Matt Nathanson (born March 28, 1973 in Lexington, Massachusetts) is a singe… Read Full Bio ↴Matt Nathanson (born March 28, 1973 in Lexington, Massachusetts) is a singer-songwriter whose work is a blend of folk and rock music. In addition to singing, he plays acoustic and electric guitar (usually a twelve-string), and has played both solo and with a full band.

The Faster Songfacts says that his seventh studio album, Modern Love debuted on #17 on the Billboard 200 for the week of July 9, 2011, making it Nathanson's most successful album to date.

The members of his band have changed over the past years. Among others, he has been accompanied by Aben Eubanks on guitar, keys and vocals, but later replaced by Aaron Tap. John Thomasson has been his bassist since 2004. Jason McKenzie was on drums until Fall 2006; Nick Amoroso on two tours from Fall 2007 through Winter 2008. His current drummer is Konrad Meissner. Before 2005, Nathanson was often accompanied by cellist Matt Fish.

Everything You Say It Sounds Like Gospel
Matt Nathanson Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I've got bravery that shorts out on me
I see superstars in common thieves
And I see all you give up
And I try to be as much

Everything you say it sounds like gospel
Everything you say it sounds like gospel to me

I feel cheated
Tangled up repeatedly
Owed a piece of everything
And
Still you come around
With scissors to cut me down

Everything you say it sounds like gospel
Everything you say it sounds like gospel to me

It's all I can do to win for you

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Everything You Say It Sounds Like Gospel" by Matt Nathanson narrate a story of a person who struggles with being brave and recognizing the true worth of people around them. They view every little thing that others say as a gospel, or a message of the utmost importance. However, they feel cheated and tangled up repeatedly and believe that they deserve more out of life. In spite of this, the person they are singing about remains close by, ready to cut them down with scissors when they want to grow. The singer is trying to be better and do more, but they are constantly undermined by this person, who they listen to as if they are a spiritual leader.

These lyrics may be interpreted in different ways, but one common theme is the idea of blindly following someone or something that you believe is right. The singer holds onto every word this person says, even if it may be harmful to them in reality. The line "superstars in common thieves" speaks to the idea of idolizing people for who they are, rather than their actual actions. The singer recognizes the person's negative impact on their growth, but they still follow them blindly as if what they say is divine intervention. All of these elements make "Everything You Say It Sounds Like Gospel" a complex reflection on the human condition and the ever-present desire to find something 'greater' to believe in.

Line by Line Meaning

I've got bravery that shorts out on me
My courage is not reliable and I often feel scared.

I see superstars in common thieves
I can see greatness in people who are often overlooked or undervalued.

And I see all you give up
I see all the sacrifices you make.

And I try to be as much
I try to be as giving and selfless as you are.

Everything you say it sounds like gospel
I trust and believe in everything you say as if it were gospel.

I feel cheated
I feel like I have been deceived or taken advantage of.

Tangled up repeatedly
I feel confused and trapped by my situation.

Owed a piece of everything
I feel entitled to a share of everything that I feel I have contributed to.

And still you come around
Despite everything, you still show up in my life.

With scissors to cut me down
But sometimes your actions or words hurt me and feel like they are tearing me down.

Everything you say it sounds like gospel
Once again, I believe and trust everything you say as if it were gospel.