Jones began performing in 1997, debuting at Eddie's Attic in Decatur, GA, but he soon relocated to Nashville. In 2000 he released Nowhere Else But Here followed by an EP, For the Road, in 2003. Released in 2006, Throwing Punches in the Dark was produced by Neilson Hubbard (Glen Phillips, Garrison Star) and met with high critical praise. Jones re-teamed with Hubbard for Swallow the Sea, which was released in 2008. His music has found a home on Film and TV with over 30 placements on shows such as Grey's Anatomy, Bones, One Tree Hill, Pretty Liars & Private Practice.
MPJ has shared the stage with Shawn Colvin, Patty Griffin, Paula Cole, as well as being a staple feature in the nationally acclaimed "Ten Out of Tenn. Collective" with fellow artists, Katie Herzig, Erin McCarley, Butterfly Boucher, Andrew Belle and others.
Jones released his third full-length record, Land of the Living, on May 29, 2012.
Jones released The Waking Hours in September 2018.
Website https://www.mpjmusic.com/
Breaking Out The Windows
Matthew Perryman Jones Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Something sinister that runs through your veins
Can you feel it burning out the seams
And has innocence forgotten your name
Do I look like a saint?
Until the curtain rolls,
Talking stops for the picture show
You got soul under your skin
What happens when you don't know who to let in
Will we ever understand?
We're just breaking out the windows
Deadly spies in submarines
Taking information for twisted games
I feel its turning all on me
A guilty finger points away from the blame
Now you look like a saint
Until the curtain rolls,
Talking stops for the picture show
You got soul under your skin
What happens when you don't know who to let in
Will we ever understand?
We're just breaking out the windows
How did we get so far?
Running to hide these scars?
Love's not afraid of what it finds in the dark
You got soul under your skin
What happens when you don't know who to let in
Will we ever understand?
We're just breaking out the windows
The lyrics of this song capture a sense of restlessness and a need to break free from something. The opening lines speak of rage lying just beneath the surface of the singer's subject, something dark and potentially lethal running through their veins. They ask whether innocence has been lost and seem to present the idea of moral ambiguity - "Do I look like a saint?" - as a way of distancing themselves from this danger.
The central image of the song - "We're just breaking out the windows" - carries a sense of both danger and liberation. It suggests that the singer and their subject are trying to break free of something, though it's not entirely clear what that something is. The following lines suggest that the subject has a sort of soul under their skin, and that they don't know who to let in, perhaps suggesting that they don't trust easily. The lines about deadly spies in submarines and a guilty finger pointing away from blame add to the sense of something hidden and potentially dangerous.
Line by Line Meaning
Rage won't lie that far beneath
There is deep-seated anger that won't be contained
Something sinister that runs through your veins
You have something evil coursing through your body
Can you feel it burning out the seams
It's so intense that you can feel it about to burst forth
And has innocence forgotten your name
You have lost your innocence
Do I look like a saint?
Do I look innocent despite my wrongdoings?
Until the curtain rolls,
Before the truth is revealed
Talking stops for the picture show
People stop talking when the show begins
You got soul under your skin
You have something good within you
What happens when you don't know who to let in
What do you do when you're unsure who to trust?
Will we ever understand?
Will we ever truly comprehend?
We're just breaking out the windows
We're just trying to escape
Deadly spies in submarines
There are people spying and gathering intel for malicious purposes
Taking information for twisted games
They are using the information they gather in unethical ways
I feel its turning all on me
I feel like I'm the one being targeted
A guilty finger points away from the blame
Someone else is trying to shift the blame to another person
Now you look like a saint
Now you appear innocent
How did we get so far?
How did things get this bad?
Running to hide these scars?
Are we trying to hide our emotional wounds?
Love's not afraid of what it finds in the dark
True love is not afraid of discovering someone's flaws or darkness
Contributed by Dominic I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.