Matt Pond PA has performed with Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, Nickel Creek, Youth Group, Mae, Keane, Guster, Dios Malos, Neko Case, Straylight Run, and Liz Phair.
The band's music has been included in the soundtrack for the FOX television program The O.C., specifically cover versions of Oasis' "Champagne Supernova" and Neutral Milk Hotel's "In the Aeroplane Over the Sea."
As of late 2007, the lineup consists of Matt Pond on vocals and guitar, Dan Crowell on drums, Steve Jewett on guitar, Matthew Daniel Siskin on bass, and Chris Hansen on keyboards, guitar, and vocals.
Albums
* Deer Apartments (1998)
* Measure (2000)
* The Green Fury (2002)
* The Nature of Maps (2002)
* Emblems (2004)
* Several Arrows Later (2005)
* Last Light (2007)
* The Dark Leaves (2010)
EPs & Singles
* I Thought You Were Sleeping EP (2001)
* This Is Not the Green Fury (2001)
* Four Songs EP (2004)
* Lily Two (Single) (2004)
* Winter Songs EP (2005)
* Snow Day (Single) (2005)
* Halloween (Single) (2006)
* Champagne Supernova EP (2006)
* Several Arrows Later (Single) (2006)
* If You Want Blood (2007)
* People Have A Way (Single) (2007)
* Sunlight (Single) (2007)
* The Freeep (2008)
* The Threeep - Part I - Starting (2009)
First Light
Matt Pond PA Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Pressing my head against shaded earth
With my ears open wide
I can listen all night
Sweet soft parting love your pace
Muscles are weak for the force to take
I am finally free
I can finally see
Mild stretches for the shapeless hand
I'll never hold
I can't let go
See this blue sky roll
Unswollen rivers
Current give me breath we're dying
Pulled and pushed deep down
The thick of summer
Grasshop bring me songs from in the trees
at dusk
Now from you sweet hands
I would wait to see if you would serve me
Hearty tea
Oh, I won't leave
You can find us in the landscape there
Our backs rest to the shaded earth
We are facing the sky
We can listen all night
Butlers along the ancient pines
Weight of the world when it lets us go
We are finally free
We can finally sleep
I am reaching
Mild stretches for the
Shapeless hand I'll never hold
No, I can't let go
See this blue sky roll
There's so much I don't know
We'll see this blue sky roll
The lyrics of "First Light" by Matt Pond PA describe the emotional journey of the singer who seems to be searching for solace and freedom in nature. The song opens with the image of the singer in a "field of ferns", a symbol of growth and change, resting his head against the earth, as if trying to ground himself. The singer is trying to disconnect from the chaos of the world, as well as from the weight of his own emotions, which are seemingly holding him down. Nevertheless, he chooses to keep his ears open and listen to the sounds around him. It is as if he is observing the world around him and taking comfort in it.
As the song progresses, the singer seems to be finding more solace in his solitude. He speaks of "mild stretches for the shapeless hand I'll never hold," suggesting that he is coming to terms with the fact that he cannot control everything in his life. Despite this, he still musters strength to keep reaching and trying to make sense of the world around him. He mentions the "unswollen rivers" and the "current giving him breath", which could be interpreted as a metaphor for the flow of life and the importance of letting go and allowing oneself to be carried forward. The song ends on a hopeful note with the repeated phrase "see this blue sky roll" which could mean the cyclical nature of life and how one should learn to appreciate it.
Overall, the lyrics of "First Light" are evocative and open to interpretation. The song seems to suggest that one should find solace in the beauty of the world and the cyclical nature of life. It encourages the listener to let go of control and be present in the moment.
Line by Line Meaning
You can find me in the field of ferns
I am situated in a field surrounded by ferns.
Pressing my head against shaded earth
I am putting my head down onto the cool soil of the shaded ground.
With my ears open wide
I am listening carefully.
I can listen all night
I have the ability to listen without interruption throughout the entire night.
Sweet soft parting love your pace
My love is leaving me at a gentle and gradual pace.
Muscles are weak for the force to take
I feel physically and emotionally exhausted and unable to bear any more pain or struggle.
I am finally free
I have achieved a sense of liberation or escape from something.
I can finally see
I am now able to understand something more clearly or in a new light.
I am reaching
I am attempting to achieve something in a symbolic or metaphoric sense.
Mild stretches for the shapeless hand
I am slowly and carefully reaching out for something abstract or undefined.
I'll never hold
I am unable to possess or grasp onto something that I desire.
I can't let go
I am unable to release or move on from something that I am holding onto.
See this blue sky roll
Observe the continuous and ever-changing nature of the vast blue sky above us.
Unswollen rivers
The rivers are not flooded or overflowing.
Current give me breath we're dying
The flowing river gives us life but we are still struggling to survive or maintain ourselves.
Pulled and pushed deep down
We are being swayed, manipulated or controlled by powerful external forces or emotions.
The thick of summer
The middle or peak of the summertime season.
Grasshop bring me songs from in the trees at dusk
The grasshopper is providing me with musical entertainment as the sun sets and the birds settle in the trees.
Now from you sweet hands
From your kind and loving actions or gestures towards me.
I would wait to see if you would serve me hearty tea
I would happily wait to receive your loving hospitality and warm, comforting beverage.
Oh, I won't leave
I am committed to staying or remaining in a particular situation or place.
You can find us in the landscape there
We can be found in that particular scenic outdoor setting.
Our backs rest to the shaded earth
We are leaning or lying against the cool soil of the shaded ground.
We are facing the sky
We are positioned or oriented towards the vast, open sky above us.
We can listen all night
We have the ability to listen without interruption throughout the entire night.
Butlers along the ancient pines
Possibly a reference to human servants or metaphorical figures walking along the old, tall pine trees.
Weight of the world when it lets us go
We feel the heaviness and burden of the world's problems and conflicts but are temporarily relieved from them.
We can finally sleep
We are able to rest and relax after a long period of wakefulness or stress.
There's so much I don't know
I am aware that there is a vast amount of knowledge, wisdom, and experience that I have yet to discover or comprehend.
Contributed by Nolan V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.