The band draws on influences from a number of musical traditions, from funk to Hip Hop, and is known for an unconventional style sometimes described as "avant-groove".
MMW has found moderate mainstream success—often working with noted guitarist John Scofield—and touring on the jam band circuit.
The band members were introduced to each other by jazz drummer Bob Moses, who had performed with Medeski and Wood , and was Martin's instructor.
Medeski Martin & Wood's first performances together were at the Village Gate, a popular New York jazz club. They were initially an acoustic jazz trio, but Medeski added a Hammond organ when the difficulties of touring with a piano became apparent. Their first album, Notes from the Underground, is a record of their entirely-acoustic era. All of their subsequent albums reveal Medeski's use of a wide variety of keyboards, including mellotron, melodica, and a clavinet. Wood entirely eschewed the electric bass for MMW's first three albums, and still relies heavily on the acoustic upright bass in recordings and during live performances. Their earlier albums reveal a Hip Hop influenced updating of classic soul jazz sounds, which is the primary theme of their well-known 1996 album, Shack-man.
The band received some of their first significant exposure outside of the New York City jazz scene by performing with Phish at their October 14, 1995 concert, which led to the association of the group as a jam band.[1] In addition, their performance on John Scofield's 1997 album A Go Go helped to further their exposure. The band collaborated further with Scofield again in 2006, releasing the album Out Louder under the name Medeski Scofield Martin & Wood. This was the first album released on MMW's own Indirecto Records.
From 1998–2005, MMW were signed to leading jazz label Blue Note Records, and showed them delving deeper into dense, electronic funk than their earlier albums, although the band continued to experiment with free jazz and free improvisation both on their albums and in concert.
Medeski Martin & Wood's live performances are renowned for their exploratory nature. Their concerts usually involve extended improvisations, which may be both arrhythmic and atonal, an aspect of their musicianship that is rarely documented in the studio. They occasionally tour using only acoustic instruments, reverting back to the instrumentation that they began their career with. Their album Tonic is an example of these more contemporary acoustic performances. They have also done short tours of entirely improvisatory performances. These shows usually consisted of two sets of improvisation, followed by an encore of a song from an album.
Their song "End of the World Party" was featured on the show Grey's Anatomy and can be found on the show's soundtrack.
Each of the trio's three members are involved in a large music community, and have participated in numerous side projects over the years.
In 2001 John Medeski collaborated with the North Mississippi Allstars and slide-guitarist Robert Randolph; together, these five musicians formed The Word, a bluesy gospel band. They released one self-titled album and toured extensively.
Beginning around 2005 Chris Wood formed The Wood Brothers with his brother, blues guitarist Oliver Wood. They have released several albums to date and continue to tour and record together.
In 2007 John Medeski and Billy Martin released an album as a duo, called Mago. They performed that material together at the 2007 Bonnaroo Music Festival
Me2
Medeski Martin and Wood Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Don't say you love me if you don't love yourself
And don't try to fix me, I do not need your help
If you're gon leave me, that's like everyone else
You're an angel from Heaven but this shit hurts like Hell
Cause I need you, baby, baby
I need you, save me, save me
I need you, baby, baby
I had a bad life
Baby, I've been going through some bad times
Then you came fast
Changed everything, made it alright
Now you're trynna let me go, you're doing it again
I'm trynna be your lover, I can't just be your friend
Don't move on, baby why you leaving
Begging you and you know that I'm pleading
Need you here but you can barely see it
Getting hard and I've been barely breathing
I can't lie, hate it when we go back and forth and we argue
Cause you're the love of my life and I don't wanna lose you
Don't say you love me if you don't love yourself
And don't try to fix me, I do not need your help
If you're gon leave me, that's like everyone else
You're an angel from Heaven but this shit hurts like Hell
Cause I need you, baby, baby
I need you, save me, save me
I need you, baby, baby
I need you, I need you
You been, all in your feelings lately
I know it hurts but you don't need me, baby
All that effort I gave you on the daily
You stabbed my back and took advantage, you played me
Used to call you my angel from heaven
You hurt me first that's why I'm raising hell
All them days I was burning inside cause that shit you did and you couldn't even tell
I was down bad bitch you really made me hate myself
Used to love myself too much
If I could go back I would do it to protect my health
Would've never gave you my trust
You blame it on the drugs
The drink thats in your cup
You told me you would quit because u hate the shit it does
You blame it on the alcohol that wasn't what it was
If I'm keeping it a hundred u just never had love for me, baby na
Don't say you love me if you don't love yourself
And don't try to fix me, I do not need your help
If you're gon leave me, that's like everyone else
You're an angel from Heaven but this shit hurts like Hell
Cause I need you, baby, baby
I need you, save me, save me
I need you, baby, baby
I need you, I need you, ya
The lyrics to "Me2" by Medeski Martin and Wood convey a sense of heartbreak, desperation, and vulnerability in a relationship. The song explores the complexities and pain of loving someone who doesn't love themselves and tries to fix the singer instead of focusing on their own growth.
The opening lines, "Don't say you love me if you don't love yourself, and don't try to fix me, I do not need your help," reveal the singer's plea for authenticity and self-love. They assert that if their partner cannot genuinely love themselves, then any love expressed towards the singer is void. The request to not fix them acknowledges that the singer doesn't need someone to save them, but rather desires a true partnership based on acceptance.
The verse continues with the singer expressing their vulnerability and the impact the relationship has had on them. The line "Now you're trynna let me go, you're doing it again" suggests a repetitive cycle of the partner attempting to leave. The plea to not move on and questioning why they are being abandoned further emphasizes the singer's desperation and fear of losing the person they deeply care for.
As the lyrics progress, the singer reflects on the pain caused by their partner's actions. They address the partner directly, accusing them of taking advantage, hurting them, and even making them hate themselves. The mention of "raising hell" indicates the intensity of their emotions and the inner turmoil caused by the betrayal.
The conclusion of the song reflects the singer's realization that their partner never truly loved them. Blaming drugs, alcohol, and lack of love, the singer recognizes that they should have prioritized their own well-being and protected themselves from the beginning. The line "You stabbed my back and took advantage, you played me" reveals the deep hurt and betrayal they experienced.
Overall, "Me2" delves into the complexities of a relationship where one partner relies on the other for self-worth and validation. It explores the consequences of not prioritizing self-love and the devastating impact it can have on both individuals involved. The lyrics capture the emotional rollercoaster of love, hurt, and ultimately, the reclaiming of one's own worth and self-preservation.
Line by Line Meaning
It's Ovi Wood
This song is performed by the band Medeski Martin and Wood.
Don't say you love me if you don't love yourself
If you're not capable of loving yourself, then it's not sincere to claim that you love me.
And don't try to fix me, I do not need your help
I don't require your assistance in trying to change or improve me.
If you're gon leave me, that's like everyone else
If you decide to abandon me, it would simply be following the pattern of everyone else who has left me.
You're an angel from Heaven but this shit hurts like Hell
Despite being someone who brings me happiness and joy, the pain and suffering caused by our situation is overwhelming.
Cause I need you, baby, baby
I have a strong dependency and longing for you, my dear.
I need you, save me, save me
I require your presence and support to rescue me from my current state.
I had a bad life
My past experiences and circumstances have been difficult and unfavorable.
Baby, I've been going through some bad times
My recent period has been filled with hardships and challenges, my love.
Then you came fast
Suddenly, you entered my life in a quick and unexpected manner.
Changed everything, made it alright
You completely transformed my situation, making everything better and more bearable.
Now you're trynna let me go, you're doing it again
But now, you're attempting to set me free and leave me behind, repeating the same pattern once more.
I'm trynna be your lover, I can't just be your friend
I desire to have a romantic relationship with you, rather than just being labeled as a friend.
Don't move on, baby why you leaving
Please don't move forward with your decision to leave, my love. Why are you choosing to do so?
Begging you and you know that I'm pleading
I'm desperately begging and pleading with you to reconsider.
Need you here but you can barely see it
I am in desperate need of your presence and support, but it seems that you fail to fully understand or perceive it.
Getting hard and I've been barely breathing
The situation is becoming increasingly difficult for me, and I'm struggling to breathe and cope.
I can't lie, hate it when we go back and forth and we argue
To be honest, I despise the constant cycle of arguing and going back and forth between us.
Cause you're the love of my life and I don't wanna lose you
Because you are the person I love the most, I am afraid of losing you.
You been, all in your feelings lately
Lately, you have been heavily influenced by your emotions and inner thoughts.
I know it hurts but you don't need me, baby
I understand that you are in pain, but it seems that you believe you can manage without me, my dear.
All that effort I gave you on the daily
I consistently put forth a significant amount of effort for you every day.
You stabbed my back and took advantage, you played me
Instead, you betrayed my trust and took advantage of me, purposely manipulating and deceiving me.
Used to call you my angel from heaven
In the past, I used to refer to you as my heavenly angel, my source of solace and joy.
You hurt me first that's why I'm raising hell
However, you were the one who initially caused me pain, and that is why I am now expressing my anger and frustration.
All them days I was burning inside cause that shit you did and you couldn't even tell
All those days, I felt a burning sensation within me because of the hurtful actions you committed, and it seems you were oblivious to the impact.
I was down bad bitch you really made me hate myself
I was in a very low and negative state, and it was you, my dear, who truly made me despise myself.
Used to love myself too much
I used to have a deep sense of self-love and confidence.
If I could go back I would do it to protect my health
If I were able to travel back in time, I would make different choices in order to safeguard my well-being.
Would've never gave you my trust
I would never have placed my trust in you.
You blame it on the drugs
You attribute the issues to the influence of drugs.
The drink thats in your cup
Specifically, you attribute the problems to the beverage you consume.
You told me you would quit because u hate the shit it does
You assured me that you would cease partaking in those substances because you detest the negative effects they have.
You blame it on the alcohol that wasn't what it was
However, you attribute the problems to the alcohol, even though that wasn't the true cause.
If I'm keeping it a hundred u just never had love for me, baby na
To be completely honest, it seems that you never truly had genuine love for me, my dear.
I need you, baby, baby
I still have a strong need and longing for you, my dear.
I need you, save me, save me
I require your presence and support to rescue me from my current emotional state.
I need you, baby, baby
I still have a strong need and longing for you, my dear.
I need you, I need you, ya
I desperately need you in my life, I need you more than anything else, my love.
Lyrics © O/B/O DistroKid
Written by: Gabby Callwood
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind