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.
Isolation
Matthew Sweet Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Don't they know we're so afraid
Isolation
We're afraid to be alone
Everybody got to have a home
Isolation
Trying to change the whole wide world
Isolation
The world is just a little town
Everybody trying to put us down
Isolation
I don't expect you to understand
After you caused so much pain
But then again you're not to blame
You're just a human, a victim of the insane
We're afraid of everyone
Afraid of the sun
Isolation
The sun will never disappear
But the world may not have many years
Isolation
Matthew Sweet's song Isolation is a powerful commentary on the fear and loneliness that can arise from living in a society where everyone is constantly trying to put others down. The opening lines: "People say we got it made/Don't they know we're so afraid/Isolation" capture the theme of the song perfectly. Even though society may appear to be perfect and fully functioning, individuals can still feel isolated and scared. It is a reflection on how individuals can feel detached from the outside world, even though everyone else is present.
The song goes on to describe how people are scared to be alone and that, despite the size of the world, it feels like just a small town where everyone is trying to hurt them. The lyrics "Just a boy and a little girl/Trying to change the whole wide world/Isolation" convey the desperateness of trying to change things, where change doesn't seem possible, and there is a feeling of being surrounded by a vicious world. Furthermore, it portrays that regardless of efforts to make a difference, if the world isn't changed, people will always feel isolated and hopeless.
Finally, the song hints that the future of the world remains uncertain, as there is a deep fear of the end of the world. The closing verse, "The sun will never disappear/But the world may not have many years/Isolation" suggests that the world may not be around forever, and that those living in isolation may not have many opportunities left to change things.
Line by Line Meaning
People say we got it made
Others believe we have everything together and easy.
Don't they know we're so afraid
They do not realize how scared we really are.
Isolation
Feeling alone and separated from others.
We're afraid to be alone
We dread the thought of being by ourselves.
Everybody got to have a home
All people need a place to belong and be rooted.
Just a boy and a little girl
Two young people trying to make a significant difference.
Trying to change the whole wide world
Aiming to create a positive impact on the entire planet.
The world is just a little town
The globe is not as extensive as it seems; everyone knows everyone.
Everybody trying to put us down
Others strive to discourage us from pursuing our dreams.
I don't expect you to understand
Not assuming that you comprehend what I'm going through.
After you caused so much pain
You've inflicted considerable distress.
But then again you're not to blame
However, I cannot fault you for this situation.
You're just a human, a victim of the insane
You are only human, and you have been affected by craziness around us.
We're afraid of everyone
We are anxious about everyone around us.
Afraid of the sun
Fearful of what the future holds.
Isolation
The unpleasant feeling of being alone.
The sun will never disappear
The sun will always exist.
But the world may not have many years
However, the planet may not endure for long.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: John Lennon
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind