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.”
Mess Of A Man
Matthew Mayfield Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I use to find a feeling when I use to pres so high
No time to look for reason when you living all these lies
Raise hell and if they tllin' wil end it up alone
You turn that inch over now
Ain't runnin so cold
[Don't make me less of a mess of a man
Be strong, gonna find a fellin'
Sweet shipping on you
One trap baby got me real
And get me on 1-2
I raise the hand, way til the end, I'll wait on end
Nothing to lose
You say me, don't make me
[Don't make me less of a mess of a man
Less of a mess of a man] x 2
Love will change me baby
Should be work on style
Should want me, but you wrong and you make it alright
[Don't make me less of a mess of a man
Less of a mess of a man x 2] x 2
Less of a mess of a man x 4
In Matthew Mayfield's song "Mess of a Man", he delves into the struggles of addiction and the difficult path towards recovery. The opening lines describe the high of using drugs as a way to find a feeling, but also the accompanying lies and lack of reason that come with that lifestyle. Mayfield admits to raising hell and risking ending up alone, but also notes a turning point where he stopped running so cold. The repeated lines “Don't make me less of a mess of a man, less of a mess of a man” illustrate how difficult it is to maintain sobriety and how easily one can slip back into old habits.
Mayfield then paints a picture of the journey towards recovery, acknowledging that it takes strength and determination to find a new feeling that’s sweet and worth holding onto. He describes a moment of weakness, where he raises his hand and almost gives up, but decides to continue fighting. He pleads with his loved ones to believe in him and not make him less of a mess of a man, showing how important their support is on this difficult journey. Mayfield ultimately suggests that love can change him and that he’s willing to work on himself to become a better person, but also acknowledges that it’s a constant struggle.
Line by Line Meaning
I used to find a feeling when I used to press so high
In the past, I would experience a certain emotion when I used to push myself beyond the limit.
No time to look for reason when you're living all these lies
When you're constantly deceiving others, you don't have a chance to stop and think.
Raise hell and if they're telling, we'll end up alone
If we continue to behave recklessly and harm those around us, we'll eventually find ourselves isolated and alone.
You turn that inch over now, ain't running so cold
You need to change your ways and take a step in the right direction, rather than remaining indifferent to others.
[Don't make me less of a mess of a man, Less of a mess of a man] x 2
I know I am not perfect and have made mistakes in the past, but please don't judge me on that alone.
Be strong, gonna find a feeling sweet shipping on you
Hold on and be strong, because eventually you will experience happiness and contentment.
One trap baby got me real and get me on 1-2
I'm caught in a difficult situation and it's affecting my state of mind.
I raise the hand, way till the end, I'll wait on end, nothing to lose
I'll continue to fight and persevere, despite the odds being against me, because there's nothing left to lose.
You save me, don't make me
You've helped me in the past, so please don't judge me too harshly now.
Love will change me baby, should be working on style
Love has the power to transform me, but I need to work on myself to truly change.
Should want me, but you're wrong and you make it alright
You should want to be with me, but you're mistaken and are trying to make it work anyway.
[Don't make me less of a mess of a man, Less of a mess of a man] x 2
I know I am not perfect and have made mistakes in the past, but please don't judge me on that alone.
Less of a mess of a man x 4
I hope to improve and become a better person in the future.
Writer(s): Matthew Mayfield, Andrew Combs
Contributed by Alexandra M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.