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.”
Take What I Can Get
Matthew Mayfield Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Take it or leave it, I'll show you the ropes
When you no longer see me
I'll be gone
So much for answers, I don't have a clue
I can hear ya, you're calling from outside my room
You're still locked inside me
So I take what I can get
So I take what I can get
I'll break out your windows, I don't need a key
Show me your doubts and I'll make you believe
Yeah, you're still here to haunt me
You ain't gone
So I take what I can get
So I take what I can get
If you are coming home
I'll be out on my own
I don't need you
To give me back the open wounds
But if you start to shed your skin
Naked heart - wearing thin
When you call
I'll be here
Once again
So I take what I can get
So I take what I can get
What I can get
The lyrics of "Take What I Can Get" by Matthew Mayfield paint a picture of a person who is navigating through life with a certain level of detachment. The opening line "If finders were keepers, I'd still be at home" implies that the singer has lost something that was important to them, and despite their best efforts, they are unable to get it back. The line "Take it or leave it, I'll show you the ropes" suggests that the singer is trying to make the best of the situation, going through life with a sense of resilience.
The chorus of the song, "So I take what I can get," is repeated twice, driving home the idea that the singer has learned to make do with less. The lines "I'll break out your windows, I don't need a key / Show me your doubts and I'll make you believe" suggest that the singer is not afraid to break down barriers to achieve their goals, and that they are committed to making a difference.
The final verse brings the song full circle, with the line "If you are coming home / I'll be out on my own" implying that the singer has moved on from their previous situation. But the line "When you call / I'll be here / Once again" suggests that the singer is not immune to the pull of their past and that they are open to reconciliation.
Overall, "Take What I Can Get" is a powerful song about resilience, determination, and the ability to make the best of a difficult situation.
Line by Line Meaning
If finders were keepers, I'd still be at home
If things belonged to whoever found them, I would have stayed where I'm comfortable and not taken any risks.
Take it or leave it, I'll show you the ropes
I'll teach you what I know, but I won't force you to follow my lead. It's your choice.
When you no longer see me
I'll be gone
When I disappear from your life, I'll be completely out of reach and there will be no turning back.
So much for answers, I don't have a clue
Despite being asked questions, I don't have any answers. I'm as hopeless as you are.
I can hear ya, you're calling from outside my room
Although I can hear you calling out to me, you're not in the same place as me. You're not really here.
You're still locked inside me
Holding on
Even though you're not physically with me, I still feel your presence and can't seem to let go of you.
So I take what I can get
So I take what I can get
I make the best of what I have and accept what's available to me.
I'll break out your windows, I don't need a key
If I want to, I can enter your heart without permission. I don’t need anything special to make it happen.
Show me your doubts and I'll make you believe
If you tell me what you're unsure of, I'll help you find your way and feel more confident about your decisions.
Yeah, you're still here to haunt me
You ain't gone
Your spirit still lingers and you continue to consume my thoughts. You're not really gone.
If you are coming home
I'll be out on my own
I won't wait around for you to come back. I'll be forging my own path and taking care of myself.
I don't need you
To give me back the open wounds
I don't need you to return the hurt and pain that you've caused me. I've had enough.
But if you start to shed your skin
Naked heart - wearing thin
If you decide to take off your protective shell and reveal your true self, be prepared for the possibility of getting hurt.
When you call
I'll be here
Once again
If you need me, I'll come running. I'm ready and willing to give this another try.
So I take what I can get
So I take what I can get
What I can get
I don't expect anything big or fancy. I'm happy with whatever I can get because any little bit helps.
Writer(s): Matthew Mayfield Copyright: Matthew Mayfield Music
Contributed by Charlie C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@sininia
If finders were keepers I'd still be at home
Take it or leave it, I'll show you the ropes
When you no longer see me, I'll be gone
So much for answers, I don't have a clue
I can hear ya, you're calling from outside my room
You're still locked inside me, holding on
So I take what I can get
So I take what I can get
I'll break out your windows, I don't need a key
Show me your doubts and I'll make you believe.
Yeah, you're still here to haunt me, you ain't gone
So I take what I can get
So I take what I can get
If you are coming home, I'll be out on my own
I don't need you to give me back the open wounds
But if you start to shed your skin, naked heart wearing thin
When you call I'll be here once again.
@mahmoudwaheed2790
Matthew Mayfield is such an underrated artist.
he's has an amazing voice .
@sininia
If finders were keepers I'd still be at home
Take it or leave it, I'll show you the ropes
When you no longer see me, I'll be gone
So much for answers, I don't have a clue
I can hear ya, you're calling from outside my room
You're still locked inside me, holding on
So I take what I can get
So I take what I can get
I'll break out your windows, I don't need a key
Show me your doubts and I'll make you believe.
Yeah, you're still here to haunt me, you ain't gone
So I take what I can get
So I take what I can get
If you are coming home, I'll be out on my own
I don't need you to give me back the open wounds
But if you start to shed your skin, naked heart wearing thin
When you call I'll be here once again.
@ohifonlyx33
seriously though... great lyrics, awesome guitar rhythm, and i love the instrumentals at the end... but the vocals really pull it all together. i love how he hangs off each note just right. he knows exactly when to sink or float on a note.
@Naomiiiii
Simply beautiful. I love how his emotions are clearly conveyed through his voice. He has a God given talent. If you don't believe in God don't comment here and say there is no God, just go with he has talent.
@QUARTERMASTEREMI6
Amen to that! ❤
@gabriellagaras8294
You are giving me faith in the art of Christian music, and that the Church is able to produce good, tasteful art! Beautiful!
@sarazara5865
OMG my torture is finally over. I heard that song for the first time about a year ago. When I asked ppl if they knew this song's title or who the singer is, nobody knew. But I never forgot about it. Part of the lyrics has been trapped in my memory since the first time listening. Too bad, that this wasn't enough to find it on google. But maybe I'm just too stupid for it. Anyway, a friend of mine is totally going fangirl on some Korean drama series we are watching and so she watched a lot of fan-made videos about that drama tonight. I guess I will never ever tell her to be less of a fangirl, because one of those videos used this beautiful song for background music. Now she is annoyed by me. I doubt I can ever stop listening to it... I'm sooooo incredibly happy right now!!!!
@wccrispy
+Sara Zara It's surprising how many good songs he has. It's not just this one. This man is good. I think because his music isn't country or rock or pop or even alternative, no radio station can really justify playing it.
@Sunnyfernandes747
This just happened to me today 😂 Heard this song for the first time two years ago and i was searching for it all over. And only some part of lyrics and rhythm is all i could remember and no luck on Google or YouTube, Finally found it in my most listened songs in Spotify. I can't express how happy i am to find this song. Its a Gem.
@marykelley2343
Thank you for feeding my soul.