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.
First Time
Matt Nathanson Lyrics
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I'm ready for repair
I've got so many layers
Left by amateur painters
who covered over
what was there
I stuffed myself sick on your memory
But I'm so tired of being inspired
Only when things slip away
They told me time would strip it all free
And leave me bone dry
They told me time would strip it all free
But I'm no better than
When I left here the first time
I'm ready to erase this
I'm ready to begin
Spent myself trying to change
All of the beauty we'd made
just to want it all back again
And with the clouds moving in
this hardly looks like the same moon
And with the leaves all gone
The trees that once stood strong
now look pinched and cruel
They told me time would strip it all free
And leave me bone dry
They told me time would strip it all free
But I'm no better than
When I left here the first time
Well I'm no better than when I left here the first
First time
First tiiiimeeee
They told me time would strip it all free
And leave me bone dry
They told me time would strip it all free
But I'm no better than
When I left here the first time
Well I'm no better than when i left here the first time
Well I'm no better than when I left here the first
Time
Time
Time
The song "First Time" by Matt Nathanson is an introspective and emotional reflection on the struggles of moving on from a past relationship. The singer expresses a willingness to let go of the past and start anew, but finds himself struggling to shake off the memories that continue to haunt him. He recognizes that he has built up several layers of protection in response to the hurt he has experienced, but he is ready to peel them away and move forward.
The lyrics are filled with vivid imagery, painting a picture of a world that has changed since the singer was last present. The moon looks different, the trees no longer stand strong, and everything appears "pinched and cruel." The passage of time has not brought the clarity and healing the singer was promised, leaving him feeling stuck in the same place he was when he first left. However, he recognizes that he is no better off when he spends his time looking back and longing for what was.
Overall, "First Time" is a powerful and relatable song about the struggle to let go of the past and move forward with hope and healing.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm ready to embrace this
I am mentally prepared to accept and deal with the situation
I'm ready for repair
I am willing to fix and mend my broken self
I've got so many layers
I have various facets to my personality
Left by amateur painters
Given by people who were not experts in understanding me
who covered over
Who disguised and hid from the surface
what was there
What actually existed inside me
I stuffed myself sick on your memory
I ate up every memory of yours until I was full and couldn't take it anymore
And the beautiful mess we'd made
The mixed-up and chaotic memories we'd created together
But I'm so tired of being inspired
I am exhausted from being motivated and stimulated
Only when things slip away
Only when things are lost or taken away from me
They told me time would strip it all free
People said that time will make it all disappear
And leave me bone dry
And dry me out completely
But I'm no better than
But I am not doing any better
When I left here the first time
Than the moment I first left this place
I'm ready to erase this
I am prepared to obliterate and erase this thing
I'm ready to begin
I am ready to start over and begin anew
Spent myself trying to change
I exhausted my energy attempting to alter
All of the beauty we'd made
All the beautiful things that we had constructed together
just to want it all back again
Only to crave and desire it all back once more
And with the clouds moving in
As the clouds move in
this hardly looks like the same moon
The moon now looks so different
And with the leaves all gone
As the leaves have disappeared
The trees that once stood strong
The trees that were previously robust and enduring
now look pinched and cruel
Now look weak and malicious
Well I'm no better than when I left here the first
I am not doing any better than before I left this place the first time
First time
The initial time
Time
The flow of time as a phenomenon
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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