Barber was born and grew up in Port Credit, which is part of Mississauga, Ontario, just west of Toronto, before moving to Kingston, Ontario to attend Queen's University, where he volunteered at campus radio station CFRC-FM and performed at campus pubs. After graduating from Queen's, he went to McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario for his master's degree in philosophy, and here he began to take his performing more seriously. Gaining support from the small but committed Hamilton music community, he released his debut album Means and Ends independently in 2002.
The album soon caught the attention of Paper Bag Records, who re-released it to a wider audience in 2003. After two years in Hamilton, Barber moved to Toronto.
Signed to Warner Music Canada, he released the E.P. title The Story Of Your Life in 2004 and the full-length album Sweet Nothing on September 27, 2005.
Sweet Nothing's debut single and music video, "Soft One," became a major hit in Canada, reaching number 1 among most-added tracks and the top 20 tracks overall at hot adult contemporary radio in Canada, and receiving regular play on music video channels including MuchMusic, MuchMoreMusic and MusiMax.
Barber has been a featured guest on >play, Go and Open Mike with Mike Bullard. He has toured extensively with artists including Buck 65, BOY, Joel Plaskett, Emm Gryner and Matt Mays and El Torpedo.
Barber's backing band is dubbed the Union Dues.
Barber's sister, Jill Barber, is also a noted Canadian musician.
Suddenly
Matthew Barber Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
This future′s far behind
Suddenly
I have no points of reference now
So suddenly
Our magnetic worth
Won't point the same way north
So suddenly
Far away from it all
But i can't move at all
This plan is not like mine
These walls aren't my design
Suddenly
I have no scale or balance now
So suddenly
These creases are folding in and up
And closing
Suddenly
I′m free to fall
Far away from it all
But i can′t move at all
In Matthew Barber's song Suddenly, the artist explores the idea of feeling lost, without any points of reference or balance in one's own life. The song begins with the lines, "This world is not like mine, This future's far behind." The opening lines stand out to a listener because it is a profound statement; emphasizing that the singer is disoriented and has no sense of belonging within this world. The lyrics essentially suggest that the future doesn't have a place for him, and he feels as if he has been left behind. As the song continues, Barber compares magnetic worth and points off the compass with the state of mind of the singer. The magnetic forces that once guided him, enabling him to navigate life, doesn't exist anymore. He is lost and without direction. The lyrics state, "Our magnetic worth, Won't point the same way north, So suddenly, I'm free to fall, Far away from it all, But I can't move at all." These lines suggest how even though the character is feeling free, they lack the courage to move forward.
The second half of the song mentions walls and designs, emphasizing an overwhelming feeling of containment. The singer has no control over the plan set before him, nor the walls that surround him. The lyrics state, "This plan is not like mine, These walls aren't my design, Suddenly, I have no scale or balance now, So suddenly, These creases are folding in and up and closing." The use of words like folding and closing, emphasizing that the singer is suffocating and that his confidence is disappearing, further heightening the feeling of his loss of control.
Line by Line Meaning
This world is not like mine
I am faced with a different reality that is unlike anything I have experienced before.
This future's far behind
The outcome I thought I could control is not attainable anymore.
Suddenly
Things have changed abruptly without warning, leaving me in a state of confusion.
I have no points of reference now
I have lost my bearing and cannot rely on anything familiar to guide me.
So suddenly
The change has happened in such an unexpected manner that I am still trying to make sense of it.
Our magnetic worth won't point the same way north
Our paths have diverged and we are no longer heading in the same direction.
I'm free to fall far away from it all
I have the liberty to detach myself from everything and everyone that has held me in place.
But I can't move at all
Despite this newfound freedom, I am still paralyzed with fear and unable to act on it.
This plan is not like mine
The course of action I had mapped out is not unfolding as I intended.
These walls aren't my design
The barriers in my path are not of my own making, and I feel trapped.
I have no scale or balance now
I am unable to measure the magnitude of the changes that have occurred and cannot maintain my equilibrium.
These creases are folding in and up and closing
With each passing moment, the obstacles are becoming harder to overcome and I feel hemmed in.
Writer(s): Matthew Herbert, Matthew John Herbert
Contributed by Colin F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.