Matthew’s career as a solo artist has evolved naturally over the past few years, his fanbase growing organically and his songwriting skills growing exponentially. But it has not just been the quality of Matthew’s songs that sets him apart. The prolific musician has self-released eight EPs since 2008, offering his fans a consistent stream of new music. In September of 2008, Matthew recorded his debut solo EP, The Fire EP, for $1000 in a Birmingham basement. This disc spawned “First In Line,” which appeared in the 100th episode of Grey’s Anatomy.
Matthew’s second EP followed in July 2009. Five Chances Remain Hers, produced by Paul Moak, which landed another track, “Better,” on Grey’s Anatomy. The single skyrocketed to No. 1 on the iTunes singer/songwriter chart and in December of 2009 Matthew offered fans a third EP-- Maybe Next Christmas. The reaction to these releases and to Matthew’s songwriting was so strong it just made sense for him to keep doing it.
“The response was pretty overwhelming and caught me a bit off guard,” Matthew explains. “It reset something inside me and got my wheels turning for the EP series. I wanted to try something that no one else was trying. I knew I had the songs, and I knew that if I worked hard, I could put out records that people wanted to hear month after month. I've had plenty of issues over the years as an artist, but there's never been a shortage of songs.”
Since Maybe Next Christmas, Matthew has written, recorded, and released five more EPs--regularly putting them out every month from January 2010 through May 2010. Each disc has showcased a different facet of the musician, revealing his depth and versatility. Funded by his fans— who were also involved in selecting the tracklists and cover art via Pledge Music--each EP has also reached the top of the iTunes singer/songwriter charts. The whirlwind process has taught Matthew, who toured in the midst of this with Needtobreathe, Pete Yorn, Switchfoot, Blue October and The Civil Wars, an immense amount about both himself and about creating music.
“Each EP is a different chapter for me,” he says. “Essentially, it was an exercise in storytelling.Late '08 into early '09 was by far the hardest period of my life. There was a lot of grief to process, and it was tough to file it down into song form. The ideas spilled out night after night, morning after
morning. I learned to keep a voice recorder close by at all times for that reason. Most of the melodies came to me in the car, the airport, the shower— pretty much the most inconvenient places for making noise.”
Riding on the momentum of this succession of music, Matthew is currently preparing to release his debut album, Now You’re Free, a record that was completely funded by his fans via Pledge Music. Recorded over the course of three weeks with producer Paul Moak in Nashville in June, the disc pairs five songs pulled from Matthew’s past EPs and five brand new tracks. The ten songs walk a fine line between Matthew’s acoustic singer-songwriter tendencies and the group-driven rock ‘n roll he loves making, in the end creating a cohesive, narrative-driven collection of spirited rock songs.
"I want to write songs that people can sing back at me the way I sing back at my favorite artists,” he says. “I'm excited about attempting to change something with a song. It could be someone's mood for four minutes, the temperature in their room or the way they watch the sun set driving down the interstate. Music has changed everything for me. I want to be a part of that for other people.”
ELEMENT
Matthew Mayfield Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Wish I was watching you
In the daylight
A perfect view
This is always a favorite of mine.
Said I don't want to go
'Cause it means I'd have to throw
This element of mine inside
What if I don't want to be the lonely one?
The truth I know is this
I don't want to miss you more
Than I already do
I'm screaming
My lungs out
'Cause I'm wishing
You were here with me now
I'm impatient I apologize many times
But I'm human
And I'm selfish
Got the feeling
I should deal with this
But I'm hiding
Know one knows
they don't
So what if I don't want to be the lonely one?
The truth I know is this
I don't want to miss you more
Than I already do
At sunrise
I find a new releasing
And moonlight
Creeping sounds of you tonight
Are you finding?
I still need to know
That you find
Amusing memory
What if I don't want to be the lonely one?
The truth I know is this
I don't want to miss you more, oh
What if I don't want to be the lonely one?
The truth I know is this
I don't want to miss you more
Than I already do
Than I already do
Matthew Mayfield's song "Element" is a heart-wrenching ballad about missing someone so much that it becomes unbearable. The first stanza describes the longing to be near someone in the daylight, as it provides a "perfect view." The singer then admits that they don't want to leave the person's side, because that would mean leaving behind a crucial part of themselves. The second stanza has the singer shouting and screaming at the top of their lungs, wishing the person was there with them. They acknowledge their impatience and selfishness, but can't help the feeling of wanting to be with the person they miss so badly.
The last stanza adds an interesting twist to the song, as the singer imagines the possibility of the person finding someone else. They admit that they still need to know if the person is still thinking of them, and end the song with the same haunting refrain: "I don't want to miss you more than I already do." In summary, "Element" is a beautifully crafted expression of anguish and longing, set against haunting musical harmonies that draw the listener into the singer's torment.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm waiting
I'm waiting for you to come back to me
Wish I was watching you
I wish I could see you and be with you right now
In the daylight
I want to see you in the bright light of day
A perfect view
I want to see you clearly and perfectly
This is always a favorite of mine.
Thinking about you and being with you is always a favorite thing of mine
Said I don't want to go
I have said that I don't want to leave
'Cause it means I'd have to throw
Leaving would mean that I have to leave behind
This element of mine inside
A part of me that I don't want to leave behind or lose
What if I don't want to be the lonely one?
I don't want to be alone without you
The truth I know is this
I know that the truth is
I don't want to miss you more
I don't want to long for you any more than I already do
Than I already do
I already miss you so much
I'm screaming
I'm yelling and crying out
My lungs out
I'm screaming so loudly that it hurts my throat
'Cause I'm wishing
Because I'm hoping and praying
You were here with me now
That you could be here with me right now
I'm impatient
I can't wait any longer
I apologize many times
I'm sorry for being impatient and upset
But I'm human
But I'm only human and I have emotions
And I'm selfish
And sometimes my needs and wants are selfish
Got the feeling
I have a sense or intuition
I should deal with this
I know that I need to handle this situation differently
But I'm hiding
But I'm keeping my true feelings to myself
Nobody knows
No one else knows how I feel
They don't
They don't know or understand what I'm going through
At sunrise
When the sun comes up in the morning
I find a new releasing
I find a way to let go and move on
And moonlight
At night, under the light of the moon
Creeping sounds of you tonight
I can hear the echoes of your voice and memories of you at night
Are you finding?
Are you discovering or experiencing something new?
I still need to know
I still want to find out and understand
That you find amusing memory
That you remember the good times we had and find them amusing or enjoyable
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: MATTHEW MAYFIELD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
j_o_e_l__ 06
I've been waiting
Wish I was watching you
In the daylight
A perfect view
This is always a favorite of mine.
Said I don't want to go
'Cause it means I'd have to throw
This element of mine inside
What if I don't want to be the lonely one?
The truth I know is this
I don't want to miss you more
Than I already do
I'm screaming
My lungs out
'Cause I'm wishing
You were here with me now
I'm impatient I apologize many times
But I'm human
And I'm selfish
Got the feeling
I should deal with this
But I'm hiding
Know one knows
they don't
So what if I don't want to be the lonely one?
The truth I know is this
I don't want to miss you more
Than I already do
At sunrise
I find a new releasing
And moonlight
Creeping sounds of you tonight
Are you finding?
I still need to know
That you find
Amusing memory
What if I don't want to be the lonely one?
The truth I know is this
I don't want to miss you more, oh
What if I don't want to be the lonely one?
The truth I know is this
I don't want to miss you more
Than I already do
Than I already do
j_o_e_l__ 06
I've been waiting
Wish I was watching you
In the daylight
A perfect view
This is always a favorite of mine.
Said I don't want to go
'Cause it means I'd have to throw
This element of mine inside
What if I don't want to be the lonely one?
The truth I know is this
I don't want to miss you more
Than I already do
I'm screaming
My lungs out
'Cause I'm wishing
You were here with me now
I'm impatient I apologize many times
But I'm human
And I'm selfish
Got the feeling
I should deal with this
But I'm hiding
Know one knows
they don't
So what if I don't want to be the lonely one?
The truth I know is this
I don't want to miss you more
Than I already do
At sunrise
I find a new releasing
And moonlight
Creeping sounds of you tonight
Are you finding?
I still need to know
That you find
Amusing memory
What if I don't want to be the lonely one?
The truth I know is this
I don't want to miss you more, oh
What if I don't want to be the lonely one?
The truth I know is this
I don't want to miss you more
Than I already do
Than I already do
Synapsed
You know those amazing songs where you listen to it, and you listen to it so much that you get tired of it? This is definitely not one of those. This song is outstanding.
Ridn2Lo
This has aged over the years like a fine wine. Bravo.
Nikita Kundu
Thanks Spotify, I came across this person's creation! Thank you Matthew Mayfield for the magic.
Flora Miles
This is one of those songs which causes me to stop revising for a minute, and to just consider life in all its sadness and beauty - to just appreciate the stupid complexity of human emotion.
Hannah Weaver
Gives me chills everytime I listen to it.
Random Musings
This song is outstanding. This is probably the best pop song I have heard in a long time.
Matthew Linback
I love your music so much its one of a kind its music you feel more then just listen to why are you not more well known?? everyone needs to hear your music please please keep writing keep singing keep doing what you do its amazing
JT Saenz
Just so you know, Matthew.....this is my “go-to” song before I act/voice-act any sad scenes for any upcoming productions! Bless you for making my job much easier 😭😭
....it’s also a guilty pleasure. 😭😭
Capt.GAGANDEEP SINGH
One of the most powerful voice you have...keep singing...!