause you to fall like a tree being cut down
I rolled into town from years spent in my sleep
I arrived in town after being away for a long time, perhaps in isolation or hibernation
The word that the people held was that your price is cheap
The local gossip or rumors stated that you were of little worth or value
Your price is cheap, price is cheap
Emphasizing the low worth or significance of the subject
The house with the red light on and fancy decor
A description of a location, likely a brothel or similar establishment
You built your new life hastily so now I find you poor
You quickly established a new identity or lifestyle, but it has left you worse off or impoverished
I find you poor, find you poor
Reiterating the previous line, expressing disappointment or pity
The sheriff found you out
You were discovered or caught by the law enforcement
There is guaranteed no doubt
It is certain and indisputable
You ain't coming back
You will not return or escape punishment
We watched you catch a railroad car
You were observed boarding a train or departing from the area
That didn't get you very far
Despite your attempt to escape, it was unsuccessful and you did not travel very far
And when you finally met your match
When you ultimately encountered someone who was able to hold you accountable or bring you to justice
We watched you kiss the railroad tracks
You were either killed or injured by the train, as a metaphor for facing the consequences of your actions
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Y, MATTHEW ALBERT COSTA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind