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.
Whiskey and Wine
Matt Costa Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Now they wont leave me, why won't they leave me alone?
And with these old reasons are bottled up feelings
I wont be leaving no, won't be leaving alone
What is in it? What is in it?
To pour myself some more
What is in it? What is in it?
Oh whiskey and wine
You've messed up my mind
Whiskey and wine
You've got me this time
Bottles of reasons have now reached the ceiling
It's hard to hide it, I'll hide behind it for now
My big mouth said too much, I'm shaking at your touch
All the bottles came crashing down to the floor
What is in it? What is in it?
It couldn't be so bad
What is in it? What is in it?
That's driving me so mad
Oh whiskey and wine
You've messed up my mind
Whiskey and wine
You've got me this time
Bottles of reasons I've kept in the freezer
Now they won't leave me, why won't they leave me alone?
And with these old reasons are bottled up feelings
I won't be leaving, so won't you leave me alone
What is in it? What is in it?
To pour myself some more
What is in it? What is in it?
I'm always back for more
Oh whiskey and wine
You've messed up my mind
Whiskey and wine
You've got me this time
I used to be fine 'till whiskey arrived
Now whiskey and wine stays on my mind
The lyrics for Matt Costa's song, Whiskey and Wine, are about the singer's struggle with addiction. The song talks about how he has kept bottles of whiskey and wine in his freezer, and how he cannot seem to stop drinking them. He questions what is in it that makes him always come back for more.
The bottles of reasons in the freezer, according to the song, are a reminder of past mistakes and feelings that he has tried to bottle up. The singer is using the alcohol to numb his emotions, but in the end, it only makes things worse. The chorus emphasizes the hold that the addiction has on him, stating that whiskey and wine have "messed up [his] mind" and "got [him] this time."
The second verse reveals that he has gone too far with his addiction and that he cannot hide it anymore. His "big mouth" has gotten him into trouble, and he is "shaking at [someone's] touch." The bottles ultimately shatter, a metaphor for the singer's life falling apart due to his addiction.
The final verse ends with the singer pleading for the addiction to leave him alone. He acknowledges that he won't leave the addiction alone, but he wants the opposite to be true. The last line of the song reveals how the addiction has changed his life for the worse, stating that he used to be fine until whiskey arrived.
Overall, the song is a powerful portrayal of how addiction can take over a person's life and leave them feeling trapped and alone.
Line by Line Meaning
Bottles of reasons I kept in the freezer
I stored my reasons for drinking in the freezer
Now they wont leave me, why won't they leave me alone?
I can't stop thinking about them
And with these old reasons are bottled up feelings
My emotions are trapped in these bottles
I wont be leaving no, won't be leaving alone
I'm not planning on stopping anytime soon
What is in it? What is in it?
I wonder what makes this drink so irresistible
To pour myself some more
I can't resist having another drink
I'm always back for more
I keep coming back for another round
Oh whiskey and wine
These two drinks have a hold on me
You've messed up my mind
They've affected my mental state
You've got me this time
I'm hooked, I can't resist
Bottles of reasons have now reached the ceiling
I have too many reasons to drink
It's hard to hide it, I'll hide behind it for now
I try to conceal my drinking
My big mouth said too much, I'm shaking at your touch
I regret what I've said and I'm nervous
All the bottles came crashing down to the floor
I can't keep up with my drinking, it's out of control
It couldn't be so bad
I tell myself it's harmless
That's driving me so mad
But I can't stop thinking about it
I won't be leaving, so won't you leave me alone
I'm not going anywhere and I don't want people to interfere with my drinking
I used to be fine 'till whiskey arrived
I was doing okay until I discovered whiskey
Now whiskey and wine stays on my mind
Now, I can't stop thinking about them
Contributed by Mila O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@rainbowgoosey
Why is the basically erased from the internet? I love this song ❤
@bisgaard2860
Still one of the best songs ever made
@Elijah-sf1ej
I'm starting to see why people like that stuff so much
@ryg4895
omg how could I forget about this song
@lombardozarateiii6920
one of my favorite songs all time no doubt
@Solo_Videos
Good song, reminds me a touch of James Vincent Mcmorrow. Just a bit.
@captain8742
yeah.