On September 19, 2006, Matt released his third studio album, Everything In Between.
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An excerpt from the Matt Wertz facebook fan page (as of 12/17/09)
Hi. My name is Matt Wertz, and this is my bio. Usually these aren’t written by the artist, at least at this level- but as I was trying to decide who could tell my story the best, I felt like that person was me. So, I’d like to be the one to tell you where I come from, why I write music, what I’ve seen happen along the way, and where I see things going according to my finite vision.
I’m from Liberty, Missouri, but have called Nashville, Tennessee, home for the last seven years. It seems fitting that I would be writing my own biography on the cusp of my first major label release, just as I did eight years ago before releasing my first independent album. This time, though, I’m not trying to play it off like I didn’t write it.
I grew up in a home where I was encouraged to explore and dive into whatever grabbed my attention. Sports? Sure. Art? You bet. Girls? Yep. Music? Obviously. There was no expectation other than to do my best “and let God do the rest,” as my Mom always says. With that kind of freedom end encouragement, I did just that—I played sports for the fun of them, made art because I loved to create, and eventually, I wrote and performed music… because I had to.
My love for visual art led me eight hours from home to the University of Illinois, where I studied Industrial Design. As a result of that experience, music became my respite—my escape from the responsibility of class work. Dorm life served to provide a small, built–in audience who graciously embraced my first attempts at songwriting. Before I knew it, I was recording versions of those songs on my roommate’s computer and burning copies for my new cohabiting fans. Eventually I started playing concerts outside the walls of Scott Hall and made the leap to register my name as a dot-com. That may not seem like a big deal today, but at the time, those were the early, shaky steps I took toward a full-fledged career in the music industry.
Early on, I was shown many graces—like a loan from my parents to pay for the first 1,000 copies of my debut record, Somedays (2001). To assuage their fear that I was throwing my life away, I democratically assured them that I’d get a job after the summer was over. Needless to say, that never happened.
What did happen was that my summer burst at the seams with bookings at camps for high schoolers… which spilled over into a fall schedule of touring their hometowns… which set up a spring full of shows at colleges… followed by more summer camps. Rinse, wash, repeat—and you have the first few years of my career.
The days between then and now have been a series of “baby steps” that have somehow afforded me success as an independent artist. All these things really kicked into gear after the release of Twenty Three Places (2003), the first record I recorded with producer and friend, Ed Cash. The album featured some of the songs that set the tone for the rest of my career—“Everything’s Right,” “Marianne,” “Red Meets Blue,” and “Counting to 100”— songs that are still staples in my set today.
On the heels of the Twenty Three Places release, people started taking notice. Creative Artists Agency got involved booking my shows. Nettwerk took over my management. And a bunch of record labels started knocking down my door. But none of them felt like a good fit. So what did I do? I did what I’d always done: I recorded another record on my own and kept touring.
Ed and I began working on Everything in Between in February 2005, hitting the studio sporadically whenever I had breaks from the road. “The Way I Feel” was the first song we approached and it provided the compass for the record, ushering in an energy and musical depth that redirected my career to a new level. The tone of the record was my musical response to what I learned playing hundreds of clubs a year—I realized the need for up-tempo, lively songs to get the room going. The album also meant a lot to me personally—it was written and recorded during my first dating relationship since college, and much of the album followed the progress of the relationship. “5:19” was written on July 7, 2005, at 5:19 p.m., while I waited for the phone call that would inevitably be the end of that relationship.
Everything in Between was the first record I released with any kind of organized push behind it. We came out of the gates strong, charting high on the iTunes pop charts and filming a video for the song “Carolina.” Some of the songs landed in unexpected places—on TV’s “Brothers and Sisters” and in theaters via movies like My Super Ex-Girlfriend.
Since the start of my career, I’ve sold around 75,000 albums, played shows with Ben Folds, Jamie Cullum, and One Republic, as well as headlined sold-out clubs around the country. This was all done, mind you, as an independent artist. Over time, momentum built and more labels took notice, including Universal Republic. Finally I encountered a label that felt right, a label that could pull the trigger, a label that understood where I was coming from. And so, I signed.
The record that will be released on Universal Republic is called Under Summer Sun and it is a combination of my favorite songs from my first few independent releases, like “5:19” and “Everything’s Right,” as well as four new songs. Among the new tracks are “Waiting,” an introspective bedroom song that deals with the fear that I’m “growing old but not quite growing up,” and “Summer Sun,” my best effort at a nostalgic summer love song in the vein of Stevie Wonder musically and Don Henley emotionally. And the rest of the songs will strike a chord with anyone who enjoys soulful, carefree, singer-songwriter pop music.
How do I know? Because these songs emanate from the pages of my life, and I’ve seen first-hand the way that people have connected with them from their own experiences. In eight years of touring through hundreds of venues, playing three albums’ worth of songs for thousands of listeners, that connection is what fuels my passion. Ultimately, the thing that you and I have here—between the words and the chords and the lights and the beats—that is the thing that encourages me to keep singing.
Nobody's You
Matt Wertz Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Yeah we look just right
All the people stop and stare
I've tried and tried
But can't deny
Yet she still don't compare
No one compares
Oh oh
Don't matter what I do
Oh oh oh
Nobody's you
Now she's kissing on me
Am I going crazy
'Cause you're on my mind and still
She is everything
I could ever need
But your heart beats in my head
Pretty baby, ain't something sweeter
Oh oh
Don't matter what I do
Oh oh oh
Nobody's you
And again I'll sing
Oh oh
Don't matter what I do
Oh oh oh
Nobody's you
The road ain't always right
Doesn't mean it's hard
'Cause I can't let you go
But hangin' on
Why I'd ever let you walk away?
Now she's kissing on me
Am I going crazy
Oh oh
It don't matter what I do
Oh oh oh
Nobody's you
And again I'll say
Oh oh
Girl don't you know it's true
Oh oh oh
Nobody's you
Nobody's you
Nobody's you
Nobody's you
Nobody's you
The song Nobody's You by Matt Wertz is about a person who is trying to move on from a past lover but finds it difficult because they still can't stop thinking about them. They find someone new and try to make it work because they fit perfectly, but deep down they know that no one can compare to their previous lover. The song talks about the struggle of moving on and trying to replace someone who has left a lasting impact on their heart.
The lines "Her hand fits mine, yeah we look just right, all the people stop and stare" show that the new person in the singer's life looks good with them and everyone can see it, but the line "yet she still don't compare, no one compares" reveals that no matter how good they may look together, the new person doesn't match up to the previous lover. The chorus repeats "nobody's you" which further emphasizes the idea that no one can compare or replace the person they are still thinking about.
The verses also indicate that the singer is struggling to let go of their past. They mention that "she is everything I could ever need but your heart beats in my head" which shows that while the new partner has everything they need in a partner, they still can't stop thinking about the past lover. The line "But hanging on, why I'd ever let you walk away?" shows that the singer regrets letting go of their previous partner.
Overall, Nobody's You is a song that talks about the complexity of moving on and trying to replace a past lover. The song highlights that no matter how good someone new may seem, no one can compare to the past lover who left a lasting impact on the heart.
Line by Line Meaning
Her hand fits mine
Our hands fit together perfectly in a way that feels meant to be
Yeah we look just right
Our appearance together feels like a perfect match
All the people stop and stare
Our chemistry is so strong that it catches the attention of others
I've tried and tried
I have searched for someone who can compare to you
But can't deny
But I must admit that there is no one like you
Yet she still don't compare
Despite my efforts, I can't find anyone who compares to you
No one compares
You are truly one of a kind
Oh oh
I am struggling with my feelings
Don't matter what I do
No matter what I do or who I am with, I can't escape thoughts of you
Nobody's you
There is no one else like you
Now she's kissing on me
Even though I am with someone else, I can't stop thinking of you
Am I going crazy
I am starting to worry that my constant thoughts of you are driving me insane
'Cause you're on my mind and still
Even though I am physically with someone else, you are still on my mind
She is everything
The person I am with has all the qualities I thought I wanted in a partner
I could ever need
But I still feel like something is missing
But your heart beats in my head
My feelings for you are so strong that they are consuming me
Pretty baby, ain't something sweeter
Despite everything, you are still the sweetest thing to me
The road ain't always right
Even though I am with someone else, I know deep down that this may not be the right path
Doesn't mean it's hard
Being with the wrong person may not always be difficult, but it still feels wrong
'Cause I can't let you go
I am struggling to let go of my feelings for you
But hangin' on
Holding onto you is causing me pain
Why I'd ever let you walk away?
I regret ever letting you go in the first place
Oh oh
I am still struggling with my feelings
It don't matter what I do
No matter what I do or who I am with, I can't escape thoughts of you
Girl don't you know it's true
There is no one like you and I can't deny that
Nobody's you
There is no one else like you
Nobody's you
There is no one else like you
Nobody's you
There is no one else like you
Nobody's you
There is no one else like you
Nobody's you
There is no one else like you
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: MATT WERTZ, WHITNEY DUNCAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind