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.
Someone Like You
Matt Wertz Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In hopes of proving all of this truth
'Cause me and the moonlight spent all of last night
Finally caught your eye
Baby I confess, I was not expecting this
(I have been waiting for someone like you)
Baby I must admit, I got used to loneliness
Someone like you, someone like you
An afternoon finds me further along
Could patience be better?
Should I move on?
But it's all I can do not to call you
But your number's still left on my head
Baby I confess, I was not expecting this
(I have been waiting for someone like you)
Baby I must admit, I got used to loneliness
(I have been waiting for someone like you)
Maybe I'm foolish, there's nothing to this
My hope is gone
What if you were feeling like I do
I'm dying to see you again
Baby I confess, I was not expecting this
(I have been waiting for someone like you)
Baby I must admit, I got used to loneliness
(I have been waiting for someone like you)
Baby I confess, I was not expecting this
(I have been waiting for someone like you)
Baby I must admit, I got used to loneliness
(I have been waiting for someone like you)
Someone like you, someone like you,
Someone like you, someone like you
Someone like you
The song "Someone Like You" by Matt Wertz is a confession of love and longing for someone who catches the singer's eye. The first verse sets the scene of the singer spending all morning thinking about this person and hoping to prove to them the truth of their feelings. The second verse finds the singer in the afternoon, struggling with whether they should move on or reach out to the person they desire. The chorus repeats the singer's confession of not expecting to find someone like this and admitting to getting used to being lonely.
The lyrics capture the bittersweet feeling of falling for someone unexpectedly and the hesitation that comes with it. The singer is vulnerable and not sure if their feelings will be reciprocated, but they can't help wanting to see this person again. The repeated phrase "someone like you" emphasizes the uniqueness of this particular person and how special they are to the singer.
Overall, the lyrics of "Someone Like You" convey the complicated emotions that come with falling for someone out of the blue, yet feeling unsure if those feelings will be returned. The song is a relatable expression of the heart's inner workings when faced with unexpected love.
Line by Line Meaning
I spent all morning remembering you
I dedicated my entire morning to recollecting memories of you.
In hopes of proving all of this truth
I did this to validate my feelings and confirm their authenticity.
'Cause me and the moonlight spent all of last night
Last night, I spent all of my time with the moon, just like I spent it with you before.
Finally caught your eye
And eventually, you took notice of me.
An afternoon finds me further along
As the afternoon arrives, I have moved on further from the memory of you.
Could patience be better? Should I move on?
I contemplate whether it's better to be more patient or simply move forward with my life.
But it's all I can do not to call you
Despite my thoughts, I feel the urge to call you and hear your voice.
But your number's still left on my head
Even though I haven't called you, your phone number is still on my mind.
Maybe I'm foolish, there's nothing to this
I fear that I might be foolish, and that there's nothing to my hope of rekindling our relationship.
My hope is gone, What if you were feeling like I do, I'm dying to see you again
Despite my fear, I can't help but wonder if you have similar feelings and I yearn to see you again.
Someone like you, someone like you
I have waited a long time for someone like you to come along, and I hope that you will re-enter my life.
Baby I confess, I was not expecting this
I must confess that I didn't expect to have these feelings for you again.
Baby I must admit, I got used to loneliness
I got accustomed to being alone after we parted ways, but I don't want to be alone anymore.
Someone like you, someone like you
I have waited a long time for someone like you to come along, and I hope that you will re-enter my life.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Songtrust Ave, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DAVE BARNES, MATT WERTZ
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind