Dear’s first single was 1999’s "Hands Up For Detroit" (co-produced by ghettotech pioneer Disco D, who performed under the name Daisha). Successive singles, such as "Stealing Moves" and the chart-topping "Mouth to Mouth" (as Audion) were issued on Spectral Sound, Ghostly’s offshoot that focuses on dancefloor music.
Matthew Dear’s 2003 full-length Ghostly debut, "Leave Luck to Heaven", is a suite of sparse, wickedly funky house laced with Dear’s deep, distinctive vocals, and includes the much-loved single “Dog Days” (voted one of Pitchfork’s Top 100 Songs of the decade). The record was met with rapturous acclaim from both the dance-music establishment and the critical press, including a four-star review in Rolling Stone. Dear’s 2007 follow-up, "Asa Breed", is a considerable departure from Heaven’s dancefloor excursions, incorporating the polyrhythms of afrobeat, the irreverent pop sensibilities of Brian Eno, and the austere beauty of krautrock. More four-stars reviews followed (Q and Mojo magazines), and Dear subsequently began touring with a live three-piece band, Matthew Dear’s Big Hands, in which he acted as frontman, commanding the stage with a Bryan Ferry-like swagger and a gentleman’s grace.
Today, Matthew Dear finds himself in a unique position. His highly anticipated fourth album, 2010’s Black City, is the culmination of years of hard work and experimentation, a darkly playful sound-world that envelops the listener like the arms of a malevolent lover. After over a decade of exploring pop’s outer limits, Matthew Dear now inhabits a rarefied corner of the musical universe: no longer tethered to any one genre, respected by his peers, and blessed with a bottomless well of creative energy. Now is Matthew Dear’s moment, and it sounds like nothing else.
Do The Right Thing
Matthew Dear Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I feel hollow as the grave I have to dig every day
Off white, I miss the dream of consequence
It had a meaning of sorts and a shape
There was pain with mistakes
Hide between what you see
Close your eyes to look at me
It's the right time to be
My flesh it burns like a ton of flames
Pouring down from the sun to the ground in mistakes
Off white, I miss the dance of feeling wrong
With a chance and a taste
I was yours for escape
We were great
Hide between what you see
Close your eyes to look at me
I'm the world inside your sleep
It's the right time to be
The lyrics of Matthew Dear's song "Do the Right Thing" provide a vivid depiction of the weight of emotions that can consume a person on a daily basis. The opening lines, "My heart, it weighs about a ton in snakes, I feel hollow as the grave I have to dig every day," create a very powerful image of a burden that cannot be shaken off. The reference to snakes adds to the sense of danger that the singer feels, as if his heart is being constricted and poisoned. The sense of emptiness that follows, "I feel hollow as the grave I have to dig every day," speaks to the routine drudgery of life that can feel soul-sapping.
As the song continues, the lyrics convey a sense of longing for something that has been lost, "Off white, I miss the dream of consequence, it had a meaning of sorts and a shape, there was pain with mistakes." This theme of loss is carried on in the third stanza, "Off white, I miss the dance of feeling wrong, with a chance and a taste, I was yours for escape. We were great." The singer is grappling with a sense of regret and nostalgia for a time when things were simpler and more meaningful. The song's refrain, "Hide between what you see, close your eyes to look at me, I'm the world inside your sleep, it's the right time to be," encourages the listener to look beyond surface appearances and connect with something deeper.
Line by Line Meaning
My heart, it weighs about a ton in snakes
My heart feels extremely heavy and burdened, like carrying the weight of a ton of snakes
I feel hollow as the grave I have to dig every day
I feel empty and drained, like the act of digging a grave every day
Off white, I miss the dream of consequence
I long for the feeling of consequence that comes with chasing a dream or goal
It had a meaning of sorts and a shape
The dream or goal had some form or structure, and was meaningful to me
There was pain with mistakes
Mistakes caused me pain and hurt
Hide between what you see
Conceal your true self from the world and only show what is visible
Close your eyes to look at me
Look beyond the visual appearance and see me as I am
I'm the world inside your sleep
I exist in the subconscious world of your dreams and thoughts
It's the right time to be
The present moment is the perfect time to exist and live
My flesh it burns like a ton of flames
I feel intense physical pain and discomfort, like being engulfed in flames
Pouring down from the sun to the ground in mistakes
The pain feels like it's coming from the sun and falling onto me, as if it's a mistake or misfortune
Off white, I miss the dance of feeling wrong
I miss the feeling of experiencing something that is not quite right or off-kilter
With a chance and a taste
There was an opportunity to experience something new or different, and I got a small taste of it
I was yours for escape
You were able to rely on me to provide an escape from reality or difficult situations
We were great
We were able to experience something wonderful and amazing together
Contributed by Levi M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.