Good is a strong advocate for human rights, and is affiliated with Amnesty International.
He has also released a book entitled "At Last There Is Nothing Left to Say," consisting of a series of blog entries and manifestos he posted on Matthew Good Band's website before the band disbanded. As well as being a testament to why he continues to have a solid and devoted fan-base, the work showcases Matt's unique perspective, and the creative mind that is the source of his success.
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada 2002
Guns Of Carolina
Matthew Good Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That car crash where you're laid out like Arlington
Got some explaining to do
Got some explaining to do
It's all too late,
So what you waiting for?
It's all too late,
Done what you paid me for
So take these guns back to Carolina
All high-pass
Every time I look at you
The doors still draft
The same old empty rooms
Got some explaining to do
Got some explaining to do
It's all too late,
So what you waiting for?
Take these guns back to Carolina.
It's all too late,
Done what you paid me for
So take these guns back to Carolina
To Carolina
To Carolina
To Carolina
It's all too late,
Done what you paid me for
The lyrics of "Guns Of Carolina" by Matthew Good seem to be about regret and the consequences of one's actions. The first verse mentions a car crash and being laid out like Arlington, which is a reference to the cemetery in Virginia where U.S. soldiers are buried. This could represent the singer's guilt or feelings of being trapped because of their past actions. The singer acknowledges that they must explain themselves and that it's too late to go back and change what has been done. The chorus speaks of taking the guns back to Carolina, which could relate to returning to a place of violence or a place where the singer has committed some wrong.
The second verse speaks of looking at someone who seems to have a guarded, defensive demeanor. The doors still draft and the empty rooms could represent how the person's emotions and feelings are trapped inside of them, unable to escape. The repetition of "Got some explaining to do" emphasizes that the singer knows they have made mistakes and need to make things right, but there seems to be a feeling of fear or reluctance to confront what they've done.
Line by Line Meaning
Stay like that, you always win with it
Keep pretending to be okay, it always gets you what you want
That car crash where you're laid out like Arlington
Your emotional pain is just as devastating as a war memorial
Got some explaining to do
You have some serious explaining to do about your actions
It's all too late,
There is no hope left
So what you waiting for?
Why are you hesitating?
Take these guns back to Carolina
Return to the place where you belong, where your problems originated
Done what you paid me for
I did what I was supposed to do
All high-pass
Everything is too overwhelming
Every time I look at you
Seeing you reminds me of all the pain you caused
The doors still draft
The emptiness is pervasive and inescapable
The same old empty rooms
The past still haunts me
To Carolina
The only way to move forward is to confront the past
Writer(s): Matthew Fredrick Robert Good
Contributed by Kaitlyn A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.