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.
Survivors
Matthew West Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Whoa, whoa, whoa,
You've been dropped like a dream to the floor
You've been told not to try anymore
But you're wakened from yesterday's war
'Cause you're a survivor
And your faith has been worn to a fray
But you live to live on one more day
'Cause you're a survivor
And nothing can stop you now
And nothing can back you down
You never give up
You never give in
You're a survivor
Whoa, whoa, whoa,
For the phone call that tore you apart
For the fear that gripped your heart
For the moment you saw who you are
And what you're made of
For the cancer that stole all your hair
For the smile like you just don't care
For your hope in midnight prayer
You're a survivor, yeah yeah yeah
And nothing can stop you now
Nothing can back you down
You never give up
You never give in
You're a survivor
Whoa, whoa, whoa
I'm convinced neither death nor life
Neither demons or angels of light
Shadows present a future bright
Can separate us
From the love that will lead us on
To the hope when all hope is gone
'Til the day heaven calls us home
We are survivors
And nothing can stop us now
Nothing can back us down
We never give up
We never give in
And nothing can stop us now
Nothing can back us down
We never give up
We never give in
'Cause we are survivors
We are
We are
Yeah
We are survivors
We are survivors
The song “Survivors” by Matthew West is an empowering anthem for anyone who has faced hardship and come out stronger on the other side. The song begins by acknowledging the difficulties that the listener has faced, including feeling like they've hit rock bottom and losing faith in themselves. However, the chorus provides a glimmer of hope and a reminder that the listener has the ability to overcome anything that life throws their way. With lyrics like “you never give up,” and “nothing can stop you now,” the song encourages listeners to keep fighting and to recognize their own strength.
The second verse of the song provides specific examples of the kinds of struggles that the listener might be facing, from illness to fear to moments of self-doubt. But despite all of these challenges, the chorus remains the same - “we never give up, we never give in, 'cause we are survivors.” The bridge of the song brings a spiritual element to the message of perseverance, with lyrics about the power of love and hope to help us overcome even the darkest moments in life. Ultimately, “Survivors” is a reminder that no matter what comes our way, we have the strength to keep moving forward.
Line by Line Meaning
You've been dropped like a dream to the floor
You were taken aback by something unexpected that happened and you fell hard
You've been told not to try anymore
Someone discouraged you and made you feel like giving up
But you're wakened from yesterday's war
You've come out of a dark period of your life and are now realizing that things can get better
'Cause you're a survivor
You have proven your resilience and ability to overcome obstacles
And your strength has been stolen away
You've been weakened by the challenges you've faced
And your faith has been worn to a fray
Your belief in yourself and your ability to cope has been damaged
But you live to live on one more day
You keep going and persevere even when it's hard
For the phone call that tore you apart
Something happened that made you feel like your world was falling apart
For the fear that gripped your heart
You experienced intense anxiety or panic
For the moment you saw who you are
You gained insight into yourself and your strengths
And what you're made of
And you realized that you are capable of great things
For the cancer that stole all your hair
You suffered from a serious illness that took a physical toll on you
For the smile like you just don't care
You put on a brave face and refused to give up hope despite your challenges
For your hope in midnight prayer
You turned to your faith for solace and guidance during a difficult time
You're a survivor, yeah yeah yeah
And you emerged stronger and more resilient as a result
I'm convinced neither death nor life
The artist is confident that no matter what happens in life or after death
Neither demons or angels of light
No evil or good force can come between us
Shadows present a future bright
Even in the darkest moments, there is the possibility of hope and a better future
Can separate us
We are bound together by something stronger than any obstacle, feeling, or circumstance
From the love that will lead us on
The love we have for ourselves and others will carry us forward
To the hope when all hope is gone
Even when everything seems bleak, there is still reason to believe in the possibility of a better tomorrow
'Til the day heaven calls us home
Until we pass away, we will continue to overcome challenges and grow as individuals
We are survivors
We are all strong, resilient individuals who have overcome challenges and are still here to tell the tale
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Downtown Music Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: MATTHEW WEST
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind