The middle child of two semi-professional folk singers, in Plymouth on October 10th 1978, Jay was born into a highly musical family. His parents, Tony and Hilary, performed regularly in a folk band, and when Matthew was only eight years old, he joined the line-up, playing bass, along with his two brothers, Eddy and Pete.
He started writing his own songs as a teenager, and at the end of his final year in high school in 2000, he decided to give his music just one shot before leaving for university to study a nice 'sensible' subject: (optometry). Happily for Jay, after bombarding record labels with his demo throughout the summer, he was signed to EMI. At that point, somewhat unusually, he hadn't even played one solo gig.
While at EMI, Jay released two EPs: 'Four Songs' and 'Friendly Fire,' followed by the critically-acclaimed album 'Draw,' and three singles: 'Let Your Shoulder Fall,' 'Please Don't Send Me Away,' and 'Call My Name Out.' He enjoyed moderate chart success with the singles, and on the strength of this toured extensively throughout Europe and the States, supporting many acts including Starsailor, Travis, Dido and The Divine Comedy.
In 2002 Jay separated amicably from EMI and started work on songs which marked a slight change in creative direction, as he began experimenting with a number of new influences, including hip-hop.
Sadly, in the autumn of 2003, the singer-songwriter died suddenly in the small hours of the 25th of September, in an unexplained fall from his London apartment block. It was a shocking end to what had been a life full of promise, and one built upon a remarkable foundation of accomplishment for one so young.
In 2004, the independent record label Jays Music Ltd released a retrospective album called 'Too Soon': a collection of Matthew Jay early songs and rarities, and followed this in December 2006 with a single: 'What Would Love Do Now,' which was one of the last songs he had recorded.
The new material Jay had been working on until the time of his passing showcased a mature writing style for the artist, which although something of a departure from the tracks on 'Draw,' still maintained his distinctive vocals, and trademark bittersweet and often humourous lyrical style.
An album featuring a selection of these songs is due for release in the spring of 2008, and will be available via his official website.
Call My Name Out
Matthew Jay Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Son, she said, follow me instead
Cloud rains tears, now the storm has cleared
Blown through time, let her mother shine
Still sees his father over the river
He pours a little his way
Shows him there's a way
Sea's calm now, but I don't know how
To bring in the tide and call the storm inside
Still sees his father over the river
He pours a little his way
Shows him there's a way
Won't be here very long
I know where I should be now
Rise and fall, and we will still be all
That we held so dear
When the storm was here
Still sees his father over the river
He pours a little his way
Shows him there's a way
Won't be here very long
I know where I should be now
Won't be here very long
I know where I should be now
The song "Call My Name Out" by Matthew Jay appears to be about the complicated relationships between family members and how they deal with the struggles of life. The opening lines talk about a younger brother calling out for his mother while a storm is happening. The mother tells him to follow her instead of calling out for her during the difficult time. It seems like the mother is suggesting that they should move on from their struggles and not rely on her to fix everything. The next few lines describe how the storm has cleared and the mother is now shining. This could be interpreted as a metaphor for overcoming difficulties and coming out stronger on the other side.
The song then talks about how the singer still sees his father over the river, which could symbolize a divide or separation between them. The father is shown pouring something, possibly alcohol, on his side of the river. This could be interpreted as a coping mechanism for dealing with the struggles they have faced. The line "Shows him there's a way" could mean that even though the father's way of coping may not be the healthiest, he is still finding a way to manage.
The chorus seems to express uncertainty about how to handle the situation, as the singer struggles to understand how to "bring in the tide and call the storm inside." Despite this uncertainty, he seems to have a clearer understanding of where he should be and how to move forward in life. Overall, the song seems to be about the complicated relationships between family members and how they handle adversity, as well as the importance of staying strong in the face of struggles.
Line by Line Meaning
Storm dies, younger brother calls for his mother
After a storm, a young boy looks for his mother for comfort
Son, she said, follow me instead
His mother tells him to follow her rather than dwell on the storm
Cloud rains tears, now the storm has cleared
The aftermath of the storm causes sadness
Blown through time, let her mother shine
Time passes and the mother's memory lives on
Still sees his father over the river
The artist remembers their father who has passed away
He pours a little his way
The singer honors their father by pouring out a drink for him
Shows him there's a way
The singer finds comfort in the thought that there is a way to honor their father's memory
Sea's calm now, but I don't know how
The artist struggles with feeling calm after a difficult time
To bring in the tide and call the storm inside
The artist wants to feel the full range of emotions they are experiencing
Won't be here very long
The artist recognizes their own mortality
I know where I should be now
The singer has found peace and knows where they need to be in life
Rise and fall, and we will still be all
Life goes on despite the ups and downs
That we held so dear
The singer values the important things in life
When the storm was here
The singer reflects on the past struggles they have faced
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: MATTHEW JAY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Elizabeth Nurse
Still love this, saw Matthew as a support act at got his album soon after. Brilliant and much missed.
Jamie Wilkinson
My brother had this album years ago when living in Nottingham and I loved this track and always going too soon... many times I listen to it to this day and relate to the lyrics. RIP Matthew Jay very talented
kyma1999x
one of the best songs I've ever heard, from a great artist, we miss your music a lot...
Claire doll
I worked in a record store when this album came out,it was an absolute staff favourite (someone we could always agree on) everytime we put the record on the whole shop would just listen...we sold 'draw' every damn time we played it...without fail..god damn why did he have to go and leave us! He had so much more to give x
Chris Baker
2020. Still great...still on my car playlist. ❤️
Diana Drake
Such a fun song...the lyrics are great. It just makes me smile every time.
LaaLaa78
Great song, a little gem that isn't known well enough.
kuwinsitall
Big fan from Kansas, USA! He was such a talent! Great music.
Matthew Jay
Hi Rachael, really appreciate your post. To know that Matthew’s music lives on in musicians like you is quite special to know. It will be 10 years on 25th September that the world lost all Matthew’s new music. There will be an online memory book opening soon. I hope you and others like you will want to right a few words in it. Good luck with all the music you are creating. I hope it brings you happiness and fulfilment. Jays Music
Louise Holden
Thank you so much. I bought this album when it first came out and was blown away. It's in my top ten all time favourites and I was genuinely upset when I heard about what had happened. Thanks for keeping this music online for people to enjoy XXX