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.
Hey Little Girl
Matthew Wilder Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Feel the cold wind blow as it carries you away
Every last word getting hard and harder to say
You and i always knew i'd never stay
Hey little girl i can't see the way your eyes are watching
My heart is breaking
Hey little girl nothing's gonna hurt me more than leaving
Let the rain fall let the wind blow out the flame
Gonna feel so small in the moonlight calling away
Crying my dreams though we'll never be the same
This chance may not ever go again
Ooohhh oohhhh
Take a deep breath and prepare for a rainy day
Feel the cold wind blow as it carries you away
Every last word getting hard and parting to say
You and i always knew i'd never stay.
The lyrics of Matthew Wilder's song Hey Little Girl describe the emotional turmoil that arises when a relationship is coming to an end. The singer encourages his partner to prepare for the worst, to brace herself for a difficult and trying time ahead. He senses the cold wind blowing, a metaphor for the emotional distance that has grown between them. Finally, he admits that he will not be staying, that their relationship has reached its end. As he does so, he uses the chorus "Hey little girl" to refer to his partner, highlighting the vulnerability and tenderness of their relationship.
The lyrics of the verses contrast with those of the chorus, which offers love and reassurance amidst the pain of the separation. The singer offers his partner tenderness, telling her that nothing will hurt him more than leaving her. Yet he understands that this is something he must do, a painful but necessary step towards healing and moving on.
In the final verse, the singer acknowledges the sadness and inevitability of the split. He notes that they will never be the same, that this pain will change them forever. But he remains resolute that they must go their separate ways, that this chance may never come again.
Overall, Hey Little Girl is a moving and emotional song that captures the turbulence of heartbreak and separation. Through powerful and evocative lyrics, the song speaks to the vulnerability and tenderness of relationships, and the difficult choices that must sometimes be made to move on and heal.
Line by Line Meaning
Take a deep breath and prepare for a rainy day
Brace yourself for difficult times ahead and take a moment to gather yourself.
Feel the cold wind blow as it carries you away
Notice the harshness of reality as it sweeps you off your feet and takes you for a ride.
Every last word getting hard and harder to say
Expressing oneself becomes increasingly difficult as emotions rise and stakes get higher.
You and I always knew I'd never stay
Our time together was temporary since we have always been aware that I will eventually leave.
Hey little girl I can't see the way your eyes are watching
I cannot bear to see the hurt reflected in your gaze.
My heart is breaking
My emotions are overwhelming and my heart is shattered.
Hey little girl nothing's gonna hurt me more than leaving
Leaving you will be the most painful thing I've ever experienced.
Let the rain fall let the wind blow out the flame
Allow yourself to experience your emotions, even if it feels like it might extinguish your inner fire.
Gonna feel so small in the moonlight calling away
In the stillness of the night, my vulnerability and emotions will make me feel insignificant.
Crying my dreams though we'll never be the same
I mourn the loss of what could have been, even though we can never go back to the way things were.
This chance may not ever go again
This moment is fleeting and there may not be another opportunity for us to cross paths.
Ooohhh oohhhh
An expression of sorrow and pain.
Contributed by Charlotte B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@Jopp_Santos
here's the lyrics....
Take a deep breath and prepare for a rainy day
Feel the cold wind blow as it carries you away
Every last word getting hard and harder to say
You and I always knew I'd never stay
Hey little girl i can't see the way your eyes are watching
My heart is breaking
Hey little girl nothing's gonna hurt me more than leaving
Let the rain fall let the wind blow out the flame
Gonna feel so small in the moonlight calling away
Crying my dreams though we'll never be the same
This chance may not ever go again
Ooohhh oohhhh
Take a deep breath and prepare for a rainy day
Feel the cold wind blow as it carries you away
Every last word getting hard and parting to say
You and I always knew I'd never stay.
@MCSMeister
I actually was able to get the correct lyrics from the lyric sheet that comes with the Japanese import of the album. Here's the corrected lyrics:
Take a deep breath and prepare for a rainy day
Feel the cold wind blow as it carries you away
Every last word getting harder and harder to say
You and I always knew I'd never stay
Hey, little girl
I can see the way your eyes are watching
My heart is breaking
Hey, little girl
Nothing's gonna hurt me more than leaving
Let the rain fall, let the wind blow out the flame
Gonna feel so small late in the night calling your name
Cry in my dreams, love will never be the same
This chance may not ever come again
Hey, little girl
I can see the way your eyes are watching
My heart is breaking
Hey, little girl
Nothing's gonna hurt me more than leaving
Take a deep breath and prepare for a rainy day
Feel the cold wind blow as it carries you away
Every last word getting harder and harder to say
You and I always knew I'd never stay
@MCSMeister
Here's the correct lyrics from the lyric sheet on the Japanese import - the ones posted in the comments 4 years ago have some errors:
Take a deep breath and prepare for a rainy day
Feel the cold wind blow as it carries you away
Every last word getting harder and harder to say
You and I always knew I'd never stay
Hey, little girl
I can see the way your eyes are watching
My heart is breaking
Hey, little girl
Nothing's gonna hurt me more than leaving
Let the rain fall, let the wind blow out the flame
Gonna feel so small late in the night calling your name
Cry in my dreams, love will never be the same
This chance may not ever come again
Hey, little girl
I can see the way your eyes are watching
My heart is breaking
Hey, little girl
Nothing's gonna hurt me more than leaving
Take a deep breath and prepare for a rainy day
Feel the cold wind blow as it carries you away
Every last word getting harder and harder to say
You and I always knew I'd never stay
@80sbeginner20
unknown 80's masterpiece.
we are lucky to know about this one, aren't we? ;)
@pervysage9310
Yes
@haroldsanchez2895
Two years ago my mother passed away, and as the attendant from the mortuary walked me i to see her, said, "Take a deep breath" and then we walked in. This song is as beautiful as my mother was. I've always loved it, probably even as much as "Don't Break My Stride", but this one will always hold special meaning for me!
@sauquoit13456
On this day in 1984 {November 3rd} Matthew Wilder performed "Bouncin' Off The Walls" on the ABC-TV Saturday-afternoon program, 'American Bandstand'...
At the time "Bouncin' Off The Walls" was at position #58 on Billboard's Top 100 chart, the week before it had peaked at #52 and it spent nine weeks on the Top 100...
And on the same 'Bandstand' show he also performed "Hey Little Girl", it was track three of side one on his second studio album, 'Bouncin' Off The Walls'...
The New York City native had two other Top 100 records, "Break My Stride" {#5 in 1983} and "The Kid's American" {#33 in 1984}...
Matthew Weiner will celebrate his 67th birthday in two months on January 24th, 2020...
@jeroldbandojo7934
At last i found this song!
@70softrocker
At last!!!! I found this song!!!!!! 1986 new wave dance rock!!! Thanks for the uploader.!!! I'm 58 now. Aging gracefully rockingly wisely with the soundtrack of my life
@2deltaindia
grabe tagal kong hinanap nito! Matthew Wilder pala singer.. Heard this first on RX 93.1, played by a particular Radio One DJ..
@limerent72
Gorgeous, unforgettable 80s song...
@kiwikid428
Rare New Wave Song.. Been looking for almost 3yrs..thanks for sharing this....
@kevinwayneong340
naglalabasan ang mga new wave uploads sa you tube..kaya parang pyesta pakiramdam namin ng kuya ko...late 30's na kami pero parang bumata ulit ng makarinig ng new wave..hahaha...it only shows new wave never dies...thank you tisoy2011 for sharing and making our music growing up alive and kicking...