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.

To The Beat Of Our Noisy Hearts
Matt Nathanson Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

She don't lie in bed at night
Staring at the ceiling
She don't wait to begin
She bets on long shots
She wants what they've got
She skates where the ice thins

[Chorus]

On and on, we keep going
Crowded like subway cars
On and on, to the beat of our noisy hearts our hearts

She was her mother's secret
She was daddy's girl
She brought weekend boys home in her curls
She said, "My love is a fever.
Come on, touch my skin.
They all think I'm easy,
I'm easy, cause I let them win."

[Chorus: x2]

To the beat of our noisy hearts

She said, "Pick up the phone
Cause I need to feel more alone
And your voice drives me crazy."

[Chorus: x3]

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Matt Nathanson's song "To The Beat Of Our Noisy Hearts" tell a story of a woman who is confident, unconventional and daring. The opening line implies that she does not spend sleepless nights worrying about things; instead, she is always looking forward to the next day, ready to take on new challenges. She is not content with playing it safe and is willing to take risks even if the odds are against her. She is envious of other people's success and is determined to attain it herself, despite the dangers.

The chorus is a repetition of the idea that despite the crowds and chaos that life brings, we continue to persevere, driven by our loud and passionate hearts. The second verse introduces the woman's character in more detail, painting her as a product of her upbringing. Despite being her father's girl, she has brought home several boys who were judged by her mother. She is unapologetic about her sexuality and views her love as a fever, something that drives her to do things that others consider risky. Her confidence and willingness to take risks are evident once again in her desire to feel more alone, and she asks for solitude while acknowledging the addiction that comes with hearing her lover's voice.

Line by Line Meaning

She don't lie in bed at night
She does not waste time contemplating things she cannot control at night time.

Staring at the ceiling
She does not let herself get lost in thought.

She don't wait to begin
She does not hesitate in starting something new.

She bets on long shots
She is a risk taker and is not afraid to take chances.

She wants what they've got
She is envious of what others possess.

She skates where the ice thins
She is not afraid of exploring unknown territories.

On and on, we keep going
Life moves on regardless of what we do.

Crowded like subway cars
Life can feel overwhelming like being stuck in a packed subway.

To the beat of our noisy hearts our hearts
We ought to find joy in the chaos of life.

She was her mother's secret
She hid things from her mother.

She was daddy's girl
She was closer to her father than her mother.