At seven years old Matthews aquired his first guitar, a junior-sized 'Kapok' acoustic (which he still has), although things didn’t quite go to plan. It became neglected very early on as the box it came in was shaped like a coffin and therefore scared the hell out of him every time he went near it! For a brief period he moved on to drums, but soon hit his last snare due to the noise factor in the house becoming increasingly unbearable. It all changed when on his eleventh birthday he asked for an electric guitar. His dad duly obliged and brought him a £25 'Kay' guitar complete with a bunch of old records acquired from a relative. Amongst those records was Smash Hits by Jimi Hendrix. This rekindled Matthew's interest in music and he has been playing ever since.
Matthews' inspiration has been drawn from iconic musicians such as The Beatles, Bob Dylan, Led Zeppelin, Joni Mitchell, Marc Bolan, and Joe Satriani. His first real venture into writing music was with his brother Darren, who plays piano and keyboards, delving into the world of instrumental rock. His colourful musical past led him into prior experimentations with funk, indie/rock and soul. His later band Positive Firefly was his first foray into the role of singer/guitarist. With the determination to no longer be pigeonholed as such he left his role of a band member behind and emerged as a solo artist. However, these past experiences laid the foundations for his own unique fusion of folk, and blues rock to materialise.
Matthews first made waves in 2006 with his award winning debut ‘Passing Stranger’, which was followed by ‘Elsewhere’ (2009) and ‘What The Night Delivers’ (2011). Matthews has toured extensively including shows with Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, Foo Fighters and Snow Patrol.
He has received plaudits from all corners including Q magazine who said he was “The most promising home-grown singer/songwriter to emerge in years”, and The Sun saying that ‘It’s no exaggeration to say Scott Matthews is probably the most exciting face of West Midlands Music since Robert Plant’.
Passing Stranger
Scott Matthews Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's a meaningful sign but it makes no sense
They saw you pass on through with only one shoe
And a mystified mind with an angel for a guide
There's a destiny song that's meant for me
But I'm weary of the soles of my innocent feet
Like a single site you know it's all you've got
There's nobody you can accuse
The mirror reflects upon truth and from inside I feel bruised
The mask that I wear is unsure
Unable to find a known cure so I hide forevermore
I was passing stranger with a name I can't remember
I am going blind from the dust in my eyes
But the ground back home seems so far away
And I'm coughing up my lungs, but I know I've gotta stay
I'm moving slow with nowhere to go
I stumble on a sign 'One Mile To Dine'
It takes a little time and I'm barely alive
But I make it nonetheless with a shortage of breath
The coffee you poured me is cold
The paper I'm reading is old
And that smile is not your own
The clothes that I wear are soaked through
I'm all out of luck for you
And there's a million things I can't do
Can't do, I can't do
Something strangely familiar about the way I am
I'm sitting next to the man with the unsteady hands
He says, "How are you, son, where you been all week?"
I recognize his voice even in my sleep
Lord only knows what I got up to
Maybe it's best for me if I just found my shoes
And confirm my suspicions for heaven's sake
And pick up my trail from my front gate
There's nobody you can accuse
The mirror portrays a bold truth
And from inside it's what you do
Start digging around and you'll find
Missing for years your own life
You're better off trying not to hide
Not to hide, trying not to hide
In the song Passing Stranger, Scott Matthews portrays his feelings of being lost and unsure of his destination. The first verse sees a sign calling out to the passerby, but its meaning is indecipherable. The mention of a missing shoe and an angelic guide refer to a biblical analogy of which many believe that finding their way home is made possible by an angel. The second verse sees Matthews acknowledging his own destiny, but he feels as if his journey has left him with weary feet. He knows that he must aim with clarity, and with the destination clear, he must stay the course. The third and final verse sees Matthews arrive at a diner, but he is alone and hasn't seen a friendly face in a long time. He then unexpectedly has a conversation with a man he knows, but the rest of the night is uncertain. The song seems like a reflection of Matthews' life, full of confusion, and eventual decisions made with a newfound sense of clarity.
Line by Line Meaning
See the sign up ahead, it calls out your name
There's something important waiting for you, but it's not clear what it is.
They saw you pass on through with only one shoe
You're seen as someone who's a bit out of place or lost in the world.
There's a destiny song that's meant for me
There's a path in life that I'm meant to find.
Like a single site you know it's all you've got
There's only one chance to make the most of life.
There's nobody you can accuse
You can't blame anyone else for what's happening to you.
The mask that I wear is unsure
I'm not sure who I am or who I want to be.
I'm moving slow with nowhere to go
Life feels aimless and directionless.
The coffee you poured me is cold
Things aren't going as planned, even in small ways.
The clothes that I wear are soaked through
Things aren't going well, and I feel hopeless and lost.
Something strangely familiar about the way I am
I feel like I should have a better sense of who I am or what I want.
Lord only knows what I got up to
I've done things that I can't even remember.
There's nobody you can accuse
No one else is responsible for my own choices and path in life.
Start digging around and you'll find
I need to work harder to figure out what I want and need in life.
You're better off trying not to hide
I need to be open and honest with myself to find fulfillment in life.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: SCOTT MATTHEWS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@BestTrendsYT
These people are so disgusting.. I feel so bad for the victims families for having to go through all this.
@knijfe206
Every parents worse nightmare
@thechickengamer2973
These people are worse than Hitler!
@lolahughes5555
Those two teens going to adult prison are going to lose those smirks real quick.
@nancyetheridge6670
He won't be smiling when he goes to prison, he's ripe to be someone's girlfriend.
@dougconley
This pisses me off and I don't even know any of these people. 😡
@leafyedits486
These dudes who are smiling dont know what awaits them
@codylovesgolf8585
“Free my man he ain’t do nothing”
Literally murdered someone.
@DebopriyaMallick
Blind sister's speech though 👏🏻👏🏻
@freddiemercury5987
The man who jumped over the table died of a heart attack shortly after