It was during his first year of college, that Matthew began playing guitar and writing songs. By Matthew's senior year, he was playing at every venue imaginable, from Fraternity houses to churches, and youth groups.
He signed an exclusive songwriting deal only a week after graduating and making the move to Nashville. His songs have been recorded by various artists including Rachel Lampa's most recent single, "Savior Song," which was Matthew's first top-5 song as a writer. Some other highlights were having songs placed on the platinum selling WoW 2002 project and also having his song, "Heart of Every Man recorded for the World Youth Day 2000 official soundtrack.
Matthew continued pursuing his dream of singing his own songs. Matthew had the opportunity to travel to universities across the country, and quickly began building up a steady following. With the help of Word Music and Extreme Writers Group, Matthew recorded an independent CD called, "Sellout," which caught the attention of Universal South Records.
Since signing with Universal South, He has released several albums, starting with "Happy" in 2003, "History" in 2005, and "Something to Say" in 2007; along with the re-release of Sellout in 2006. The Forgiveness Songfacts reports that West's fifth album, "Into the Light," is scheduled to be released on September 25, 2012.
Day One
Matthew West Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Wish the only thing my eyes could see
Was the future burning bright right in front of me
But I can't stop looking back
Yeah, I wish I was a perfect picture of
Somebody who's never not good enough
I try to measure up but I mess it up
I wish I wasn't wishing anymore
Wish I could remember that nobody's keeping score
I'm tired of throwing pennies in a well
I gotta do something
Here goes nothin'
It's day one of the rest of my life
It's day one of the best of my life
I'm marching on to the beat of a brand new drum
Yeah, here I come
The future has begun
Day one
Well, every single day Your grace reminds me
That my best days are not behind me
Wherever my yesterday may find me
Well, I don't have to stay there, no
See my hourglass is upside down
My someday soon is here and now
The clock is tickin'
And I'm so sick and tired of missing out
I wish I wasn't wishing anymore
Wish I could remember that nobody's keeping score
I'm tired of throwing pennies in a well
I gotta do something
Here goes nothin'
It's day one of the rest of my life
It's day one of the best of my life
I'm marching on to the beat of a brand new drum
Yeah, here I come
The future has begun
Day one
It's day one
And here comes the sun, yeah
Every morning, every morning
Every morning, mercy's new
Every morning, every morning
I will fix my eyes on You
Every morning, every morning
Every morning, mercy's new
Every morning, every morning
Sun's coming up, the beginning has begun, yeah
It's day one of the rest of my life
It's day one of the best of my life
I'm marching on to the beat of a brand new drum
Yeah, here I come
The future has begun
Day one
It's day one of the rest of my life
It's day one of the best of my life
I'm marching on to the beat of a brand new drum
Yeah, here I come
The future has begun, day one
Starting over, I'm starting over
Starting over, I'm starting over, starting now
I'm starting over
I'm starting over, I'm starting over
Starting over, starting now
I'm starting over
The song "Day One" by Matthew West is about starting over and moving forward, letting go of the past and embracing the future. The first verse expresses the desire to have a short-term memory to move forward without being held back by past experiences. The second verse speaks of the struggle to measure up and the frustration of always wishing to be different. The chorus emphasizes the recognition of the beginning of a new chapter in life and the opportunity to change and grow.
The third verse reminds the listener of God's grace and the promise that the best days are not behind them. The line "my best days are not behind me" inspires hope and serves as a reminder that it is never too late to start anew. The bridge emphasizes the recurring theme of the promise of a fresh start each morning, and the final repetition of "I'm starting over" reinforces the message of the song.
Overall, "Day One" speaks to those who are struggling to let go of the past, encouraging them to embrace change and start each day anew.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, I wish I had a short term memory
I wish I could forget about my past mistakes and focus on the present and future
Wish the only thing my eyes could see
I wish I could only see the positive things in my life and ignore the negative
Was the future burning bright right in front of me
I wish I could clearly see and feel optimistic about my future
But I can't stop looking back
However, I can't help but dwell on my past and regret my mistakes
Yeah, I wish I was a perfect picture of
I wish I could live up to and meet everyone's expectations
Somebody who's never not good enough
Someone who is always good enough, without any flaws or mistakes
I try to measure up but I mess it up
I try to be perfect but I end up making mistakes and falling short
And I wish I wasn't like that
I wish I could accept my imperfections and not feel the pressure to be perfect
I wish I wasn't wishing anymore
I wish I could stop wishing for things I don't have and start appreciating what I do have
Wish I could remember that nobody's keeping score
I wish I could remember that life is not a competition and that I shouldn't compare myself to others
I'm tired of throwing pennies in a well
I'm tired of making wishes and hoping for things that may never come true
I gotta do something
I need to take action and change my mindset and behavior
Here goes nothin'
I'm taking a leap of faith and trying something new
It's day one of the rest of my life
I'm starting fresh and looking forward to a better future
It's day one of the best of my life
I'm optimistic and excited for the amazing things that are yet to come in my life
I'm marching on to the beat of a brand new drum
I'm following my own path and making my own decisions, not just following what others expect of me
Yeah, here I come
I'm ready to face whatever life throws my way
The future has begun
The future is unpredictable, but I'm embracing it and taking control of my own destiny
Well, every single day Your grace reminds me
Every day, I'm reminded of the love and forgiveness that God offers me, no matter my past mistakes
That my best days are not behind me
I still have the potential for great things in my life, even if I've made mistakes in the past
Wherever my yesterday may find me
Regardless of my past, I can choose to make a better future for myself
Well, I don't have to stay there, no
I don't have to be defined by my past or let it dictate my future
See my hourglass is upside down
My time is running out and I need to take action before it's too late
My someday soon is here and now
The future is not a distant dream, it's happening right now and I need to make the most of it
The clock is tickin'
Time is passing by and I can't waste any more of it
And I'm so sick and tired of missing out
I'm tired of letting opportunities pass me by and not taking advantage of everything life has to offer
Every morning, every morning
Every new day brings a fresh start and new opportunities
Mercy's new
God's mercy and forgiveness are always available to me, no matter my past mistakes
Sun's coming up, the beginning has begun, yeah
Each new day brings the opportunity for a new start and a better future
Starting over, I'm starting over
I'm choosing to start fresh and make positive changes in my life
Starting over, I'm starting over, starting now
I'm not waiting for tomorrow, I'm starting now and taking action towards a better future
Lyrics © Capitol CMG Publishing, Downtown Music Publishing, Anthem Entertainment
Written by: Matthew Joseph West, Peter C. Kipley
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@CherryCloverBlossom
Hey! I’ve struggled with about all of these things before, and tomorrow, I’m going to my first day of junior year. My school actually started August 29, but due to some mental health and spiritual struggles of my own, I wasn’t able to go back then. But, you know what?: I’m on God’s time, and this is the perfect moment for me.
God remembers you, and He will never leave you nor forsake you. He loves you so much in spite of these challenges.
You are not alone.
Please message me, and talk to someone who you trust with your heart, about what you’re going through, and more importantly about what God is bringing you through, and I am praying for your family as we SPEAK!!
I love you so very much!!! Keep smiling your unique and beautiful smile!!!
@NErDy-pr1jf
I remember listening to this song with my dad on the way to my first day of high school, me and him singing along and making small changes to reflect the situation, then continuing the trend for the next few days, “day one of the rest of the year, day one of of my high school career” then next it was say 2 ect ect. Now I’ve dropped out of collage due to severe psychological problems, my parents are getting a divorce, I’m struggling with depression and anxiety and my dad is drifting away from God. This song helps me remember happier times and have hope for more to come.
@CherryCloverBlossom
Hey! I’ve struggled with about all of these things before, and tomorrow, I’m going to my first day of junior year. My school actually started August 29, but due to some mental health and spiritual struggles of my own, I wasn’t able to go back then. But, you know what?: I’m on God’s time, and this is the perfect moment for me.
God remembers you, and He will never leave you nor forsake you. He loves you so much in spite of these challenges.
You are not alone.
Please message me, and talk to someone who you trust with your heart, about what you’re going through, and more importantly about what God is bringing you through, and I am praying for your family as we SPEAK!!
I love you so very much!!! Keep smiling your unique and beautiful smile!!!
@NErDy-pr1jf
@CherryCloverBlossom thanks for the encouragement. I’m now working what was supposed to be a temporary part time job. My parents divorced and I’m living with my mom in a much smaller house. I was going to try to go back to college when my dad moved to Florida where a lot of his family is. My little brother who was living with him before came to move in with me and my mom and my mom gave him my room. Now the room I’m in is much smaller, too small for a desk and I still haven’t gone back to college. I’m still hanging in there and I have plans to meet up with an acquaintance from church sometime soon. It’s been hard but I’m not properly depressed anymore which is good, just very unsatisfied with the current state of my life. But God can and does work in some very interesting and unexpected ways, sometimes revealing his glory and working through/in the last places you’d expect to see it
@MLPPixel727
I find this song both relatable and inspiring. Thank you for the time that went into writing this lyrics, Matthew West.
@CyrusTheYoshi
This is by far my most favorite song by him, hands down :)
@theshields360
Yeah, It's probably my favorite from him, too! :)
@calichaffin2678
Last night we had a church group. It was at that church group that I finally accepted God into my heart and into my life. When I woke up this morning, I turned my radio on 102.5 air 1. This was the first song that I heard this morning and it really changed my life. I am so much happier and this weight was lifted off my shoulders. While our youth pastor was preaching and praying for everyone who was ready for God, I felt the hand of God on my shoulder saying that he was happy. He was happy that I love him , wanted him in my life, and that I am going to start going to church with one of the small group leaders. Thank you to everyone at the Dalton Living Water Church, I couldn't have done it without you.
@GhostTalks23
<3
@nonnativenarnian
Welcome to the family, my friend. You are a Child of the King, Cub of the Lion, and Soldier in the Lord’s army. Rest in His love and PREPARE FOR BATTLE! COME! Follow the Messiah.
@TheMasterMango
I just went through a breakup, it is really tough. This song has helped me so much and reminded me that I have my life ahead of me and God is in control!