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.
Shotgun
Matt Costa Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Which way to go and what to do
Though the winners I know, are born to loose
Don t know where you ...to
People walking around, they re just gambling fools
Close you bet... dues
Some are for peace, some are for war
I just sit and try to ignore it
You can just fake it, you ll see it s wrong
It s hard to have faith it
When all of your role models mating
Gonna shotgun vacation
Find all my favorite office ...
Sometimes in yoru life, you will walk in a room
Everyone s invited but you
And this situation will face you at dawn
You can just fake it, you ll see it s wrong
It s hard to have faith it
When all of your role models mating
Gonna stuck on vacation
You die trying, die trying, you die trying, find a way
You die trying, die trying, you die trying, finding
All the winners I know, are born to loose
Gonna shotgun vacation
Shotgun vacation
Gonna shotgun vacation
Shotgun vacation.
The lyrics to Matt Costa's song "Shotgun" are quite introspective with an underlying theme of feeling lost and unsure in life. The first verse talks about the difficulty in making choices and decisions, where no matter what you do, you're bound to lose. The second verse touches on the dichotomy of humanity, wherein some people advocate for peace while others push for war, and the singer chooses to ignore it all. The chorus "Gonna shotgun vacation" could be interpreted as a desire to take a break from the constant struggle of life, perhaps even suggesting a need for spontaneity and excitement.
The bridge of the song talks about exclusion, where sometimes despite being in the same room as others, one can still feel left out. The line "All the winners I know, are born to lose" is a poignant reminder of how even people who seem to have it all can still feel lost and uncertain. The repetition of "die trying, die trying, find a way" and "die trying, die trying, finding" could either signify the singer's determination to keep trying despite past failures, or it could be a nod to how life is ultimately fleeting and short.
Overall, "Shotgun" is a song about feeling lost and figuring out one's place in the world, with a hint of longing for adventure and a break from the monotony of day to day life.
Line by Line Meaning
I've got a feeling right now it's hard to choose
Feeling conflicted and unsure of what decision to make
Which way to go and what to do
Unclear of the path forward and what actions to take
Though the winners I know, are born to loose
Even successful people experience failure and setbacks
Don't know where you ...to
Unsure of where to direct one's efforts or attention
People walking around, they're just gambling fools
Many people take risks without considering the potential consequences
Close you bet...dues
Take responsibility for your actions and accept the consequences of your choices
Some are for peace, some are for war
There are different ideologies and perspectives in the world
I just sit and try to ignore it
Choosing not to engage in conflicts or debates
And this situation will face you at dawn
Challenges and problems will arise, and will need to be confronted
You can just fake it, you'll see it's wrong
Putting on a facade or pretending to be something you're not is not a sustainable solution
It's hard to have faith it
Difficult to maintain optimism or trust in a situation that is uncertain or challenging
When all of your role models mating
Seeing those you admire and look up to fail or face difficulties can be disheartening
Gonna shotgun vacation
Attempting to escape or avoid the stresses and problems of life
Find all my favorite office ...
Not a clear or meaningful phrase
Sometimes in your life, you will walk in a room
Metaphorically entering a new, unknown situation or environment
Everyone's invited but you
Feeling excluded or left out in certain situations
Gonna stuck on vacation
Feeling trapped or unable to escape problems or challenges
You die trying, die trying, you die trying, find a way
Pushing oneself to persist through challenges and overcome obstacles, even if it means risking failure or setbacks
All the winners I know, are born to lose
Success ultimately comes from learning and growing from failures and setbacks
Gonna shotgun vacation
Reiterating the idea of attempting to escape or avoid problems
Shotgun vacation
Repeating the phrase for emphasis and effect
Contributed by Gabriel I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.