Matt Pond is an American singer-songwriter. He formed, and records with, th… Read Full Bio ↴Matt Pond is an American singer-songwriter. He formed, and records with, the band Matt Pond PA.

Pond has already accomplished what few rarely do. A career musician with a die-hard following that continues to grow with each album, and a resume that includes the title song for a motion picture soundtrack, a long running Starbucks holiday commercial with a hook that's always stuck in our heads, selling over 100,000 albums to date; his success is matched only by his prolific outpouring of talent. But Matt takes those things with a grain of salt, in 'Lives' he shows us what's really important.

With the new album, The Lives Inside the Lines in Your Hand, Matt Pond is stepping forward with striking honesty and humbling optimism and delivers his strongest work to date. And with this transformative record comes some distinct changes- removing the 'PA' that has accompanied his name for nearly a decade, his first official 'solo' release, and partnering with new label and longtime publishing partner, BMG Rights Management.

Matt Pond is able to slough off the dead skin, radiantly revealing himself in his purest form- a feat many artists strive for, but rarely accomplish. The change symbolizes more than just coming out as an official solo act, it is also perhaps a symbol of letting go. Letting go of the places he's called home; he no longer belongs to Pennsylvania, or Brooklyn, or even the cabin in Bearsville, he is distinctly free from any earthly chains and what remains is just Matt Pond. His final frontier is to "run wild within our clear blue minds" ('Human Beings'). The graceful departure gives Matt Pond both the freedom from, and acceptance of the limitations of being alive. The result is 'The Lives Inside the Lines in Your Hand'.

'Lives' is an upbeat antidote to the pessimistic shift in the collective consciousness. It's an ode to the bittersweet reality that we are human, we are finite, and we are flawed. But in each song on this album, Matt Pond sources the beauty in all of it, even when it's not pretty, and delivers an indie rock album that's brimming with authenticity; Pond captures the sentiment perfectly in "Starlet": 'I know I know there's so much I don't know'. The album's first single "Love to Get Used", is a notably playful departure from what we've seen before. "Let's hang on to abandon and hope we lose control" Pond insists in the uptempo indie-pop track, "to be out in the open baby and let go of the ropes".

…And let go, he does. In a free-fall of spirit, Matt gets to the core of his own humanity, and we can't help but listen intently to see what he finds, because after all, it can sometimes be a frightening journey, a risk many of us aren't willing to take. "Hole in My Heart" strips down the frivolities and formalities that water down most songs about heartbreak, leaving us with a chillingly accurate, almost childlike description of the pain it causes, and a glimpse into the places he's stumbled in his own journey, when, as he puts it, "with eyes closed we dove into unknown". In the end, "The Lives Inside the Lines in your Hand" is a triumph against the paltry conditions we've all been forced to reckon with as a society. When times are tough though, art flourishes, and 'Lives' is a demonstration in how Pond is transcended by his art. "Someday I'll stop breathing," he says, "but I'll never stop singing."

These Days
Matt Pond Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I've been out walking
I don't do too much talking
These days, these days
These days I seem to think a lot
About the things that I forgot to do
And all the times I had the chance to.

I've stopped my rambling

I don't do too much gambling
These days, these days
These days I seem to think about
How all the changes came about my ways
And I wonder if I'd see another highway

I had a lover
I don't think I'll risk another
These days, these days
And if I seem to be afraid
To live the life that I have made in song
It's just that I've been losing so long

I've stopped my dreaming
I won't do too much scheming
These days, these days
These days I sit on corner stones
And count the time in quarter tones to ten

Please don't confront me with my failures
I had not forgotten them

Overall Meaning

The song "These Days" by Matt Pond, featuring Laura Stevenson and Chris Hansen, seemingly speaks about one's journey in life where the singer has been out walking, thinking a lot about the things he forgot to do, and wonders if he would ever see another highway. He further explained how he has stopped rambling and gambling and thinks about how changes have come about his ways. The singer then talks about his failed love, saying that he does not think he will risk another, and how he has been losing for so long. In conclusion, he says he has stopped his dreaming and scheming and now sits on corner stones counting time in quarter tones, to ten, adding that he would rather not be confronted with his failures as he has not forgotten them.

Line by Line Meaning

I've been out walking
I've been going for walks

I don't do too much talking
I don't speak very often

These days, these days
Lately, recently

These days I seem to think a lot
Recently, I find myself thinking often

About the things that I forgot to do
About tasks I neglected to accomplish

And all the times I had the chance to.
And each time I had an opportunity

I've stopped my rambling
I've ceased wandering aimlessly

I don't do too much gambling
I seldom take risks

These days, these days
Lately, recently

These days I seem to think about
Recently, I contemplate

How all the changes came about my ways
How various changes influenced me