In 1995, songwriter/producer and representative for Atlantic Records Matt Serletic approached the members of Tabitha's Secret concerning a long-term record deal. However, Serletic was more interested in helping Thomas find his voice than he was in the band Tabitha's Secret. Jay Stanley and John Goff were uninterested in a long-term record deal, believing it was better to sign for a one-record deal and evaluate the situation following this record's release. Thomas, however, felt the band should take the offer.
The fact that Stanley and Goff were resistant to sign, alongside pressure from the record company to drop the two guitar players, Thomas, Yale, and Doucette decided it was best to part ways with the other members of the band. Splitting the band landed Thomas, Yale, and Doucette a two-record deal with Atlantic Records, which was later renewed. With their two guitar players gone, Atlantic introduced the trio to Adam Gaynor, a rhythm guitarist and Kyle Cook, a lead guitarist. The five now comprise Matchbox Twenty, a world-renowned band.
When Matchbox Twenty debuted its first album Yourself or Someone Like You, Jay Stanley sued for royalties, claiming he owned the rights to the song 3am which appeared on the newly released record. Stanley stated that he was paid for the original recording sessions of the song when it was performed by Tabitha's Secret (it's released on multiple albums by Tabitha's Secret). This lawsuit lasted five years and was settled in 2000.
Although the band never released any records while they were together, Jay Stanley released three albums after getting the rights to the recordings of Tabitha's Secret. He released a rough demo mix, "Don't Play With Matches" in 1998, to satisfy the hard-core fans and the "Live" record in 2000. Later, Stanley joined with Tony Miceli and engineer George Spatta to re-mix, re-master, and overdub the original recordings and put them into the album "Tabitha's Secret?" which was released in late 2001.
Swing
Tabitha's Secret Lyrics
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The words weren't on my tongue, cause we don't talk about it
Day or no evenin', fashion or superman
Just little warped people, with little black minds
Well I wasn't sure just what to think, say the lights went out,
Somebody, somebody swing
Somebody swing, don't want to talk no... no
What if we're tainted, who can we lie to
What if we're dying, would you just walk around it
Well I wasn't sure just what to think, say the lights went out,
Somebody, somebody swing
Don't want to, don't want to talk anymore
Bring boy, can you bring me down
Can you swing
Don't want to, don't want to talk anymore
Shut your violence, keep your head down, watch your anger boy, realize you could lose
This is violence, look for reason, this don't have to make sense to anybody at all, then everybody, won't you swing
No still don't mean nothin', words written all over the concrete
All over the concrete, rage gets you out, so you swing
Don't want to, don't want to talk anymore
Bring boy, can you bring me down
Can you swing
Don't want to, don't want to talk anymore
Don't want to, don't want to talk anymore
Bring boy, can you bring me down
Can you swing
Don't want to, don't want to talk anymore
The song "Swing" by Tabitha's Secret is a thought-provoking and introspective song. The lyrics seem to comment on the complexities of human communication and the struggle for understanding and connection in a world that can be violent and harsh. The repeated phrase "don't want to talk anymore" suggests a frustration with language and the limitations it presents in truly conveying emotions and experiences.
The first verse begins with the phrase "Still don't mean nothin', was written on the concrete," which seems to suggest a sense of futility in trying to understand or convey meaning through words. The following line, "The words weren't on my tongue, cause we don't talk about it," reinforces this idea and implies that there are some things that are too difficult or painful to discuss openly. The second half of the verse introduces the concept of "little warped people, with little black minds," which could be interpreted as a commentary on the narrow-mindedness and intolerance in society.
The chorus asks for "somebody to swing," which could be seen as a call to action or a plea for release from the frustration and burden of communication. The verses continue to explore the idea of language and its limitations, touching on themes of violence, anger, and the struggle for empathy and understanding.
Overall, "Swing" seems to be a reflection on the difficulty of truly connecting with others and the search for a way to transcend the limitations of language and understanding in order to achieve a sense of unity and peace.
Line by Line Meaning
Still don't mean nothin', was written on the concrete
The words written on the concrete still don't hold any significance
The words weren't on my tongue, cause we don't talk about it
I couldn't speak the words because we don't discuss it
Day or no evenin', fashion or superman
The time of day or trendy things are irrelevant
Just little warped people, with little black minds
We are just ordinary people, with closed minds
Well I wasn't sure just what to think, say the lights went out,
I was confused when the lights went out
Somebody, somebody swing
I wish someone would just shake things up
Don't want to, don't want to talk anymore
I don't want to talk anymore
What if we're tainted, who can we lie to
If we are corrupted, who can we deceive?
What if we're dying, would you just walk around it
Would you ignore it if we were dying?
Bring boy, can you bring me down
Can you calm me down?
Can you swing
Can you stir things up?
Shut your violence, keep your head down, watch your anger boy, realize you could lose
Stop being violent and control your temper, or you may suffer consequences
This is violence, look for reason, this don't have to make sense to anybody at all, then everybody, won't you swing
Violence should have a purpose, even if it doesn't make sense to anyone else. Let's shake things up together.
No still don't mean nothin', words written all over the concrete
The words written everywhere still don't hold any significance
Rage gets you out, so you swing
We tend to lash out in anger, which leads to shaking things up
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: BRIAN YALE, JOHN GOFF, JOHN JOSEPH STANLEY, ROB THOMAS, ROBERT THOMAS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind