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.
Wait
Matthew Sweet Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Just watching the phone, for you.
To wait, it takes,
Love that's for real
And all, that I feel, inside to do.
I come prepared, to look in your eyes
And walk side by side,
Listen for tender words, I'd like to say
Like I love you today, and I'll wait
For you.
It's crazy, if you think, we're just friends.
Loving when, infatuation ends.
The wait for you, baby it now begins.
You sigh, when I come close to your heart.
You cry, from the start,
Please wait for me.
Your mind, shows, places you go,
And things you don't know.
Someday you'll grow.
Climbing a mountain high,
Your love I desire.
Inside my heart cries for you.
It's crazy, if you think, we're just friends.
Loving when, infatuation ends.
The wait for you, baby it now begins.
Baby, we're more, than friends
I know, the wait will end
The song "Wait" by Matthew Sweet is a love song about waiting for someone that you love. The lyrics express the frustration and anticipation of waiting for that special someone to give you a signal that they feel the same way. The song is about the moment when you are ready to express your love to someone, but you do not know if they feel the same. The feeling of not being able to do anything until you hear back from them is depicted through the lyrics.
The beginning of the song states, "I've been waiting so long, just watching the phone, for you. To wait, it takes love that's for real, and all that I feel, inside to do." This lets the listener know that the person singing the song has been waiting patiently for a while to hear back from the person they are singing about. They have been waiting for some time, and it is not easy.
The line, "Climbing a mountain high, your love I desire. Inside my heart cries for you," further illustrates the longing and intensity of the emotions being felt by the singer. It is almost like the singer is saying that he has to work hard to climb the mountain to get to where the object of his affection is.
Overall, "Wait" is a beautiful song that captures the feeling of waiting for someone you love. It is filled with emotion and relatable lyrics that can resonate with those who have been in this situation.
Line by Line Meaning
I've been waiting so long,
I have waited for an extended period for your call or to hear from you
Just watching the phone, for you.
I have been monitoring the phone, eagerly anticipating your call or message
To wait, it takes,
Waiting necessitates
Love that's for real
Genuine love, not infatuation or attraction, is necessary to make waiting worthwhile
And all, that I feel, inside to do.
The emotions I experience are the driving force behind my actions
I come prepared, to look in your eyes
I am ready to stare into your eyes, face-to-face
And walk side by side,
I am willing to stroll next to you
With you--baby, baby.
While saying baby or babe, I show my affection and make my desire known
Listen for tender words, I'd like to say
Please pay attention to the affectionate things I want to express
Like I love you today, and I'll wait
I am into you and ready to be patient for us to be together
For you.
I am waiting and committed to you
It's crazy, if you think, we're just friends.
It is illogical to believe we are just acquaintances
Loving when, infatuation ends.
My strong feelings for you remain constant after the initial attraction fades
The wait for you, baby it now begins.
The wait begins precisely at this moment for you, babe
You sigh, when I come close to your heart.
You let out a deep breath when I get near your heart
You cry, from the start,
You tear up from the start of our interactions
Please wait for me.
I'm asking you to be patient and wait for me
Your mind, shows, places you go,
Your brain displays the routes you take
And things you don't know.
Also, it shows the things you haven't discovered just yet
Someday you'll grow.
At some point, you will mature
Climbing a mountain high,
Scaling a high peak
Your love I desire.
I crave affection from you
Inside my heart cries for you.
My heart yearns for you intensely
Baby, we're more, than friends
You and I are more than just companions
I know, the wait will end
I am optimistic that the wait will be over soon
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ALLEE WILLIS, DAVID FOSTER, MAURICE WHITE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind