Mattafix released their first single "11.30 (Dirtiest Trick In Town)" as a limited edition single on Buddhist Punk Records on 31st January 2005. Their first full single, "Big City Life", released by EMI on 8th August 2005 was a considerable hit, managing a #15 peak on the official UK chart, a big feat for a UK R&B/hip-hop group, and topped the charts in Germany, Czech, Austria and other European countries. Their third single, "Passer By" was released on 24th October 2005, unfortunately missing the UK top 75. The single preceded their debut album "Signs Of A Struggle", which was released a week later on 31st October 2005.
The group have toured with the likes of Jamiroquai and Joss Stone on their UK tours. The fourth single from their debut album, "Signs Of A Struggle" was "To & Fro", which features backing vocals from former Sugababe Siobhan Donaghy. The single was released as a download only single on 13th March 2006.
Big City Life debuted at #19 on the Australian Music Charts and reached #1 on the New Zealand Singles Chart.
Signs Of A Struggle was a Triple J feature album in April 2006.
In April 2010, Marlon Roudette made a video appearance where he spoke about recording and making the record in his home-based studio. However, via Facebook, it was announced that Roudette and Hirji had gone separate ways, due to their different new ideas for future projects, which has brought abundant attention to fans. He is yet to come up with his new artist name; whether to stay with the name Mattafix, or choose a new stage name; perhaps his own. "Mattafix presents...Marlon..." was a quote from a late 2010 YouTube video, as an updated possibility for his album title and/or stage name. Marlon Roudette has confirmed that the new album is "not a radical shift but definitely different. More instrumentation and more in depth musical compositions." Marlon Roudette has stated that the album is pretty much completed, but the album is still being "fine tuned". His first solo album Matter Fixed was released on 2 September 2011. His sophomore effort Electric Soul on 8 August 2014.
The Means
Mattafix Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Head rests,
A sore mind behind these red eyes.
Watch the television,
Sweet escapism,
Game shows and racism.
Headlines,
All for a cause that never was.
Call for a voice but all it does is sigh.
Inside.
Sigh.
More or less,
There abouts,
A young man with so many doubts.
I try to learn impersonating,
The clever moves but I am facing,
The always power-crazed,
Middle aged generation.
All for a cause that never was.
Call for a voice but all it does is sigh.
Inside.
Sigh.
Inside.
Sigh.
Blood and blame passed on to a neighbour.
Continuing the chain.
Deadly game of whispers.
How am I to grow.
The life I love I don't know.
Somehow, someway.
Blood and blame passed on to a neighbour.
Continuing the chain.
Deadly game of whispers.
How am I to grow.
The life I love I don't know.
Somehow, someway.
Blood and blame passed on to a neighbour.
Continuing the chain.
Deadly game of whispers.
How am I to grow.
The life I love I don't know.
Somehow, someway.
The lyrics to Mattafix's song The Means is a commentary on society's social, political, and economic issues. The first few lines describe the singer's state of mind, which is tired and distressed, as signified by the red eyes, and seeks escapism through watching television. The TV shows are just a means of distraction from the grim reality of war crimes and disguised affection. The singer seeks a voice to speak out against this injustice but is left with a sigh or silence as a solitary response.
The next few lines describe a young man who is lost and full of uncertainties about his future. He tries to adopt the clever tactics of the older generation who are power-hungry and ruthless, but he is constantly facing obstacles. He wants to contribute to society and create a better world, but he is hindered by the corrupt and oppressive systems that have been put into place. The singer is frustrated and disheartened by this situation and lets out another sigh.
The last verse describes the chain of blood and blame that continues to plague society. It is a deadly game of whispers that has caused so much pain and suffering. The singer is left wondering how he is going to grow and find the life that he loves when he is surrounded by so much negativity. But he still holds on to the hope that somehow, someway, things will get better.
Line by Line Meaning
Head rests,
The person is physically relaxing, possibly lying down or sitting back.
A sore mind behind these red eyes.
The person is mentally exhausted, and their eyes are displaying physical signs of fatigue.
Watch the television,
The person is using the TV as a means of distraction from their own thoughts.
Sweet escapism,
Watching TV provides temporary relief from the person's problems and worries.
Game shows and racism.
The programs the person is watching may contain negative messages that contribute to systemic problems in society.
Headlines,
The person is also consuming news, which may be causing additional stress.
War crimes behind disguised affection.
The news that the person is watching may contain information about atrocities committed under the guise of love or friendship.
All for a cause that never was.
The person feels like they are wasting their time watching TV and consuming news, as they have not been able to effect any real change in society.
Call for a voice but all it does is sigh.
The person desires to have a say in matters that are important to them but feels powerless to effect any change.
Inside.
These feelings are all happening internally, and the person may feel alone in their struggles.
More or less,
The person is trying to quantify their personal struggles.
There abouts,
The person is uncertain about their own feelings and thoughts.
A young man with so many doubts.
The person is a male who is questioning himself and his place in the world.
I try to learn impersonating,
The person is attempting to emulate others who have achieved success in their lives.
The clever moves but I am facing,
The person is encountering obstacles despite their attempts to replicate the actions of others.
The always power-crazed,
The people in charge are motivated by a need for control.
Middle aged generation.
The people in power are generally older than the person and may be out of touch with their experiences.
Blood and blame passed on to a neighbour.
The person is recognizing that blame is often placed on those who are not responsible for a problem.
Continuing the chain.
This blame-soaked cycle is perpetuated by those who refuse to accept their responsibility for a problem.
Deadly game of whispers.
People spread damaging rumors or refuse to speak up about issues, leading to harm to individuals or society as a whole.
How am I to grow.
The person is unsure of how to develop themselves and contribute positively to society in the face of these issues.
The life I love I don't know.
The person is having difficulty identifying what they truly value or desire in life because of the negative influences around them.
Somehow, someway.
Despite their struggles and uncertainties, the person is committed to finding a path forward.
Contributed by Elena A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
O H
17 years later still can't believe how precise this song is.
The story of my life
Katyusha Tsvetochek
The same. The same
Polarity Productions
It's never too late to make a change.
Ishan Chandra
mattafix is true wisdom....epic legends these two are
Rajiv Devaux
the production of this song is absolutely fantastic
Luke Sanders
Mattafix, the sound that will forever slap.
Mizefonseca123
i love mattafix!! they make amaxing music...
TRZander
Not only are their beats good, but they talk about highly intellegent and controversial topics that leads to only smart people enjoying, what i consider, the best music in the world.
freezecanberry
LemonandCrackhead True words
Orto
old but still good enough!