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.
Livin' Thing
Matthew Sweet Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's like magic
Rollin' and ridin' and slippin' and slidin'
It's magic
And you, and your sweet desire
You took me higher and higher
It's a livin' thing
It's a given thing
What a terrible thing to lose
Making believe this is what you conceived
From your worst day
Moving in line then you look back in time
To your first day
And you, and your sweet desire
You took me higher and higher
It's a livin' thing
It's a terrible thing to lose
It's a given thing
What a terrible thing to lose
Takin' a dive 'cos you can't halt the slide
floating downstream
So let her go Don't start spoiling the show
It's a bad dream
And you, and your sweet desire
You took me higher and higher
It's a livin' thing
It's a terrible thing to lose
It's a given thing
What a terrible thing to lose
In Matthew Sweet's song "Livin' Thing," the singer describes the feeling of being carried away by life's ups and downs, comparing it to the ebb and flow of waves. He sings about a "sweet desire" that takes him higher and higher, but that also has the potential to be lost. The lyrics suggest that this desire may represent a relationship or a personal goal, something that gives life meaning but can also be fragile and easily broken.
The second verse of the song seems to allude to the idea that our experiences in life are shaped by our own perceptions and beliefs. The lyrics suggest that we "make believe" our lives into what we want them to be, both in times of joy and in moments of difficulty. The lines "Moving in line then you look back in time to your first day" seem to suggest that our earliest experiences and memories are what shape our perspectives on life, and that we carry these with us as we navigate the challenges and triumphs of adulthood.
Overall, the song portrays life as a "living thing," something that is both precious and precarious, something that can be lost at any moment. The lyrics suggest that we should cherish the sweet desires and meaningful connections that make life worth living, even as we acknowledge that they may not last forever.
Line by Line Meaning
Sailin' away on the crest of a wave
Starting a new adventure or phase in life with excitement and energy
It's like magic
The feeling of being on top of the world and invincible
Rollin' and ridin' and slippin' and slidin'
Going through ups and downs, enjoying the ride and facing challenges along the way
And you, and your sweet desire
Partner or significant other who motivates and inspires towards greater achievements
You took me higher and higher
Encouragement and support to aim for the best and keep pushing forward
It's a livin' thing
Life itself and all the experiences that come with it
It's a terrible thing to lose
The pain and regret of losing something or someone important
It's a given thing
Life's ups and downs, and the constant change and unpredictability that comes with it
What a terrible thing to lose
The realization of the value of something or someone, only after it's gone
Making believe this is what you conceived
Focusing on the positive and manifesting reality based on thoughts and beliefs
From your worst day
Starting from the bottom or lowest point, and rising up from there
Moving in line then you look back in time
Reflecting on past experiences and how they have shaped or influenced the present
To your first day
Remembering where you started from and how far you have come
Takin' a dive 'cos you can't halt the slide
Accepting defeat or failure and letting go of control in a situation
Floating downstream
Going with the flow, taking life as it comes and not resisting or fighting against it
So let her go Don't start spoiling the show
Moving on from past mistakes or heartbreaks and not letting them affect present happiness and joy
It's a bad dream
The past is something that should be left behind and not let it impact the present or future
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Jeff Lynne
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind