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.”
Timeless Art
Matthew Mayfield Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And give, give yourself away
The timeless art of men
No time for throwing punches
Yet you fight for her, yeah you fight for her
When all of you's gone and lifeless
Streets buried in the sea
Will rise rise to meet our feet
Someday she'll walk with me
No time for throwing punches
Yet you fight for her, yeah you fight for her
When all of you's gone and lifeless
You die for her, yeah you die for her
Comes time to see the sun set
It will rise for her, it will rise for her
When all of you's gone and lifeless
You die for her, yeah you die for her
The lyrics of Matthew Mayfield's song "Timeless Art" narrate a story of the timeless and selfless love between two people. The lines "Take, take nothing, babe, and give, give yourself away" sets the tone for the song as an individual willingly gives everything of themselves for their significant other. The chorus emphasizes this notion with lines like "No time for throwing punches, yet you fight for her, yeah you fight for her" and "When all of you's gone and lifeless, you die for her, yeah you die for her again." The lyrics highlight the idea that true love is not only a feeling, but also a decision to sacrifice and care for someone beyond ourselves.
Additionally, the song also seems to reference the idea of a future beyond this current time and space. The lines "Streets buried in the sea will rise to meet our feet" and "Comes time to see the sun set, it will rise for her, it will rise for her" express the notion that even in a world that changes and fades away, true love endures through time and space. Ultimately, "Timeless Art" presents us with the idea that love is worth fighting for, even when it requires sacrifice.
Line by Line Meaning
Take, take nothing, babe
Don't take anything from me, just give yourself away
And give, give yourself away
Offer yourself completely without holding anything back
The timeless art of men
Referring to Love as an emotion that has existed throughout time and is a universal experience of all human beings.
No time for throwing punches
Don't waste time on futile struggles or fights
Yet you fight for her, yeah you fight for her
Despite not having time for fights, you will defend and protect the one you love
When all of you's gone and lifeless
Even when you have nothing left to give and feel dead inside
You die for her, yeah you die for her again.
You will give everything you have, even your own life, for the one you love
Streets buried in the sea
A metaphor for the obstacles and challenges in life that may seem insurmountable
Will rise rise to meet our feet
We will overcome these obstacles and continue to move forward
Someday she'll walk with me
A hopeful thought about a future where the one you love will walk beside you
Comes time to see the sun set
A metaphor for the end of life
It will rise for her, it will rise for her
The sun represents hope, and even in the darkest hour, you will always have hope for the one you love
When all of you's gone and lifeless
Even when you have nothing left to give and feel dead inside
You die for her, yeah you die for her
You will give everything you have, even your own life, for the one you love
Writer(s): Matthew Mayfield
Contributed by Owen I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.