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/
Feels LIke Letting Go
Matthew Perryman Jones Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Help me open my heart again
Tear it open let the rain fall in
Wash this hardness underneath my skin
Oh my love
Let me hear your voice come through
I wanna know the love inside of you
Make this dark heart believe in what is true
Pre-chorus
I know that in the dark there's a fear of letting go
I know that in my heart that I fear what I don't know
Chorus
And this feels like I'm letting go
And this feels like I'm letting go
I'm letting go
It's hard to trust
When your hearts been broken times before
You pull the curtains and you lock the doors
Swear you'll never go out anymore
Pre-chorus
Chorus
Bm
Well I'm stepping out
I can't see there is no sound
A seeming void becomes a solid ground
I sight I lost becomes a faith I've found
Chorus
I'm letting go, I'm letting go
I'm letting go, I'm letting go
I'm letting go, I'm letting go
Letting go, I'll let it go
In the song "Feels Like Letting Go" by Matthew Perryman Jones, the singer is asking for help from his love to open up his heart again. The lines "Tear it open let the rain fall in/Wash this hardness underneath my skin" signify a desire for emotional cleansing and healing. He wants to believe in true love and feel it from the inside, but he has a fear of letting go of his past hurts and past experiences.
The pre-chorus speaks to this fear of the unknown and the singer acknowledging that there is a risk in opening up, but it's necessary for growth and healing. The chorus repeats the line "And this feels like I'm letting go" as a way to emphasize the theme of the song, which is letting go of emotional baggage and past hurts.
In the second verse, the singer acknowledges how difficult it is to trust when your heart has been broken before. This can lead to isolating oneself and never wanting to leave home - a way to protect oneself from getting hurt again.
The bridge takes a turn towards courage and stepping out into the unknown. The singer can't see or hear anything, but he continues to move forward, and the "seeming void becomes a solid ground." This line signifies a transformation - perhaps the singer's newfound faith in himself and in love. He ends the song repeating "I'm letting go" as a way to leave behind the past and move forward towards healing and growth.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh my love
The singer is addressing their lover
Help me open my heart again
The singer wants their lover to help them be vulnerable and open again
Tear it open let the rain fall in
The singer wants to let all their emotions out and allow themselves to feel everything, even if it's painful
Wash this hardness underneath my skin
The artist wants to let go of their emotional barriers and become more sensitive and intuitive
Oh my love
Repetition of the opening line to emphasize the artist's plea for their lover's help
Let me hear your voice come through
The singer wants to understand their lover's deepest emotions and desires
I wanna know the love inside of you
The singer wants to feel a deeper connection with their lover and understand their true self
Make this dark heart believe in what is true
The artist wants their heart to believe that true love exists and is possible for them, despite past hurt
I know that in the dark there's a fear of letting go
The artist is acknowledging that it's scary to open up emotionally, especially when it's dark and unknown
I know that in my heart that I fear what I don't know
The artist recognizes that their fear of the unknown is preventing them from opening up to love
And this feels like I'm letting go
The singer is acknowledging that opening up emotionally feels like letting go of control
It's hard to trust
The artist acknowledges that it's difficult to trust after experiencing heartbreak
When your hearts been broken times before
The singer has experienced heartbreak multiple times before and it's affecting their ability to trust
You pull the curtains and you lock the doors
The singer isolates themselves and shuts down emotionally to avoid getting hurt
Swear you'll never go out anymore
The singer promises to never let themselves be vulnerable to love again
Well I'm stepping out
The artist is taking a risk and being vulnerable by opening up emotionally
I can't see there is no sound
The artist may not know what to expect, but they're taking a leap of faith anyway
A seeming void becomes a solid ground
The singer is discovering that being vulnerable emotionally isn't as scary as they thought, and it's actually making them feel more grounded
I sight I lost becomes a faith I've found
The singer is finding faith and hope in love again after having lost it before
Letting go, I'll let it go
The artist is affirming their willingness to let go of past hurt and embrace love again
Contributed by Sydney K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.