Matt Quinn and Sam Cooper first met in high school in Philadelphia and later reconnected in Los Angeles in 2016. Their shared love for music led them to collaborate once again. They named the project after a mountain in Valley Forge National Park near their hometown. Their debut single, "Astrovan," gained rapid streaming success, attracting the attention of drummer Sotiris Eliopoulos and keyboardist Jackie Miclau.
The band made their debut in 2016 with the release of their single "Astrovan," which was recorded in Los Angeles by Quinn, Cooper, and Byrnes.
In 2017, Mt. Joy signed with Dualtone Records, further solidifying their presence in the music industry. This was followed by the release of three singles in 2017: "Sheep," "Cardinal," and "Silver Lining," with the latter reaching the number one spot on the Billboard Triple A charts.
Throughout 2017, the now five-piece band recorded additional tracks with producer Jon Gilbert at his home studio in Pasadena, California, and released their self-titled debut album, Mt. Joy, on March 2, 2018. The song "Silver Lining" went to #1 on the Billboard Triple A charts.
Following their initial success, Mt. Joy embarked on extensive touring, performing at festivals such as Bonnaroo, Newport Folk Festival, and Lollapalooza, while also opening for notable bands like The Head and the Heart, The Shins, Whitney, and The Revivalists. They also headlined their own North American and European tours.
Unfortunately, their tour with The Lumineers was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Undeterred, Mt. Joy released their second studio album, "Rearrange Us," on June 5, 2020. The album was produced by Tucker Martine, known for his work with My Morning Jacket and Modest Mouse. The songs on "Rearrange Us" range from folk-stomps to psychedelic reflections and gospel elegies.
In April 2022, the band announced their third full-length album, Orange Blood, which was released on June 17, 2022. The album was recorded at Headroom Studios in Philadelphia. Four singles were released ahead of the album, "Lemon Tree", "Orange Blood," "Evergreen," and "Bathroom Light." Their headlining tour for the album started in June 2022 and runs through November 2022.
Bug Eyes
Mt. Joy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I could tell by your text
That you were gonna ruin my life
'Cause bug eyes get a good look at the windshield
And in that water, dark dark water
Eyes could see no farther than my hands
You said you wanted a plan
May you always look forward
There will be peace
There will be light on you
There will be colors for you
To come home to
I'm always waiting for you girl
I'm always waiting
So maybe I'll wait, I'll wait, I'll wait
And maybe I'll wait too long
You were the first
But you won't be the last
If I keep traveling on
Always look forward
And may all your love be returned
Hold on tight
I think I might have wasted all my time on fear
But if I were
Would you be so rude and tell me what I have to hear
Let it kill, let it
Alright
But are we alright?
You let it kill, let it learn, let it lie
Let it fall out of the corner of your eye
I live out on the range now but I can't complain
I had everything
Alright
But are we, are we alright?
You let it kill, let it learn, let it lie
Let it fall out of the corner of your eye
To live and die and see the world through someone else's eye
To live and die and see the world through someone else's eye
I live out on the range but I can't complain I had everything
Alright
And then are we, are we alright?
You let it kill, let it learn, let it lie
Let it fall out of the corner of your eye
To live and die and see the world through someone else's eye
The lyrics of Mt. Joy’s song, “Bug Eyes” appears to be about a break-up and the aftermath of it. The song’s speaker seems to be addressing his ex-girlfriend, who he believes ruined his life when she left him. He mentions “bug eyes” which could be a reference to the enlarged and disorienting effect of the tears that flow when someone is crying. The reference to the windshield might be a metaphor for feeling lost and not knowing where to go after a relationship has ended. The “dark water” could be a metaphor for the overwhelming feelings that come with heartbreak. Despite this, the singer still wishes his ex well, hoping that she may always look forward and find love that is returned to her.
The song also talks about waiting for the girl to return despite knowing that he might be waiting too long. The line, “hold on tight, I think I might have wasted all my time on fear” suggests that he may have been too afraid to hold on to the relationship when he had the chance. Yet, he is always waiting and knows that she won't be the last. The ending of the song, however, seems to end on a hopeful note. The song’s speaker is now living out on the range and seems content with everything he has.
Line by Line Meaning
On the day you left
When you left me
I could tell by your text
I sensed that you were going to cause a havoc through your text.
That you were gonna ruin my life
I knew that my life was going to be ruined by you.
'Cause bug eyes get a good look at the windshield
The look in your eyes indicated that you had a strong controlling spirit.
And in that water, dark dark water
During the bad times when nothing is clear.
Eyes could see no farther than my hands
Your eyes could only see as far as my hands which were limited.
You said you wanted a plan
You asked for a plan to make your actions bear results.
May you always look forward
I hope you always look ahead in your future.
And may all your love be returned
May you get all the love you give, in return.
There will be peace
Peace will be achieved.
There will be light on you
Illumination will be bestowed on you.
There will be colors for you
Colors of happiness will be present in your life.
To come home to
For you to return and feel homely.
I'm always waiting for you girl
I am always waiting for you.
I'm always waiting
I am always here waiting for you.
So maybe I'll wait, I'll wait, I'll wait
Maybe I will wait for you, endlessly.
And maybe I'll wait too long
And hopefully I won't end up waiting forever.
You were the first
You were the first person, to love and to leave.
But you won't be the last
But you definitely won't be the last person, to do so.
If I keep traveling on
If I continue my journey in life.
Hold on tight
Hang on strongly.
I think I might have wasted all my time on fear
I might have wasted all my time, living in fear.
But if I were
If it was me who did that,
Would you be so rude and tell me what I have to hear
Would you still tell me what I need to hear, even if it was going to be unpleasant.
Let it kill, let it
Let it cause harm if possible.
Alright
Okay
But are we alright?
But are we really okay?
You let it kill, let it learn, let it lie
You let it inflict damage, let it teach you, and let it rest.
Let it fall out of the corner of your eye
Let the thing that you don't want to deal with slowly disappear from your view.
To live and die and see the world through someone else's eye
To live and die, and understand how another person sees the world.
I live out on the range now but I can't complain
I currently live far away, but I still cannot complain.
I had everything
I had everything I needed.
And then are we, are we alright?
And so, are we okay now?
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Matthew Quinn
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind