Hailing from Lovejoy, GA, Michael began his musical education while singing in the church choir. However, Michael's greatest childhood aspiration was to be an Olympic athlete. He was well on his way, running track at Georgia Tech, until an injury sidelined his career and caused him to question what he wanted out of life.
It was a regular night out, and a small concert that initiated Michael’s musical career drive. From his seat at the bar, he witnessed the pure and raw enjoyment one could experience from performing, and the effect of sharing music with an audience. From that moment, he immersed himself into everything music and began performing on street corners, in coffee shops, at the federal penitentiary, in bars, and he eventually traveled in his van all over the country, making friends and fans along the way.
In 2001, a former band mate and then producer reached out to help Michael produce a raw demo. Together they went to Pop Rox production in New York with the raw demo, and a partnership was immediately formed. Pop Rox, under the guidance of hit producer Sam Hollander, signed Michael to a production deal and produced his first real demo. The demo was brought to several labels, and in 2002, Michael signed to Octone Records (now A&M/Octone).
His debut album, I AM, is an inspired collection of songs and melodies that muse on life, love and social consciousness. "When I went out, it was me, my van, and my guitar. It was a reflective time in my life, wandering across the country in solitude, seeking mind-opening experiences. At times it was very humbling, and at other times it was very empowering." This solitary creative pilgrimage ultimately became a time of self-discovery, inspiring many of the songs for the album.
Michael saw modest success from I AM that continued to grow in a snowball effect. He has toured with Dave Matthews Band, Maroon 5, Gavin DeGraw, Collective Soul, G Love and the Special Sauce, Blues Traveler, Howie Day, Everclear, and more. Songs from the album were featured throughout hit movies and television shows including One Tree Hill, The Sopranos, and Scrubs.
His prolific placements led to an ongoing partnership with Hilton Hotels Corp through their singer / songwriter music initiatives that helped launch the career of James Blunt. Hilton’s success with Michael led to his ultimate goal – The Olympic Dream. Hilton licensed Michael's song, "Speed Feels Better" as the anthem for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. The song was featured throughout the Olympics and Hilton even brought him over to Beijing during the Olympics for an exclusive concert performance at the Great Wall of China.
The momentum from the Olympics placed “Speed Feels Better” in a unique position to be a breakout single. Athletes lined up to appear in the Nigel Dick directed music video which features marquee athletes including: Olympic medalist in swimming, Amanda Beard; tennis player, Andy Roddick; Hall of Fame NFL player, Barry Sanders; World Figure Skating Champion, Kimmie Meissner; and MLB All Star, Rick Ankiel.
Michael is currently touring while wrapping up in the studio with a star studded cast of major producers.
Myself
Michael Tolcher Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There's a living form of expression
And even as we talk we lose
Something that was once pure emotion
And I will give you more
I know it's what we came here for
And if I could be myself in front of you
Well I would be more than just this shell of what I am that you can see.
Well I wonder what you think of me.
If I let you through my protection
Well I hold the map and the key
And show you only glimpses of your own reflection
But I will give you more
I know it's what this love is for
And if I could be myself in front of you
And if I could lose my fear of me
Well I would be more than just this shell of what I am that you can see.
Well I know I can hide myself for so long
And I won't you look you in the face
if there's really something wrong with me
if I'm afraid I won't show it
Give myself another reason to look away
And then you know there isn't one thing to keep from you
That it's OK as long what you say is true
There is nothing that together we won't make it through
Just to be myself is hard enough for me to do
Hard enough for me to do.
And I will give you more
I know it's what this love is for
And if I could be myself in front of you
And if I could lose my fear of me
Well I would be more than just this shell of what I am that you can see.
The lyrics of Michael Tolcher's song "Myself" contemplate the complexities of personal expression and the difficulty of revealing one's true self to another person, even in the context of an intimate relationship. The opening lines suggest that spoken language can often fail to capture the full depth of one's emotions and inner experience, emphasizing the importance of nonverbal communication and the potential for miscommunication. The singer acknowledges the significance of vulnerability and authenticity, expressing a desire to shed the protective armor that we often wear in social situations and reveal the true self that lies beneath. This sincere desire is hindered by the fear of rejection or judgment that prevents us from fully opening up to others. The lines "if there's really something wrong with me, if I'm afraid I won't show it, give myself another reason to look away" encapsulate this sense of self-doubt and hesitation.
The chorus of the song emphasizes the importance of being able to express oneself freely and honestly in front of a loved one. The singer yearns to be able to "be myself in front of you" and "lose my fear of me", suggesting that the relationship is not currently allowing for this level of vulnerability. The final lines of the song convey a sense of hope and determination, as the singer affirms that "just to be myself is hard enough for me to do" but that they are willing to make the effort for the sake of the relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
Underneath the words we use
Beneath the language we speak
There's a living form of expression
Lies a lively way to convey emotion
And even as we talk we lose
As we converse, we surrender
Something that was once pure emotion
An emotion that was once uncontaminated
And I will give you more
I promise to offer you greater bits of myself
I know it's what we came here for
Because this is what we intended by our meeting
And if I could be myself in front of you
If it was possible for me to show you my genuine self
And if I could lose my fear of me
And also renounce my apprehension towards my identity
Well I would be more than just this shell of what I am that you can see.
Then my entire substance will go beyond what you currently see.
Well I wonder what you think of me.
I am curious about your perception of me.
If I let you through my protection
If I opened up my guard for you.
Well I hold the map and the key
I possess the means to show you the route and unlock your discovery.
And show you only glimpses of your own reflection
But revealing to you only fleeting reflections of your own self
But I will give you more
But I vow to give you more of my real self.
I know it's what this love is for
Because this is the purpose of our love for each other.
Well I know I can hide myself for so long
Yet, I know it is feasible to conceal myself for an extended time.
And I won't you look you in the face
And I won't gaze directly into your face.
If there's really something wrong with me
If there exists a genuine problem with me
If I'm afraid, I won't show it
Even if I am apprehensive, I'll keep it to myself.
Give myself another reason to look away
Find a more excuse to avert my gaze.
And then you know there isn't one thing to keep from you
Then you'll be aware that there isn't anything that I cannot tell you.
That it's OK as long as what you say is true
That it's okay as long as you speak the truth.
There is nothing that together we won't make it through
There isn't any difficulty that we can't surmount as a pair.
Just to be myself is hard enough for me to do
Simply revealing my genuine self is already arduous for me.
Hard enough for me to do
It's already very difficult for me.
And I will give you more
But still, I'll give you more of myself
I know it's what this love is for
Because my purpose for loving you is to give myself wholly to you.
And if I could be myself in front of you
And if it's feasible for me to act myself before you.
And if I could lose my fear of me
And if I can lose my fear of my own self.
Well I would be more than just this shell of what I am that you can see.
Then, you'll be able to perceive me in my entirety.
Contributed by James A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.