The album may be the follow-up to Matt's 2007 Geffen debut Best Days, but it's truly a formal introduction to the singer-songwriter. Writing and helping to compose the production on every song himself, he decided to go back to his piano roots for It's the Good Crazy, and the results are nothing short of spectacular. "This is really my first record," he declares. "Best Days was essentially chasing a time, and I experimented with a lot of nuances, like playing the guitar on half the record. But, playing the piano has always been my one true love. My parents constantly took me to concerts including The Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen and Elton John, and it was those outings that gave me the itch to start playing the piano. This time, about 80 percent of It's The Good Crazy is done on piano."
Breaking away from modern trends, Matt recorded the entire album on analog tape, allowing any and all happy accidents to stay in the songs. "It was really special to record on analog tape because all of the albums I love were done that way. Tape sounds better, and it's always going to sound better. There's a depth in the sound wave that you can't capture digitally. There were no computers, no Pro Tools and no room for error. If I screwed up, it's on there," he laughs.
"I was dropped from Geffen in the winter of 2009 when I was on tour in Canada. It was a devastating experience for me. So I was depressed for a month, then realized that my happiness was in the music." Matt immediately began composing songs for what would become It's The Good Crazy. In order to capture that edgy tone, he retreated to a church in Woodstock, NY to record with producers David Baron and Henry Hirsch [Madonna, Lenny Kravitz, Mick Jagger].
While in Woodstock, Henry pushed Matt to capture music in the moment, preserving the integrity of each song from its inception. "We were in that church, and Henry really got in my head and helped me evolve," explains Matt. "He said, 'If you can deliver on a performance level, something happens when you play a song live and it's recorded onto a tangible piece of equipment. There's nothing like it'."
Working on the same board that Led Zeppelin II was recorded on and tracking to what might be one of the last 3M tape machines left in existence, Matt stirred up a sound that's evocative of Elton John at times but with a wiseass wittiness. Hence tracks like the bombastic "Therapy."
"Yes, I've gone to therapy," he exclaims. "I'm a New York City kid; people go to therapy! Everyone in their late '20s is trying to get married, and there's this mass hysteria over it in Manhattan. That song is talking to your therapist about that fear of being single. My mom wanted to set me up with my neighbor's daughter after she graduated from college in May. Those things happened, and they're in the songs!"
Meanwhile, during "And The Beat Goes On," Matt chronicles the trials and tribulations of dating in the big city—with a smirk of course. "If you're dating a girl in New York, you're going to be spending a lot of money. I'm a musician, not a banker. I'm happy with chicken fingers. I don't need fancy food."
Midway through recording, Matt teamed up with Ryko for the release of It's The Good Crazy, and he couldn't be happier with this new partnership. He comments, "Everyone at the label genuinely loves music. They’ve been extremely nurturing and supportive on every level. I’m free to be me and not put into a box. I was going to put out this album come hell or high-water, but I sat down with Ruby Marchand (Head of A&R) and we talked about music and the business and she and Ryko felt like the perfect partner."
Since debuting in 2007, Matt's music has been featured in numerous films, TV shows and commercials including What Happens In Vegas, Shrek The Third, McDonald's, The Hills, Brothers and Sisters and One Tree Hill. In addition, his "Songs Of Freedom" became the theme for Gap's "Vote For" campaign, airing on a special electoral episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show. Best Days also hit #4 on Billboard's New Artist chart and received acclaim from RollingStone and Details. Selling 400,000 digital downloads, he's cultivated a diehard fan base that turns out anytime he hits the stage.
The stage is exactly where he's most charming. Touring and performing alongside everyone from B.B. King and Sheryl Crow to John Mayer and Counting Crows, he's got charisma that brings audiences back for more. Donning flamboyant stage attire and pounding the keys, Matt never fails to deliver a show.
"I play piano with my feet, I play it backwards and I hit it with my elbows and fists. It's a theatrical performance,” says Matt. “That's really what I always wanted to do as a kid.”
The world received its first taste of Crazy when Facebook premiered demos from the album as their music player's very first artist feature. Fan response to the tracks was overwhelming and it proved the perfect platform for the release of "Falling In Love (With My Best Friend)." The single goes to radio this summer, and you'll be humming along to it as soon as you hear it.
Matt grew up immersed in music. His grandmother was the first female orchestra leader in the country, while his great grandfather was responsible for giving Frank Sinatra his first violin.
Matt smiles, "My great grandfather started the Hertz School of Music. He used to give out instruments for free, and it turned out that he gave Sinatra his first violin. My whole childhood was musical. While everybody was watching sports growing up, I was studying the drum sounds of John Bonham from the 1973 live record."
His innate obsession with music is what makes the new album so insanely fun. "I'm the son of a psychiatrist," he goes on. "I connect with the Larry Davids of the world. I love the Annie Hall approach. I like things that are not perfect. I like art made from instinct. I'm definitely crazy. I'm up until six in the morning obsessing over everything, but I think I'm the good crazy."
Best Days
Matt White Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Driving on the road again the Chevy's packed and it is dusk
And I will take some photographs so I can dream of you
Can't say I felt such twisting in my heart this way
We pitch a tent and I won?t sleep I might just stay awake
The fire's burning, softly singing songs so close to you
Lying naked under the covers
Those are the best days of my life
Can't take away those times we stayed up and we talked all night,
Chain smoking cigarettes and three bottles of red wine
Falling asleep together holding your body close to mine
And in the morning your eyes open, so innocent
The sun is blazing we are sweaty you look lovely
Nothing else matters anymore, cause you're in my arms again
Do you believe in love at first sight, I think you do
Lying naked under the covers
Those are the best days of my life
Oh, I'll never want to be without you
So, just stay with me, I will love you endlessly
Those are the best days of my life,
Those are the best days of my life
Do you believe in love at first sight, I think you do
Lying naked under the covers
Those are the best days of my life
The first verse of Matt White's song "Best Days" describes a romantic scene in which the singer is driving with his love interest in a Chevy at dusk. The beauty of his companion captivates him, and he takes photos so he can dream of her. In the second verse, the singer expresses physical discomfort and emotional intensity, as he finds it difficult to sleep in a tent with his companion close by. They sit by the fire and sing songs together. The chorus returns to reflection on the intense happiness and pleasure that the singer has experienced with his love. For him, the best days are those spent with his partner: talking, smoking, and drinking wine, falling asleep together and waking up next to each other in the morning. The singers asks if his partner believes in love at first sight, and concludes by expressing his constant devotion and love for her.
The lyrics of "Best Days" present a classic trope of romantic love: the idea that there is someone out there who is your perfect match, your soulmate, and that being with them makes every moment more beautiful, intense and meaningful. This feeling is captured through descriptions of the natural world, like the sunset and sunrise, the blazing sun, and the beauty of the beloved. The chorus, with its emphasis on the "best days" being those spent together, reminds us that intense romantic experiences are often about sharing experiences, from mundane moments like driving and setting up a tent to more profound experiences like confiding in each other, being vulnerable, and holding each other close. Finally, the singer's declaration of love and commitment suggests that the intensity of the romance depicted in "Best Days" isn't fleeting or temporary but enduring and eternal.
Line by Line Meaning
Every time I look at you, you always look so beautiful
Whenever I lay my eyes upon you, you always appear captivatingly gorgeous to me.
Driving on the road again the Chevy's packed and it is dusk
Once more, we're cruising down the highway in a crammed Chevy when evening draws near.
And I will take some photographs so I can dream of you
I'll capture some images of you, so that I can think of how amazing you are later.
Can't say I felt such twisting in my heart this way
I cannot recollect a time when my heart felt such intense, complex emotions.
We pitch a tent and I won?t sleep I might just stay awake
We've set up a tent, but I'm not sure if I can slumber; I feel too stimulated.
The fire's burning, softly singing songs so close to you
As we cuddle close to each other, we hear the gentle melodies that the campfire is producing.
Do you believe in love at first sight, I think you do
Do you have faith in the concept of immediate, inherent love? I'm certain you do.
Lying naked under the covers
Reclining unclothed under the blankets.
Those are the best days of my life
Those moments are the extremes of my existence.
Can't take away those times we stayed up and we talked all night,
I can never forget those instances when we conversed throughout the night.
Chain smoking cigarettes and three bottles of red wine
We smoked cigarettes back-to-back and consumed three bottles of red wine.
Falling asleep together holding your body close to mine
Falling asleep while holding you close to me so that our bodies were intertwined.
And in the morning your eyes open, so innocent
The following morning, your eyes slowly widen, still maintaining their purity.
The sun is blazing we are sweaty you look lovely
The sun is shining intensely, we are sweating profusely, but despite that, you appear stunning.
Nothing else matters anymore, cause you're in my arms again
Nothing else is of importance to me now, as you're safely cradled in my embrace again.
Oh, I'll never want to be without you
I never want to be without your presence in my life.
So, just stay with me, I will love you endlessly
Please stick by my side, and I promise that I will love you unconditionally forevermore.
Those are the best days of my life,
Those moments are the most significant, meaningful times of my existence.
Those are the best days of my life
Those instances are truly the greatest days of my life.
Do you believe in love at first sight, I think you do
Do you have faith in the concept of immediate, inherent love? I'm certain you do.
Lying naked under the covers
Reclining unclothed under the blankets.
Those are the best days of my life
Those moments are the extremes of my existence.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: RUFUS MOORE, JASON WESLEY BROWN, JEROME JONES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Liizzeth Luna
Every time I look at you
You always look so beautiful
Driving on the road again the Chevy's packed
And it is dusk
And I will take some photographs
So I can dream of you
Can't say I've felt such twisting
In my heart this way
We pitch a tent & have one sleeping bag
To stay away
Fires burning, softly singing songs
So close to you
Do you believe in love at first sight?
I think you do, we're hanging now with one another
Those are the best days of my life
Can't take away those times we stayed up and we talked all night
Chain smoking cigarettes and three bottles of red wine
Falling asleep together holding your body, close to mine
Oh, And in the morning your eyes open so innocent
The sun in blazing we are sweaty you look lovely
Nothing else maters anymore 'cause your in my arms again
Do you believe in love at first sight?
I think you do, we're hanging now with one another
Those are the best days of my
Those are the best days of my
Those are the best days of my life
Oh, I never want to be without you
So, just stay with me, I will love you endlessly
Oh, darlin' darlin' oh... darlin', darlin'
Do you believe in love at first sight?
I think you do, we're hanging now with one another
Those are the best days of my life
Do you believe in love at first sight?
I think you do, we're hanging now with one another
Those are the best days of my life
Those are the best days of my life
Those are the best days of my
Those are the best days of my
Those are the best days of my life
Rosi
Indo a praia curtindo ouvir essa música ❤️
SimplyCoolFam
Still a great feel good song 🩵🎵
Glanel Jhonathan Rodrigues
What a soothing voice! This song is underrated!
Marlon Rando
In 2007 you couldn't get away from it. Definitely not underrated, but overlooked.
big sex big sex
It was
Aaron Brown
I was 6 years old when I discovered this song playing on the Radio in 2007, now 14 years later I'm in my early 20s but this song hits hard with Nostalgia.
Finbar Monroe
legends never die #mattwhite #bestdays
Dashcam Journey
Beautiful song
Planet Amazing
There is something special about songs from 2000s, and especially such as this one
kend0103
I actually heard this song for the 1st time on the end credits of the Shrek 2 soundtrack I bought for my daughters years ago and still love this song/video to this day!! Amazing song and beautiful lyrics