In 2003, Morris recorded and released an independent album titled, UnSpoken.
He performed at 2008's Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival and, on September 23, 2008, released a five song EP entitled "Backstage at Bonnaroo and Other Acoustic Performances".
In fall 2008 he toured extensively with Joan Osborne.
Morris is currently signed as a recording artist to Tennman Records. His debut album on Tennman, When Everything Breaks Open, was released on January 12th, 2010
What is it that separates Matt Morris from so many other recording artists? When you peel back all the layers – the diverse moods, styles and topics he sings about – there is one common denominator: They reflect Matt’s dedication to living and writing about a meaningful life.
In an increasingly rushed and rude world, in which politicians and talk radio hosts hurl epithets and insults, where honest disagreements are shouted down by dishonest rhetoric, Matt Morris gives voice to our best instincts. “We’re looking for a way to make it better/Looking for a way to change the weather,” he sings in “Live Forever” from his new album When Everything Breaks Open on Tennman Records. On the album, Matt embraces the personal and political, the romantic and the spiritual, in a way that recalls Stevie Wonder’s 1970s streak of masterworks.
He can build epic emotional epiphanies such as “Forgiveness” and “Eternity,” and switch gears with the rhythmic “Money.” He is bold and fearless with sarcasm on “The Un-American,” where Morris holds up a mirror to the demagogues of divisiveness and asks: “What if you’re the un-American?” The dynamic singer is also at home with the ambitious “Don’t You Dare”, on memorable love songs like “Just Before the Morning,” and shows his compassion with his message in “In This House.”
When Everything Breaks Open was produced in Austin, Texas, and in Los Angeles by Charlie Sexton and Tennman label founder Justin Timberlake – two names you wouldn’t intuitively expect to team up in the studio. “Charlie and Justin can be seen as representative of different sides of my music,” Morris says. “There is an earthy, rooted, sometimes melancholy side to some of my writing that is in line with Charlie’s personality and approach. There is a playful, high-energy, soulful side that speaks to who Justin is, as a person and producer. The two people are very different from one another, but they both have impeccable instincts.”
Morris has known Timberlake since the early 1990s, when the two were child co-stars of that era’s edition of “The All New Mickey Mouse Club.” Morris was on the show for four seasons, from 1991-1995. Even before what was popularly known as MMC, Morris was a stage savvy performer. His father is country artist Gary Morris, former Broadway actor and once one of country’s biggest stars. His parents divorced when he was young; he lived with his mother in Denver, but on summer vacations, he would often join his father not just on the road, but on stage.
In addition to Timberlake, Morris’ friends and contemporaries from the show included luminaries such as Christina Aguilera, Britney Spears, Keri Russell, Ryan Gosling, and JC Chasez. While many of his cohorts leveraged their Disney Channel exposure to successful pop and acting careers, Morris craved teenage normality, and the family headed back to Denver. “At 15, all I really wanted to do was hang out, get my learner’s permit, and not work” Morris says. “I didn’t want to be a celebrity; I wanted to be a kid."
During the summer between his Junior and Senior years in high school, Matt worked as a volunteer health activist for the non-profit organization, Amigos de las Americas. He worked in a remote village in Paraguay, South America, teaching hygiene to locals and assisting with sanitation. Matt’s experience with Amigos was a precursor to the work he would do as a partner artist with the Flobot’s non-profit, FightWithTools.org, an organization committed to providing support on many levels to communities in need.
Morris reunited as a collaborator for some of his fellow Mouseketeers as they pursued their music careers. Morris and Aguilera co-wrote five songs on her Stripped album, including the hit “Can’t Hold Us Down”; they also wrote Kelly Clarkson’s hit, “Miss Independent.” Morris teamed up with Timberlake to craft “The Only Promise That Remains” – a duet performed by Timberlake and Reba McEntire for the Reba Duets album. The pair also wrote “All Over Again (Another Song)” produced by mega-producer Rick Rubin, for Justin’s 2008 FutureSex/LoveSounds.
“To write for another person is to channel that person’s artistic vision,” Morris says. “I work to become aligned with their intentions, and allow my words to speak as close to their perspectives as possible. I think that’s why it is so easy for me to write with Justin, and why my time with Christina yielded so many songs. I know them; we have a shared context.”
Morris’ own music occupies a time and space entirely different from the songs he has collaborated on. In 2003, Matt released the DIY album, UnSpoken, and over the last couple of years has toured with Grammy award winners The Indigo Girls and Joan Osborne. In 2008, he performed at the Bonnaroo Music Festival, which spawned a five song EP – Backstage at Bonnaroo and other Acoustic Performances.
All these years of work paved the way for When Everything Breaks Open, which was conceived in a Middle Eastern restaurant in New York City. “Justin had just performed on “Saturday Night Live” for the first time, and I was there to support him and watch the show. At dinner after the show, he told me he was going to start a label of his own, and that he wanted to sign me as his artist. He said he was going to help me share my music with the world, and I believed him.”
On When Everything Breaks Open, Matt Morris has grown from an award-winning songwriter to a multi-talented recording artist with the first ambitious release of 2010.
Live Forever
Matt Morris Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Please tell me baby, it's not a mistake
I'm an honest man; I know how to wait
So please tell me baby, it's not a mistake
There's no language for how I feel
There is no language for how I feel
When I look at you standing there, none of this seems real
Cause we're looking for the way to make this better
Looking for a way to change the weather,
Whether you or I survive tonight
I promise you that I will love you like we're gonna live forever
There ain't a thing that could change my mind
There ain't a thing that could change my mind
Let the tower fall I'll play the fool and leave everything behind
There aint a thing that can change my mind
Cause we're looking for a way to make it better
Looking for a way to change the weather,
Whether you or I survive tonight
I promise you that I will love you like we're gonna live forever
When everything breaks open, everything breaks down
Wider and wider the spaces between
We look in the dark and wonder, does it make sense to stop now?
And hold the line, hold the line
Cause we're looking for a way to make it better
Looking for a way to change the weather,
Whether you or I survive tonight
I promise you that I will love you like we're gonna live forever
(Looking for a way) gonna live forever
(Looking for a way) to change the weather
Whether you or I survive tonight
I promise you that I will love you like we're gonna live forever
In Matt Morris's song "Live Forever," the chorus serves as a testament to a powerful love that transcends time and space. Morris pleads with his significant other, urging them to reassure him that their connection is real and not a fluke. His doubts are quickly dispelled as he confesses that there are no words to describe the way he feels when he looks at them. He's certain that their love can overcome any obstacle.
The second verse features a repetition of the first verse's melody, yet the lyrics take on a more resolute and self-sacrificing tone. Morris declares that nothing could make him stray from his heart's desire, letting everything crumble around him if need be. He's focused on making a brighter future for them, regardless of the circumstances.
In the bridge, Morris muses upon the difficulties of love, how it frequently requires one to tread through uncharted territories and keep the faith even during times of chaos. But he's steadfast in his conviction that their mutual love will outlast the madness, allowing them to persist together. The song concludes with a final chorus that leaves the listener with an overwhelming sense of optimism.
Line by Line Meaning
Please tell me baby, it's not a mistake
Expressing the need for reassurance from the person, that what they feel towards each other is not a mistake
There is no language for how I feel
The incomparable feeling of love he has towards the person that cannot be expressed in words
Looking for the way to make this better
The need to make their relationship better and overcome any obstacles that come their way
There ain't a thing that could change my mind
Despite any possible hurdles, he is committed and nothing can change how he feels about the person
When everything breaks open, everything breaks down
During uncertain times, when everything seems to be falling apart, their love will remain strong
We look in the dark and wonder, does it make sense to stop now?
Uncertainty about their future together, but they are determined to hold the line and not give up
I promise you that I will love you like we're gonna live forever
Making a pledge to love the person and cherish the relationship as if they have all the time in the world
Contributed by Gabriella D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
MusicMixVzla
Excelente song. Este tipo es lo máximo
MusicMixVzla
Gran song
Doug McCool
I don't care how successful you might be in other ventures.... please (from a fan from the 90's)... don't ever stop singing.
Troy
He still sings, but professionally he’s an Episcopalian Priest.
Hải Âu Lại Ngọc
Dear Matt, your song is always with me when I'm having hard time. Thank you!
BaRee R.
An AWESOME song , taken from an AWESOME album, sung by an AWESOME musician!
Adv Vaibhav Vashisht
This deserves way too many views and likes. ❤️
Impossible Tree
Matt Morris is so AWESOME! Love his album! I also like the fantastical elements in the music video. Ich liebe Matt Morris!
jakijo72
Gorgeous guy, beautiful voice..saw him singing hallelujah and thought i'd suss out his own music, glad i did :)
CobaltT9
I bought his album a couple of hours ago and I'm gonna check it out hear this guy's talent. Supporting Matt Morris.