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.
Can You Tell Me
Matt Costa Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To paint a picture like Picasso?
Can you give me the tool that's right
And make a masterpiece of my life?
Make one simple and make one grand
One Michelangelo and one Cezanne
Frame the strangeness inside your mind
Chaos will turn into grace, brush my eyes
With colors shapes and lines changing frame of mind
So can you tell me what I need to know
To paint a picture like Picasso?
Can you give me the tool that's right
And make a masterpiece of my life?
That's what I need
That's what I need
That's what I need
That's what I need
That's what I need
That's what I need
That's what I need
That's what I need
That's what I need
That's what I need
That's what I need
That's what I need
That's what I need
That's what I need
That's what I need
That's what I need
That's what I need
That's what I need
That's what I need
That's what I need
Can you tell me
Can you tell me
Can you tell me
That's what I need
Can you tell me
Can you tell me
Can you tell me
That's what I need
In the song "Can You Tell Me," Matt Costa poses a question to someone he considers a creative mentor. He asks them to tell him what he needs to know in order to paint a picture like Picasso, and to give him the right tools to create a masterpiece out of his own life. He describes the process of creating art as one that can result in chaos, but with the right guidance, can transform into grace. Costa asks for grand ideas and simple ones, likening them to Michelangelo and Cezanne. He encourages the mentor to "frame the strangeness" inside their mind and to open up to new ideas.
Throughout the song, Costa repeats the phrase "that's what I need" as though he is desperate for some kind of guidance. He is seeking direction and inspiration from someone he admires in the hope that it will help him create something truly great. The song suggests that creativity is a process, and one that can be helped along with the right guidance and tools. Costa is willing to learn and to put in the work, but he needs someone to tell him where to start.
Line by Line Meaning
Can you tell me what I need to know
Asking for guidance on the knowledge or information required to create art.
To paint a picture like Picasso?
Asking to replicate the distinctive style of Picasso's artwork.
Can you give me the tool that's right
Requesting the appropriate equipment, material, or resources required to create art.
And make a masterpiece of my life?
Asking for assistance in creating a great work of art out of one's life experiences.
Make one simple and make one grand
Asking to create artwork in different styles, ranging from straightforward to complex.
One Michelangelo and one Cezanne
Asking to create artwork in different styles, referencing two famous artists who worked in different styles.
Frame the strangeness inside your mind
Asking to capture unique or unconventional ideas that might seem unusual to others.
Open the curtains, open them wide
Asking to reveal and showcase one's artwork to the world.
Chaos will turn into grace, brush my eyes
Describing the transformative power of art and how it can change how one sees the world.
With colors shapes and lines changing frame of mind
Describing the way art can alter one's perception and thoughts through visual elements.
That's what I need
Reinforcing the desire for guidance and resources to create great art.
Can you tell me
Reiterating the request for advice and assistance.
Contributed by Adeline S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Henry Przepiorka
melodic echoey guitar pop