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.
Pity
Matt Nathanson Lyrics
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I don't need your sympathy and I don't need your tears
I haven't slept for days now, maybe more
Just leave me here in selfishness, close the door
If you hold me, I might find it safe
If you hold me, I just might cling to you
If you hold me, I'll be no good on my own
My control will be gone
You see I've built this wall around myself and it keeps me up
I won't be babied, so please don't baby me
Just leave me in my corner, I created all this misery
If you hold me, I might find it safe
If you hold me, I just might cling to you
If you hold me, I'll be no good on my own
My control will be gone
I'm not faithful, don't fool yourself
I won't change for you know or anybody else
Let me fall
Let me fall, let me realize all the things I'm missing
Let me crawl
Crawl on back to you and the dreams we had together
The lyrics of Matt Nathanson's song "Pity" convey a sense of stubborn independence and pride in the face of hardship. The singer is struggling, having not slept in days, and has built a wall around themselves to keep others out. They don't want sympathy, tears, or support from anyone, instead preferring to be left alone in their own misery. Although they acknowledge that being held might make them feel safe, they fear losing control and becoming dependent on someone else. At the same time, they reject the idea of changing for anyone else, insisting on falling and crawling back to their partner and former dreams on their own.
Line by Line Meaning
Don't touch, leave me here
Please don't try to comfort me, leave me alone to deal with my problems.
I don't need your sympathy and I don't need your tears
I don't want your pity or your emotions, I'm dealing with this on my own.
I haven't slept for days now, maybe more
I'm so consumed with my problems that I can't sleep or function properly.
Just leave me here in selfishness, close the door
I know I'm being selfish, but I need to deal with this alone, please leave me be.
If you hold me, I might find it safe
If you try to comfort me, I might feel safe enough to let my guard down.
If you hold me, I just might cling to you
If you try to help me, I might become dependent on you for support.
If you hold me, I'll be no good on my own
If I rely on you too much, I won't be able to handle my problems alone.
My control will be gone
I fear losing control and becoming too reliant on someone else.
Don't look, I don't need your support
Please don't try to show me that you care, I need to handle this on my own.
You see I've built this wall around myself and it keeps me up
I've constructed emotional barriers to protect myself, but they're preventing me from moving forward.
I won't be babied, so please don't baby me
I don't want to be treated like a child or coddled, I need to face my problems like an adult.
Just leave me in my corner, I created all this misery
I know I caused my own problems, and I need to deal with them on my own terms.
I'm not faithful, don't fool yourself
I'm not a loyal person, and I'm not going to change for anyone.
I won't change for you know or anybody else
I refuse to change who I am, even if it means losing the people I care about.
Let me fall
Let me make mistakes and learn from them.
Let me fall, let me realize all the things I'm missing
I need to experience failure to understand what's important in life.
Let me crawl
Let me struggle and work my way back up.
Crawl on back to you and the dreams we had together
I may need your support to achieve my goals again.
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
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