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.”
I Don't Know You At All
Matthew Mayfield Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Now that you spit me out?
Do you like hiding
Inside his arms for now?
Babe, though it hurts me to say
I don't know you that way
I guess, the writing's on the wall
I'm still waiting
Still shivering cold
In my third hour
By this pay phone
Babe, though it hurts me to say
I don't know you that way
I guess, the writing's on the wall
I don't know you at all
No, I don't know you at all
She ain't mine, no, she ain't mine
She ain't mine, no, she ain't mine
She ain't mine, no, she ain't mine
She ain't mine, no, she ain't mine
In the first verse of Matthew Mayfield's song, "I Don't Know You At All", he questions if his former lover feels different now that they have split. He then asks if she enjoys hiding in someone else's arms when they were once together. In the chorus, Mayfield sadly admits that he doesn't know his ex-partner in the way he used to. He then realizes that the writing's on the wall and they have come to a breaking point.
In the second verse, Mayfield expresses his waiting in the cold by the payphone for his former lover to call him. Despite waiting for three hours, there's no phone call, but he's still hoping for it. The chorus then repeats, highlighting the feelings of inadequacy and estrangement between the two. In the last four lines, Mayfield affirms that the woman is no longer his as she has moved on.
Line by Line Meaning
Do you feel different
Do you experience a change or a shift in your emotions or perspective towards me?
Now that you spit me out?
Now that you have rejected or ended our relationship, do you feel any different?
Do you like hiding
Do you enjoy being in a position of concealment or secrecy?
Inside his arms for now?
Are you finding comfort in the embrace of another man, at least for the time being?
Babe, though it hurts me to say
My dear, even though it pains me to express this
I don't know you that way
I don't recognize you in the way that you are behaving or presenting yourself currently
I guess, the writing's on the wall
I suppose it is clear from your actions and behavior where our relationship stands
I don't know you at all
I don't understand who you are anymore, given how you have treated me
I'm still waiting
I am still in a state of expectation or anticipation, even as time passes
Still shivering cold
I am still cold, both physically and emotionally
In my third hour
I have been in this situation for an extended period of time
By this pay phone
I am at this specific location, waiting for someone to call or for a change to occur
She ain't mine, no, she ain't mine
I am asserting that this other woman you are with is not mine and has no connection to me
She ain't mine, no, she ain't mine
I am reiterating that this other woman you are with is not mine and has no connection to me
She ain't mine, no, she ain't mine
I am emphasizing that this other woman you are with is not mine and has no connection to me
She ain't mine, no, she ain't mine
I am reaffirming that this other woman you are with is not mine and has no connection to me
Contributed by Logan H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@jesslowe4499
my favourite song of Matthews, soo sooo heart breakin 💔 an haunting. love him. 💕
@PiikePow
She just smiled, you know, that "Effy smile", that means, "You don't know me at all. You never will".
@Domiine
Amazing... Somehow mind - blowing...
@lilitifrock
Hahaha! Funny I find you there sweetie! :)
@the_real_max_level
**insert sound of heart breaking here**
@PiikePow
indeed ;)
@jadiazq
OMG. This the sh...
@danielsosa9499
God dammit😻😻😻
@HereInMyVerona
Do you feel different
Now that you spit me out
Do you like hiding
Inside his arms for now
Babe, though it hurts me to say
I don't know you that way
I guess the writing's on the wall
I don't know you at all
I'm still waiting
Still shivering cold
In my third hour
By this pay phone
Babe, though it hurts me to say
I don't know you that way
I guess the writing's on the wall
I don't know you at all
No, I don't know you at all
She ain't mine, no she ain't mine [x5]
She ain't mine