During his childhood in San Diego, Lien would visit his father in Dezadeash, Yukon each summer, eventually moving there when he was 16.
Lien taught himself to play piano when he was 10 years old, and later learned how to record and produce music in high school and afterwards.
He also taught himself to score for contemporary, traditional folk, and classical musicians by asking friends for help and working long hours alone.
As recording was an expensive undertaking for the independent Lien, he would work at various jobs in California or in the Yukon, until he saved enough money, and then record three songs at a time in San Diego studios.
The first song he ever formally recorded was in a recording studio at San Diego Senior High School. The song, called "Kecia's Song," which was inspired by the death of his friend and classmate, Kecia Cummings.
After high school, he recording three more songs at Hit Single recording studio, with a classic rock band "Down To Earth" for which he was lead singer and keyboardist.
He later recorded his own solo material in San Diego recording studios, at Mix Masters recording studios, where he received a certificate in Advanced Engineering, and at Steve Vaus Productions where he met recording engineer Michael W. Harris.
As Lien's recordings became more advanced, with numerous musicians and layers of diverse instrumentation, he eventually required more advanced studios with automation, such as Lyonshare and The Complex in Hollywood, California.
Preferring his native San Diego to Los Angeles, he discovered Signature Sound recording studios in San Diego, California, which is owned by his friend and musician/producer Luis Ortega whom he met earlier at Mix Masters. Together with engineer Harris. This is where he recorded most of his albums to date, with the exception of his Hybrid SACD "Arctic Refuge" which was recorded at Bryan Adams' Warehouse Studio in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Lien's first international release, "Bleeding Wolves," was released in southeast Asia by independent record distributor Wind Music of Taiwan. The non-pop album became a sensation, rapidly achieving multi-platinum status in Taiwan, and having sold millions of copies on the piracy market in China.
He now has a fan base of millions in Taiwan and China, where he is known for his environmental music and his work with aboriginal and traditional cultures.
His profile in Taiwan is such that he has received government appointments, and is sought for commercial endorsements.
Bedtime Stories
Matthew Lien Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And with the turn of every page, another picture worth a thousand tears
Reading on with great dismay, another tanker has lost its way
And ninety million gallons spilled into the sea today
()
Don′t make me tell bedtime stories
'Bout how it was when the Earth still had trees
Don′t make me tell bedtime stories
Tellin' all about how I remember when
You can see it everywhere, we′re adding colour to our atmosphere
Still we let the fires burn, we haven′t got a lot of room up there
Now it seems this whole affair is burnin' holes in an ozone layer
Well maybe I′m mistaken, but don't we need to breathe this air
Don′t make me tell bedtime stories
()
Think it's time we recongnize, we′ve got a problem in paradise
'Bout how it was when the Earth still had trees
Don't make me tell bedtime stories
Livin′in a world of why and might have been
Tellin′ all about how I remember when
Think it's time we recongnize, we′ve got a problem in paradise
Angels fall from troubled skies, wolves lay bleeding out upon the ice
Some would say "just carry on, close your eyes now and don't think twice"
Well, given our direction, this doesn′t really seem like sound advice
Don't make me tell bedtime stories
′Bout how it was when the Earth still had trees
Don't make me tell bedtime stories
The lyrics in Matthew Lien's song Bedtime Stories reflect his concerns about environmental issues and humanity's impact on the Earth. The opening line suggests that everything is unclear, indicating that we may not fully understand the consequences of our actions. The use of the phrase "another picture worth a thousand tears" implies that there have been many instances of environmental disasters that have caused sadness and despair.
The second verse highlights the issue of air pollution, with the line "we're adding colour to our atmosphere." The lyrics suggest that we are not doing enough to prevent climate change and that we continue to destroy our planet by letting fires burn and depleting the ozone layer. The repetition of the line "Don't make me tell bedtime stories" throughout the song emphasizes the seriousness of the situation and the urgency to act before it is too late.
The final verse presents a stark reality, with "angels fall from troubled skies" and "wolves lay bleeding out upon the ice." Lien is urging listeners to acknowledge the problem and take action, rather than turning a blind eye to the destruction. The song's title, Bedtime Stories, suggests that the message is one that needs to be communicated to future generations and that we must take responsibility for our actions to preserve the Earth for them.
Line by Line Meaning
Everything is so unclear, how could we ever let this happen here
It's hard to comprehend how we allowed our environment to deteriorate to this point.
And with the turn of every page, another picture worth a thousand tears
As we learn more about the destruction of nature, it's heartbreaking.
Reading on with great dismay, another tanker has lost its way
It's truly disheartening to hear about yet another oil spill.
And ninety million gallons spilled into the sea today
The amount of oil spilled is staggering and has lasting impacts on the environment.
Don't make me tell bedtime stories
We must face the reality and take action to save our environment.
'Bout how it was when the Earth still had trees
We need to preserve the environment before it's too late and we lose our natural resources.
Livin' in a world of why and might have been
We should focus on saving what we have now rather than thinking about what could have been.
Tellin' all about how I remember when
Reflecting on a time when the environment was healthier and more balanced.
You can see it everywhere, we're adding colour to our atmosphere
Pollution has become an everyday occurrence and is damaging our ozone layer.
Still we let the fires burn, we haven't got a lot of room up there
We continue to contribute to air pollution by allowing fires to burn and taking up space in the atmosphere.
Now it seems this whole affair is burnin' holes in an ozone layer
The damage done to the ozone layer has serious and long-lasting consequences.
Well maybe I'm mistaken, but don't we need to breathe this air
We can't continue to harm our environment because it ultimately affects our own survival.
Think it's time we recognize, we've got a problem in paradise
It's time to acknowledge the problem before it's too late.
Angels fall from troubled skies, wolves lay bleeding out upon the ice
The damage has spread to even the most remote and beautiful parts of nature.
Some would say 'just carry on, close your eyes now and don't think twice'
Ignoring the problem won't make it go away or prevent further damage.
Well, given our direction, this doesn't really seem like sound advice
Continuing on our current path won't lead to a positive outcome for the environment.
Writer(s): Matthew Lien
Contributed by Jayce I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Shelly
Matthew Lien 這張專輯非常好聽，專輯中這首是我最愛的，值得收藏~