Wilder was one-half of the Greenwich Village folk group Matthew & Peter in the 1970s. In 1978 he moved to Los Angeles and sang for television commercials and backup for Rickie Lee Jones and Bette Midler.
Wilder's first album, I Don't Speak the Language (1983), reached number 49 on the Billboard chart, fueled by "Break My Stride", which reached number 5 on the singles chart. His second album, Bouncin' Off the Walls (1984), was a commercial failure.
Wilder continued his career as a songwriter and producer. His work includes producing the No Doubt's multi-platinum album Tragic Kingdom (1995). He lent his singing voice to the character of Ling and was nominated for an Academy Award for Original Music Score (along with David Zippel and Jerry Goldsmith) for his work on the Disney film Mulan (1998).
On Broadway, Wilder has once again paired with Zippel to provide the music and lyrics for Princesses, a musical comedy update of Frances Hodgson Burnett's novel A Little Princess. The production opened on Broadway in November 2006.
Bouncin' Off The Walls
Matthew Wilder Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Come in, commander
Come in there, commander
Mission control
Drivin' to zero
Pray for my soul
Tell my family I love them
Tell me why do I have to be the one
Gone beyond my limits
Hotter than the sun
No, I can't handle this at all
Got connected fever
And I'm bouncin' off the walls
Come in there, commander
I'm losin' my mind
Break up the silence
Give me a sign
Give me some static, give me noises
Let me hear some human voices
Tell me why do I have to be the one
Gone beyond my limits
Hotter than the sun
No, I can't handle this at all
Got connected fever
And I'm bouncin' off the walls
Boom boom boom boom boom boom
Boom boom boom boom boom boom
Boom boom boom boom boom boom
Bouncin' off the walls...
Boom boom boom boom boom boom
Boom boom boom boom boom boom
Boom boom boom boom boom boom
I'm bouncin' off the walls
Tell me why do I have to be the one
Gone beyond my limits
Hotter than the sun
No, I can't handle this at all
Got connected fever
And I'm bouncin' off the walls
Boom boom boom boom boom boom
Boom boom boom boom boom boom
Boom boom boom boom boom boom
Bouncin' off the walls...
Boom boom boom boom boom boom
Boom boom boom boom boom boom
Boom boom boom boom boom boom
Bouncin' off the walls
Boom boom boom boom boom boom
Boom boom boom boom boom boom
Boom boom boom boom boom boom
Bouncin' off the walls
Boom boom boom boom boom boom
Boom boom boom boom boom boom
Boom boom boom boom boom boom
Bouncin' off the walls
Boom boom boom boom boom boom
Boom boom boom boom boom boom
Boom boom boom boom boom boom
(Hey hey hey hey)
Bouncin' off the walls
Boom boom boom boom boom boom
Boom boom boom boom boom boom
Boom boom boom boom boom boom
Bouncin' off the walls
May-Day, I'm fallin'...
The lyrics of Matthew Wilder's song "Bouncin' Off the Walls" tell the story of a person who is losing their grip on reality. The singer is depicted as an astronaut in space who is struggling with the isolation and disorientation of their surroundings. They broadcast a message to their loved ones, telling them that they love them and asking for their prayers. They express their frustration, saying that they are "beyond [their] limits" and that they feel "hotter than the sun". They also long for human contact, asking for "some static" or the sound of "human voices".
Overall, the song can be interpreted as a commentary on the human condition. It speaks to the isolation and disconnection that many people feel in their daily lives. The metaphor of an astronaut in space is a powerful way to evoke this feeling, as it conjures up a sense of loneliness and detachment from the rest of the world. The repeated refrain of "bouncin' off the walls" captures the sense of restlessness and agitation that comes with feeling disconnected from others.
Line by Line Meaning
Come in there, commander
The singer is calling out for help and is seeking guidance from a higher authority.
Mission control
The singer is asking for direction from a higher authority.
Drivin' to zero
The singer is approaching the end of their rope or hitting rock bottom.
Pray for my soul
The artist is desperate and asking for divine intervention to help them through their struggles.
Tell my family I love them
The artist is afraid they may not make it out alive, so they want to express their love to their family before it's too late.
Don't forget to kiss the children
The singer is emphasizing the importance of family and cherishing the moments they have together.
Tell me why do I have to be the one
The singer is questioning why they are the one going through this struggle and seeking justification or an explanation.
Gone beyond my limits
The artist has reached their breaking point or gone beyond their capabilities.
Hotter than the sun
The artist is experiencing intense emotions or sensations beyond normal levels of tolerance.
No, I can't handle this at all
The artist is overwhelmed and cannot cope with their current situation.
Got connected fever
The singer is feeling an intense excitement or passion for something or someone.
And I'm bouncin' off the walls
The artist is so overwhelmed that they are unable to contain or control their emotions, causing them to 'bounce off the walls'.
I'm losin' my mind
The singer is feeling mentally unstable or insane due to their current situation.
Break up the silence
The singer is seeking any form of communication or outside noise to distract them from their own thoughts and help them stay grounded with reality.
Give me some static, give me noises
The singer is asking for any form of sound, even noise or static, to help them maintain their sanity and stay connected to the world around them.
Let me hear some human voices
The artist wants to hear other people's voices and feel connected with humanity to avoid feeling alone and isolated.
May-Day, I'm fallin'...
The artist is losing their grip and needs immediate help.
Boom boom boom boom boom boom
Boom boom boom boom boom boom
Boom boom boom boom boom boom
Bouncin' off the walls...
The repetition of 'Boom boom boom' represents the singer's intense emotions or the chaos going on inside them. 'Bouncin' off the walls' represents the physical manifestation of this inner turmoil as their emotions are so intense they cannot control their physical movements.
(Hey hey hey hey)
An exclamation of intense emotion or excitement.
Contributed by Parker J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Karel Sanders
Brutal!! No lo conocía pero muy avanzado musicalmente para su época, genial , gracias por esta joya 😊
Firefighter K. Wann
His music NEVER gets old, sadly just a two albums full and a single "WORK SO HARD" that he did, but its those songs that the fans enjoy, and it goes to show after all this time, his tunes are still loved.
SimplyStonish
What blows my mind is Matthew produced this song which to me, is a complete 180 from Break My Stride. He also ditched the mustache and became something completely different for Bouncin’ Off The Walls. I think it’s pretty cool. I thoroughly enjoy the versatility.
Ali Ringo
he music was faraway ahead from his time... really love this one...
AC Knight Abegi
I was going to write the same. Today’s pop/dance mimics this event the vocal
Arrangement. With HD instruments
The par
One of the under appreciated singers and song writers.
Victor Castillo
I love this song, and I will always do. Great song!
Xolisile Khuzwayo
i heard this song for the first time two weeks ago and i downloaded the entire album on iStore.
i cannot believe that this album was considered a flop and yet i have been playing it none stop.
the album was released two years before i was born but i am loving it
RocStarr913
People liked “Break My Stride” more than they liked his music in general. It also didn’t help that his relationship with his record company CEO soured by the second album because Wilder apparently refused to allow any of the songwriters and producers the label CEO wanted Wilder to sing with. The label head pretty much didn’t even try to have the album promoted and it contributed to the single and album’s failure.
Grace Straight
If Gene Wilder, Elton John, and Lionel Richie had a child....