As a young musician wanting to make a name for himself, Sweet set off to Athens, Georgia in the mid '80s, to attend college and join the vibrant Athens music scene, most famous as the home base for R.E.M. and The B-52's. Sweet worked with R.E.M. leader Michael Stipe at this time, joining Stipe's sister in a band called Oh-OK and then forming another band, The Buzz of Delight. Before long he was signed to a solo recording contract with Columbia Records.
One album, Inside, was released by Columbia in 1986 to little success.
Sweet was then picked up by A&M Records where he released his second album, Earth (1989), again without commercial success. This period marked a personal and professional low point for Sweet, as A&M lost interest and his marriage failed.
Sweet quickly recovered, and put together a new band including Richard Lloyd, Robert Quine, Greg Leisz, Lloyd Cole, and Fred Maher. The new group spent 1990 putting together Sweet's next work, originally titled Nothing Lasts.
In 1990, A&M released Sweet from his contract, and he signed with rival Zoo Entertainment. The album, still under construction, was retitled Girlfriend and released in October 1991. This album featured a classic set of pop-rock songs, was considered by many to be an artistic breakthrough and quickly garnered impressive U.S. sales (spawning a top-10 single with the title track). The video for the title track was aired on MTV and MuchMusic and features Japanese animation (commonly known as "anime"), of which Sweet is a fan. The animated clips in the video for "Girlfriend" are taken from the movie Space Adventure Cobra, and the video for "I've Been Waiting" uses clips of the show Urusei Yatsura featuring the character Lum, of whom Sweet has a tattoo.
Sweet's follow-up album, 1993's Altered Beast, was borne out of an apparent determination not to become mainstream. A more diverse and less immediately accessible album than Girlfriend, the album divided fans and critics who had mixed reactions to emotionally intense and brooding tracks like "Someone to Pull the Trigger" and "Knowing People."
In 1995, Sweet released, 100% Fun, a darkly ironic title alluding to a quotation from Kurt Cobain's suicide note: "The worst crime I could think of would be to pull people off by faking it, pretending as if I'm having 100% fun." The album mixed bouncy pop style with darker lyrics, including a leadoff track, the self-deprecating "Sick of Myself". The track has frequently been covered live by fellow '90s power poppers The Posies.
Decidedly out of the musical mainstream, Sweet would issue a few more albums in the second half of the decade and maintain a devoted core of fans, but critical acclaim and chart success would be hard to come by.
Sweet's international success had been somewhat limited by his fear of flying; however he gained a significant following in Japan and his most recent album, Kimi Ga Suki * Raifu, was a Japan-only release in 2003.
In 2000, Sweet worked with the Canadian band Delerium, to release the song "Daylight" that appears in their album Poem.
In early 2002 he formed the supergroup The Thorns with Shawn Mullins and Pete Droge.
He released a new album of solo material, Living Things in late 2004, though the material on the album was recorded in 2002.
In April 2006 he partnered with Bangles lead singer Susanna Hoffs to release a collection of 1960's classics, titled Under The Covers. Featuring their take on such widely known '60s hits as "Monday, Monday," and "The Kids Are Alright", the album represented a return to the accessible and melodic approach associated with Sweet's early breakthroughs.
He is featured in the release in November of 2006 of the Activision and Red Octane Play Station 2 game, Guitar Hero 2. His hit song "Girlfriend" is featured on the hit game.
Back to You
Matthew Sweet Lyrics
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And that puts it in a language that I think I understand
Don't need to concentrate to push it through
You know you've sent it so I'm coming back to you
Anybody with a half a brain will tell you that you cannot win
But just ask the brainless wonder living underneath my skin
I'll tell you anything but what is true
No sense in giving in I'm coming back to you
Back to you
Anybody with a half a brain will tell you that you cannot win
But just ask the brainless wonder living underneath my skin
I'll tell you anything but what is true
No sense in giving in I'm coming back to you
Back to you
The lyrics to Matthew Sweet's song "Back to You" appear to be about a tumultuous relationship. The first verse describes a scenario where the singer's partner is coming to them with a weapon, which may be a metaphor for their emotional baggage, issues, or problems. The singer seems to understand what their partner is trying to communicate without much explanation, possibly indicating a degree of familiarity with such encounters. The second verse suggests that the singer knows they cannot win in this relationship, but they cannot resist coming back to their partner. The repeated phrase "Anybody with a half a brain will tell you that you cannot win" may be suggesting that others perceive the toxicity of this relationship, but the singer is still holding on.
The chorus, "Back to you," reinforces the idea that the singer is committed to returning to their partner, even if it may not be in their best interest. The bridge repeats the lines from the second verse, and the song ends with the final repetition of "Back to you."
Overall, the song seems to be about the pull of a dysfunctional relationship and the inability to resist returning to it, even if it is self-destructive.
Line by Line Meaning
You come looking for protection a revolver in your hand
You approach me with a gun in your hand, looking for safety
And that puts it in a language that I think I understand
Your actions speak louder than words and I know what you want
Don't need to concentrate to push it through
I don't have to think hard to know what you want me to do
You know you've sent it so I'm coming back to you
You know I'll come back to you because of what you've done
Anybody with a half a brain will tell you that you cannot win
Everyone knows that you cannot succeed in what you're trying to do
But just ask the brainless wonder living underneath my skin
But I still have a part of me that wants to try
I'll tell you anything but what is true
I'll lie to you and say whatever it takes to get what I want
No sense in giving in I'm coming back to you
I won't give up and I'll come back to you no matter what
Back to you
I'll always come back to you
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: MENCK, SWEET
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind