Matthew Herbert is a musician and producer working predominantly in the fie… Read Full Bio ↴Matthew Herbert is a musician and producer working predominantly in the field of electronic music. Known for ignoring the boundaries and mangling the conventions traditionally associated with the genre, he is one of the few independently-minded artists to have made a considerable impact on both media and public while striving to be innovative and experimental. As a recording artist since 1996 he has released music on a variety of record labels under aliases such as Doctor Rockit, Wishmountain, Radio Boy, Mr. Vertigo, Transformer, under his own name and with the Matthew Herbert Big Band. In recent years he has played at The Montreux and North Sea Jazz Festivals, Paris' Pompidou Centre, Tokyo's Blue Note, Sonar and Glastonbury and supported Bjõrk at the Hollywood Bowl. Along with over ten albums of self-written, produced and performed music, he has contributed production work to albums by Björk and Roisin Murphy and remixed artists as varied as Moloko, R.E.M., Perry Farrell, Serge Gainsbourg, Yoko Ono, John Cale, The Avalanches and Cornelius. He also owns and runs Accidental Records.

On Reflection
Matthew Herbert Lyrics

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Even then I must have known
Felt the stretch of skin on bone
As then
I stared
For too long at my own
On reflection

Only when my hands went numb

Failing cells of each begun
To touch
And spin
Like lines around the sun
On reflection

So tonight I sit and wait
Hear the sounds of life grow late
And look
Through the ice

Of an ever older me
On reflection

Overall Meaning

Matthew Herbert's song On Reflection is a deep introspection of one's self, contemplating the aging process and the changes happening to one's body. The lyrics suggest that the singer must have known the effects of aging on the body, and has felt the stretch of skin on bone, which is a clear indication of the aging process. As the singer stared at their own reflection for too long, they begin to feel a sense of detachment and eerie stillness, as they realise that an ever-older version of themselves is staring back at them. This is a powerful imagery of the aging process, which is both beautiful and terrifying.

The second verse continues the same theme, but now the focus is on the physical sensations of aging. The singer's hands go numb, and they feel the failing cells of their body, as they touch and spin like lines around the sun. This is another powerful image, as it captures the fragility and fleeting nature of life. The lines around the sun suggest the passage of time, and the inevitability of death. The song ends on a melancholic note, with the singer sitting and waiting, as they hear the sounds of life grow late. They look through the ice of an ever older version of themselves, suggesting that they have come to accept the inevitability of aging and the march towards death.

Line by Line Meaning

Even then I must have known
I had a feeling about something, even back then

Felt the stretch of skin on bone
I physically felt the tension and stress

As then
At that moment

I stared
I looked intently at

For too long at my own
I gazed upon myself for an extended period of time

On reflection
Looking back on that moment in hindsight

Only when my hands went numb
It wasn't until my hands lost feeling

Failing cells of each begun
My body's cells started to deteriorate

To touch
When I tried to feel something

And spin
Everything felt like it was spinning around

Like lines around the sun
Similar to the way lines revolve around the sun