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."
Saying Goodbye
Matt White Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I study the lines on her face
Tell me nothing's wrong
I never meant to act this way again
This might be the end
Nowhere away from everything
Trying to find what's right
I wanna tell you
The things I couldn't say
I wish you would listen
I'll tell it to you in my way again
Could this be the end?
Nowhere away from everything, everything
Saying goodbye, bye, bye
Trying to find what's right
Saying goodbye, bye, bye
Trying to find what's right
I wish you could read
What's inside my head
Wish you could look past
The last mistake, hey
Could this be the end?
Saying goodbye, bye, bye
Trying to find what's right
Saying goodbye, bye, bye
Trying to find what's right
The song "Saying Goodbye" by Matt White is a reflective tune that talks about the end of a relationship. The opening line of the song, "Look what I've become," may suggest that the singer has changed and perhaps he is not happy with the person he has become. When he talks about studying the lines on her face, he might be referring to the impact that the relationship has had on her, and perhaps the signs of aging that come with heartache. The expression "Nowhere away from everything" could mean that there's no escaping the situation that they find themselves in.
The chorus "Saying goodbye, bye, bye; trying to find what's right" might mean that despite the heartbreak, both parties need to move on and find what's best for them. The singer wishes that he could tell the person the things he couldn't say before, perhaps communicating how he truly feels and the reasons why they must end things. The line "Wish you could look past the last mistake" suggests that there was one mistake that may have caused the rift between them, and the singer wishes that they can move past it.
Overall, the song sends a message that sometimes, love isn't enough to fix a relationship, and it may be time to say goodbye and move on. It might be hard, but finding closure and moving forward is essential.
Line by Line Meaning
Look what I've become
Reflecting on how he has changed and become someone who needs to say goodbye
I study the lines on her face
Examining the facial expressions of the person he is saying goodbye to, searching for any indication of their reaction
Tell me nothing's wrong
Desperately hoping that the person he is saying goodbye to is OK despite the difficult situation
I never meant to act this way again
Reiterating that he did not intend for things to turn out like this, but is simply doing what he believes is necessary
This might be the end
Acknowledging that this difficult situation could indeed spell the end of their relationship
Nowhere away from everything
Feeling completely isolated from the world and everyone around him
Saying goodbye, bye, bye
The repetition of this phrase reinforces that he is indeed saying goodbye and emphasizes the finality of the situation
Trying to find what's right
Desperately searching for the right course of action, knowing that it will be painful no matter what
I wanna tell you
Expressing a strong desire to communicate openly and honestly with the person he is saying goodbye to
The things I couldn't say
Admitting that there are things he has been unable to express until now
I wish you would listen
Expressing a wish that the person he is saying goodbye to will hear him out and try to understand his perspective
I'll tell it to you in my way again
Reassuring the person he is saying goodbye to that he will communicate his thoughts and feelings in a way that is true to himself
Could this be the end?
Repeating this question reinforces his uncertainty and fear that this could indeed be the final goodbye
I wish you could read
Expressing a wish that the person he is saying goodbye to could understand what he is feeling without him having to explain it directly
What's inside my head
Referring to his innermost thoughts and feelings that are difficult to express with words
Wish you could look past
Expressing hope that the person he is saying goodbye to could move beyond their present difficulties and find a way to reconcile
The last mistake, hey
Alluding to a specific event or mistake that has led to the need for him to say goodbye
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: NICHOLAS BAINES, JAMES RIX, ANDREW ROBERT WHITE, CHARLES RICHARD WILSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind