From an early age, Matt Dusk wanted to become a performer. At the age of seven, he was accepted into the St. Michael's Choir School, where he remained for eleven years. Originally Dusk performed opera and classical music but after hearing a couple Tony Bennett and Sarah Vaughan records at the age of 17 he began to change his musical style and direction. In 1998 he won the top spot in the Canadian National Exhibition Rising Star Competition, beating out 654 contestants. However, Dusk was on a path to take over the family business, and in 1998 went to Toronto's York University to study economics. After spending a year in the economics department, Dusk could not forget his passion for music and in 1999 changed programs to study for a BFA in music, where his emphasis was squarely on jazz and popular music. He studied jazz theory with John Gittins, jazz vocal with Bob Fenton, and attended a masterclass with Oscar Peterson. Dusk was also awarded the university’s Oscar Peterson Scholarship and in 2002 graduated with an honors degree in music.
Before Dusk had secured a major record deal, he recorded four independent CDs (The Way It Is being the only one re-released thusfar) and many of his songs became popular on MP3 websites. In March 2003 he signed a major record deal with Decca Records. In 2004 Dusk was invited to the Golden Nugget Casino in Las Vegas to perform as in-house entertainer throughout the filming of the hit reality TV show on FOX, "The Casino".
His debut album "Two Shots" was released on June 5, 2004. The album produced the hit single, "Two Shots of Happy, One Shot of Sad" which was written by Bono and The Edge from the Irish rock band U2. Dusk followed up his debut album with a holiday album entitled "Peace On Earth" which was released November 30, 2005.
In January 2006 Dusk travelled to Los Angeles to record his next album Back In Town at Capitol Records fabled Studio A. Here, Dusk recorded with a 58 piece orchestra. Back In Town features a mix of jazz standards and originals, and was released in June of 2006. As a promotion, Matt included personally signed liner notes with every pre-ordered copy of this album.
Two Shots
Matt Dusk Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You think I'm no good, well I know I've been bad
Took you to a place, now you can't get back
Walked together down a dead end street
We were mixing the bitter with the sweet
Don't try to figure out what we might of had
Just two shots of happy, one shot of sad
I'm just a singer, some say a sinner
Rolling the dice, not always a winner
You say I've been lucky, well hell I've made my own
Not part of the crowd, but not feeling alone
Under pressure, but not bent out of shape
Surrounded, we always found an escape
Drove me to drink, but hey that's not all bad
Two shots of happy, one shot of sad
Guess I've been greedy, all of my life
Greedy with my children, my lovers, my wife
Greedy for the good things as well as the bad
Two shots of happy, one shot of sad
Maybe it's just talk, saloon singing
The chairs are all stacked, the swinging's stopped swinging
You say I hurt you, you put the finger on yourself
Then after you did it, you came crying for my help
Two shots of happy, one shot of sad
I'm not complaining, baby I'm glad
You call it a compromise, well what's that
Two shots of happy, one shot of sad
Two shots of happy, one shot of sad
In Matt Dusk's song "Two Shots," the lyrics seem to be a reflection on a misguided relationship that seemed to have gone awry. The song opens with the line "two shots of happy, one shot of sad" which to me represents the mix of good and bad experiences in the relationship. The lyrics seem to suggest that the relationship was doomed from the start, and the singer knew that they had made mistakes, leading to the breakdown of the relationship. The line "you think I'm no good, well I know I've been bad" refers to the criticism he has received from his partner for their actions in the relationship.
The song seems to describe the highs and lows of a relationship that ultimately came to an end. The line "took you to a place, now you can't get back" further emphasizes this idea, implying that the relationship was a journey that ended in a place where they couldn't continue. The lyrics are poignant and reflective, portraying the sadness and regret that often accompanies the end of a relationship that once held so much promise.
Overall, the imagery and the emotion in the lyrics make for a powerful song that encapsulates the feelings of a relationship's breakdown. The song speaks to anyone who has ever experienced a difficult relationship and the sadness of having to move on.
Line by Line Meaning
Two shots of happy, one shot of sad
A mixture of good and bad experiences throughout life
You think I'm no good, well I know I've been bad
People perceive me as being bad due to my past behavior
Took you to a place, now you can't get back
I showed you a different way of life, but you can't go back to your old ways
Walked together down a dead end street
We went down a path that led to nowhere
We were mixing the bitter with the sweet
We had both good and bad experiences on our journey
Don't try to figure out what we might of had
There's no point in dwelling on what could have been
I'm just a singer, some say a sinner
I'm just an ordinary person who makes mistakes
Rolling the dice, not always a winner
Taking chances in life doesn't always end well
You say I've been lucky, well hell I've made my own
Luck is a result of hard work and perseverance
Not part of the crowd, but not feeling alone
I don't conform to societal norms, but I still feel connected to others
Under pressure, but not bent out of shape
I face adversity, but it doesn't break me
Surrounded, we always found an escape
Even in difficult situations, we found a way out
Drove me to drink, but hey that's not all bad
Alcohol was a coping mechanism for me, but it wasn't all negative
Guess I've been greedy, all of my life
I've always wanted more, whether it's material possessions or life experiences
Greedy with my children, my lovers, my wife
I want the best for my loved ones, but sometimes my actions are driven by my own desires
Greedy for the good things as well as the bad
My desire for more includes both positive and negative experiences
Maybe it's just talk, saloon singing
Maybe it's just meaningless chatter that happens in a bar
The chairs are all stacked, the swinging's stopped swinging
The party's over, and it's time to go home
You say I hurt you, you put the finger on yourself
It's your own fault that you feel hurt by my actions
Then after you did it, you came crying for my help
You made a mistake, and now you want me to fix it
I'm not complaining, baby I'm glad
I'm not upset with the way things turned out
You call it a compromise, well what's that
You think we made a compromise, but you're not sure what that even means
Contributed by Parker B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Edward Mallon
Absolutely fantastic!
Avenger Nemesis
Wow ! Love this smooth song.
Plus the sexy guy who sings the song..
Australia 😘❤
I have had this song for ages...
AK
u2 wrote this masterpiece.
Theo Reijmers
Bono
Susan Czajkowskyj
I Will see him on July 22, 2017