Elliott was first inspired to investigate & to attempt to understand music at around 7 years old on hearing the mournful tones of a russian orthodox choir & wondering how music alone can move you to tears. This would eventually inspire him to study music un-academically through his own research into sound & music.
He started his musical career in a record shop from the age of 16. A second hand record shop (The legendary Revolver Records who's employees have included Dave Pearce (Flying Saucer Attack), Daddy G, Debbie Manning (Foehn)) owned by a music enthusiast to rival John Peel, Matt considers these years as his basic education in music. He formed along with Kate Wright (Movietone) & Rachel Brook (Movietone/Flying Saucer Attack) the band 'Linda's Strange Vacation' which met on Sundays to rehearse in a shed at Brooks parents with begged borrowed & stolen instruments including rolls of carpets, snooker cues, a broken keyboard then slowly the guitars & drums arrived. Kate Wright & Rachel Brook went on to form Movietone with which Matt played as an occasional member. About the same time Brook & Dave Pearce formed Flying Saucer attack & the first version of The Third Eye Foundation appeared, the idea being a loose collective. Elliott recorded with Flying Saucer attack under this name involving Debbie Manning (Foehn) & Niven Murray on a couple of tracks.
With the royalties earned from Flying Saucer Attack he started his own micro-label called Linda's Strange Vacation who's first release was AMP's 'Get there'/'Remember' 7".
The second release was the first Third Eye Foundation album entitled 'Semtex' released on Linda's Strange Vacation with a lot of help from Domino Records. It was recorded on a borrowed 4 track using anything & everything to try to escape the 4 track sound. Predominated by guitar noise & drum machines with Debbie Manning providing vocals & additional guitar the result is an intense but bleak wash of sound.
'In Version' is the last release for Linda's Strange Vacation Records. It is a collection of remixes of bands Elliott was working with and/or friends with including Hood & Crescent. The Flying saucer Attack remix consists solely of music recorded for FSA by Elliott but rejected by Pearce, reworked, obliterated & re-collaged. Pearce threatens legal action.
The second Third Eye Foundation album proper is 'Ghost' slightly preceded by the 12" Semtex (nothing to do with the album of the same name) Both Ghost & Semtex 12" are more sampler based & twist squeeks, howls, screams & anything & everything into soundscapes backed by fractured, skittering drum beats. The release of 'The Sound of Violence' ends what Elliott described as a bleak & disturbing era both sonically & mentally.
After investing in a new studio set up, 1998 saw the release of 'You Guys Kill Me' the most critically acclaimed of all the Third Eye Foundation releases. With increased recording possibilities the result is a much broader sound with many more ideas realized. It's far more accessible than the harsh tones of Ghost but still has a dark edge, combining more subtle use of depth & darkness within the cinematic sound with the cluttering drum & bass & breakbeats attempting to hold everything together.
Fear of a Wack Planet & In Bristol with a Pistol (a remix of the track on You Guys Kill Me) are released as singles.
The final Third Eye Foundation album proper is released in 2000 'Little Lost Soul' is Elliott's attempt to make a beautiful record. Far more based around acoustic orchestra instruments & choirs, the beats recede slightly taking a back seat almost completely in the song 'Lost' but the darkness is still there just beneath.
'I Poo Poo on your Juju' is released in 2001. It is a collection of Third Eye Foundation remixes of Yann Tiersen, Blonde Redhead, Tarwater, Urchin, The Remote Viewer, & others.
Elliott starts work on the album 'The Mess We Made' released in 2003 under his own name largely to separate himself from his previous working method. The 10" 'Borderline Schizophrenic' is the last gasp of the Third Eye Foundation consisting of tracks recorded for the unfinished next album but released as a Matt Elliott record. 'The Mess We Made' loses the drum breaks almost completely focusing more on atmospheres & vocals. It is a very sombre affair with songs made out of stretched & broken vocals over melancholy instrumentation. Some reviews warn against listening to it when in a fragile state of mind. It is his first collaboration with Chris Cole (Manyfingers) & Sabine Chaouch.
The last ever Third Eye Foundation album is released in 2004. Consisting of a remix project of artists released by the French label 'Ici D'ailleurs'. The idea was that the project was the musical equivalent of OULIPO. A French literary movement from the 60's so a list of rules of engagement were drawn up. It was the first of many in the OUMUPO series including artists: Kid Loco, Rob Swift & many others.
2004 also sees Elliott's first proper release with Ici D'ailleurs. 'Drinking Songs' is a collection of dark faux european folk ballads inspired by the shanty 'The Sinking Ship song' from The Mess We Made. Choirs of Elliott's sombre voice sing over broken guitars & cellos of being left for dead, trying to contact the living, discovering ones own failings, of being resigned to ones fate as in "The Kursk' where the choir portrays the shivering desperate crew of the stricken submarine as she lies at the depths awaiting rescue from an uncaring government.
2006 sees the second of what will end up a trilogy. 'Failing Songs' is a continuation in theme. The voice more resigned, but the overall themes the same, loneliness, frustration. songs about failures as people & as a species & every point in between. Failing Songs features Chris Cole on drums & is the first collaboration with Patricia Arguelles whose violin parts were recorded over a series of nights in the Village Church.
2008 sees the final part of the 'Songs' trilogy. 'Howling Songs' is a first in that it was mainly recorded & mixed in a studio. Features again Patricia Arguelles & Chris Cole (Manyfingers) aswell as Aurelien Potier on various instruments.
2011 sees the release of 'The Dark' under the Third Eye Foundation monika on Ici D'ailleurs Records
2012 sees the release of another Matt Elliott album 'The Broken Man' on Ici D'ailleurs Records. Recorded in Yann Tiersens studio and mixed by Yann Tiersen himself.
Dust Flesh and Bones
Matt Elliott Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I swear to god I thought it was a sign
This shallow grave recedes with every darkened patch of sky
The withered, wearied features start resembling mine
And in the disparate clamour of the chaos that surrounds you
It's hard to know which of the voices that you hear
Are your own
Some things scar your heart so deeply that a howl is not enough
Still you yearn for contact but the burden that you shoulder means
you'll never trust a living soul again
And in the disparate clamour of the chaos that surrounds you
It's hard to know which of the voices that you hear
Are your own
This is how it feels to be alone, just like we'll die alone
This is how it feels to be alone
This is how it feels to be alone
This is all that we can call our own
Dust flesh and bone
This is how it feels to be alone
Just like we'll die alone
In "Dust Flesh and Bones," Matt Elliott paints a portrait of loneliness and despair, capturing the feeling of being consumed by darkness and isolation, unable to find a way out of the abyss. The lyrics begin with an acknowledgement of the darkness that some people carry within them, a darkness so profound that it can overwhelm any attempt to bring light to it. The singer is haunted by a sense of futility, as if all his efforts to escape the shadows are futile.
As the song progresses, we get a sense of the deep scars left by trauma and loss, and the burden of living with that pain. The repeated refrain - "this is how it feels to be alone, just like we'll die alone" - hints at the finality of that isolation, the sense that there is no escape from the abyss. The final lines of the song - "Dust flesh and bone / This is how it feels to be alone / Just like we'll die alone" - are a reminder of the essential fragility of human existence, and the stark isolation that comes with that fragility.
Despite the bleakness of the song's subject matter, "Dust Flesh and Bones" is a powerful and deeply affecting work of art. Elliott's lyrics capture the essence of human despair with a precision and depth of feeling that is truly remarkable.
Line by Line Meaning
Some things are so dark that woe betide the light that shines on them
There are some things that are so painful and traumatic that they cannot be revealed, and any attempt to do so may result in even more pain and suffering.
I swear to god I thought it was a sign
I believe that everything happens for a reason, and I thought this particular event was a sign from a higher power or force.
This shallow grave recedes with every darkened patch of sky
This feeling of depression and hopelessness ebbs and flows, becoming less intense as time passes or when I see moments of light and positivity.
The withered, wearied features start resembling mine
The emotional turmoil and stress has visibly aged and exhausted myself, and I see the same weariness in others who have gone through similar experiences.
And in the disparate clamour of the chaos that surrounds you
During times of turmoil and confusion, it's difficult to differentiate between what is important and what is just background noise.
It's hard to know which of the voices that you hear are your own
When there are so many opinions and thoughts swirling around, it's tough to identify and trust my own instincts and inner voice.
Some things scar your heart so deeply that a howl is not enough
There are some events and experiences that are so devastating and heartbreaking that no amount of expression, whether it's crying, screaming, or any other form of release, can fully capture the depth of the pain.
To adequately purge the soul of pain
To truly move on and heal from these wounds, I need to process and work through the pain rather than just simply trying to forget or ignore it.
Still you yearn for contact but the burden that you shoulder means you'll never trust a living soul again
I crave human connection and intimacy, but the trauma and scars I carry make it impossible to trust others enough to let them in.
This is how it feels to be alone, just like we'll die alone
The feeling of loneliness is overwhelming and persistent, and despite any companionship or relationships we may have throughout our lives, we ultimately face our own mortality alone.
This is all that we can call our own, dust flesh and bone
In the end, all we truly have and can rely on is the physical body and earthly vessel that carries us through life, everything else is fleeting and temporary.
This is how it feels to be alone
The pervasive sense of isolation and loneliness is all-consuming and ever-present in my life.
Just like we'll die alone
Our final moments, regardless of who may surround us, will be a solitary experience as we transition from this life to whatever comes next.
Contributed by Lillian M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@Atomic_cat_69
LYRICS
Some things are so dark that woe betide the light that shines on them
I swear to god I thought it was a sign
This shallow grave recedes with every darkened patch of sky
The withered, wearied features start resembling mine
And in the disparate clamour of the chaos that surrounds you
It's hard to know which of the voices that you hear
Are your own
Some things scar your heart so deeply that a howl is not enough
To adequately purge the soul of pain
Still you yearn for contact but the burden that you shoulder means
You'll never trust a living soul again
And in the disparate clamour of the chaos that surrounds you
It's hard to know which of the voices that you hear
Are your own
This is how it feels to be alone, just like we'll die alone
This is how it feels to be alone
This is how it feels to be alone
This is all that we can call our own
Dust flesh and bone
This is how it feels to be alone
Just like we'll die alone
@user-mm3cu8sk3l
Some things are so dark that woe betide the light that shines on them
I swear to god I thought it was a sign
This shallow grave recedes with every darkened patch of sky
The withered, wearied features start resembling mine
And in the disparate clamour of the chaos that surrounds you
It's hard to know which of the voices that you hear
Are your own
Some things scar your heart so deeply that a howl is not enough
To adequately purge the soul of pain
Still you yearn for contact but the burden that you shoulder means
You'll never trust a living soul again
And in the disparate clamour of the chaos that surrounds you
It's hard to know which of the voices that you hear
Are your own
This is how it feels to be alone, just like we'll die alone
This is how it feels to be alone
This is how it feels to be alone
This is all that we can call our own
Dust flesh and bone
This is how it feels to be alone
Just like we'll die alone
@parishermianos5159
Some things are so dark that woe betide the light that shines on them
I swear to god I thought it was a sign
This shallow grave recedes with every darkened patch of sky
The withered, wearied features start resembling mine
And in the disparate clamour of the chaos that surrounds you
It's hard to know which of the voices that you hear
Are your own
Some things scar your heart so deeply that a howl is not enough
To adequately purge the soul of pain
Still you yearn for contact but the burden that you shoulder means
You'll never trust a living soul again
And in the disparate clamour of the chaos that surrounds you
It's hard to know which of the voices that you hear
Are your own
This is how it feels to be alone, just like we'll die alone
This is how it feels to be alone
This is how it feels to be alone
This is all that we can call our own
Dust flesh and bone
This is how it feels to be alone
Just like we'll die alone
@OfficalMcM
What can I say, friends? Some of us are blessed and are deemed content with life, while some of us are here forced to haunt the comments section of this miserable piece.
@ScrapsTen
I had the pleasure to see Matt live here in Portugal and he was accepting song suggestions, someone shouted this song and what can I say, it was even better live. It felt like my soul went for a ride and came back. Truly beautiful
@senaszydas
That touches my soul deeply. Great. Great feeling to be alone. Matt is great musician.
@svetlananananana
He’s medicine to the soul, more than a musician. Surely it is more than music, if it changes us
@gedyszzz7
Cracking the warm one without boys
@wallflower3723
hell ye
@kainnesse1977
we here
@mackygee3773
He knows.
@ogey_elise
this song is beautiful and absolutely soul-crushing at the same time.
@Atomic_cat_69
LYRICS
Some things are so dark that woe betide the light that shines on them
I swear to god I thought it was a sign
This shallow grave recedes with every darkened patch of sky
The withered, wearied features start resembling mine
And in the disparate clamour of the chaos that surrounds you
It's hard to know which of the voices that you hear
Are your own
Some things scar your heart so deeply that a howl is not enough
To adequately purge the soul of pain
Still you yearn for contact but the burden that you shoulder means
You'll never trust a living soul again
And in the disparate clamour of the chaos that surrounds you
It's hard to know which of the voices that you hear
Are your own
This is how it feels to be alone, just like we'll die alone
This is how it feels to be alone
This is how it feels to be alone
This is all that we can call our own
Dust flesh and bone
This is how it feels to be alone
Just like we'll die alone