Despite the ensuing hype that landed the interest of numerous label A&R execs, the truth is that the Matches wouldn't be so well known without contagious anthems like "The Jack Slap Cheer" or "The Restless." It's these songs, sounding like they were written for the suburban youth, that have sparked so much attention.
Formed as The Locals in 1997, when vocalist/guitarist Shawn Harris, drummer Matt Whalen and bassist Justin San Souci were early in their respective tenures at Oakland's Bishop O'Dowd High, the group grew frustrated by the turn of the millennium at the lack of under-21 venues in the Bay Area. Commandeering a webcasting warehouse called iMusicast in their home city, they launched a show called L3: Live, Loud and Local. In an effort to promote these L3 shows, the band - now with guitarist Jon Devoto in the fold - initiated "Commo Promo," accosting potential fans exiting concerts and clubs, student unions, dorms, high schools, malls and fast food joints, welcome or not. By performing these brief acoustic attack sets in the days prior to L3 gigs, word soon spread and the shows started selling out - without advertising or publicity.
Changing monikers in time to self-finance and release their February 2003 debut, the Matches mothballed their educational pursuits to focus on music. Veering from headlining West Coast All-Ages venues to touring opportunities with Reel Big Fish, Lit, and Zebrahead, the latter even asked Shawn, Matt, Justin and Jon to join them for a ten-day trek to Japan late in the year. Around that time a new tune, "December is for Cynics" appeared alongside Blink 182, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones and New Found Glory, on the Immortal Records benefit compilation, A Santa Cause.
The group also aligned with Epitaph, walking away from the lure of those wide- open major label checkbooks. And now the energy and innovation of E. Von Dahl Killed the Locals is yours to behold, you lucky bastards.
If the Matches sound like they could be the next big thing in a way that nearly every other band only wishes they could, perhaps it's the musical and lyrical ingenuity that steers "Eryn Smith," an exuberant, irresistible song about falling in love with a punk rock girl. With the throbbing bass-line that launches "Dog-Eared Page" and the wry, quirky rocker "Chain Me Free," the Matches have more hooks than your Grandpa's tackle box. When they do tap their influences, such as the blend of Elvis Costello and the Faint in "Audio Blood," it's done tastefully, damn-near out of respect. And with tunes about dying for a new zipcode ("Borderline Creep") or dying in slow motion at our own careless hand ("Sick Little Suicide"), these concise, communicable bursts tap a common nerve. Whether your memories of sneaking out a window to catch your ride to that not-to-be-missed show are from last summer's Warped Tour or from the days when Green Day first exploded, the Matches take you back to those moments in an instant.
With the release of their second album "Decomposer", Shawn Harris and the band evolved into a new sound, changing just enough to create something new, but still keeping their roots. With slow songs like "Salty Eyes" and "The Barber's Unhappiness," faster songs like "Drive", "Papercut Skin" and "Clumsy Heart" and catchy anthems like "What Katie Said" "Shoot me in the Smile" and " My Soft and Deep" The Matches continued to expand their musical horizons.
The Matches released their third album, A Band In Hope on March 18th. They've released two singles from that album: "Wake The Sun" and "Yankees In A Chip Shop."
Most recently, longtime bassist Justin San Souci left the band (amicably) and was replaced by Dylan Rowe.
The band went on hiatus on Thursday, July 09, 2009.
On August 12th of 2009, the band made a fourth album available for download. The album is aptly titled "the Matches album 4, unreleased; graphics? title? or not needed?".
Salty Eyes
The Matches Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Does it drag you along by the tongue at the top of your lungs?
Are you drunk?
Have you been drinking?
Do you below the overpass go with a fifth in your fist
Reminiscing the kiss of a love that just didn't love as much as you did?
Please don't give up, dear walls
When you belong to a song, salty eyes,
You belong.
Shrill notes begin, the grim violin
Then from the silence a violence of sirens orchestrate the score
To which one more corpse is left quiet
How we become the hollows of drums
The rests between notes, the hollers that never reach throats
"friends" in quotes, they're not calling
Please don't give up, dear you
I'm but the sliver moon sliding through
When you belong to a song, salty eyes,
You belong.
Do please believe, however naive
Let it drag you along by the tongue at the top of your lungs
And belong, salty eyes
When you belong to a song, salty eyes,
You belong.
The Matches' "Salty Eyes" is a poignant song about the power of music to move our emotions, especially when we're feeling lost or alone. The opening lines of the song ask if the listener belongs to a song, if they've ever felt so caught up in a piece of music that they've sung along at the top of their lungs. The verse goes on to ask if the listener has ever sought solace from their pain in alcohol, or found themselves under a bridge with a bottle in hand, longing for a love that didn't love them back.
The chorus is a plea to the walls and ceiling, asking them not to give up, to hold firm even as the singer feels like they're falling apart. The song's title comes from the concept of "salty eyes," or the tears that come from strong emotions like joy, love, or grief. The second verse describes the power of music to evoke those emotions, as the sound of a shrill violin gives way to violent sirens and the emptiness of a drum resting between notes. The song ends with a message of hope, encouraging the listener to believe in themselves and to let music carry them through their pain.
Overall, "Salty Eyes" is a moving song about the way music can both reflect and soothe our innermost feelings. The lyrics are powerful in their simplicity, using metaphor and imagery to create a vivid picture of emotional turmoil and the healing power of art.
Line by Line Meaning
Do you belong to a song?
Do you feel like there is a particular song that represents and captures who you are and what you feel?
Does it drag you along by the tongue at the top of your lungs?
Does that song make you feel so deeply that you can't help but sing it at the top of your lungs?
Are you drunk?
Are you so emotionally invested in this song that you feel intoxicated by it?
Have you been drinking?
Have you been listening to this song over and over again, savoring every note like it's a drink you can't get enough of?
Do you below the overpass go with a fifth in your fist / Reminiscing the kiss of a love that just didn't love as much as you did?
Do you ever find yourself drinking alone under a bridge, holding a bottle of liquor and thinking about a past love that didn't return your feelings?
Please don't give up, dear walls / Don't let the ceiling fall
Don't give up on yourself and let your troubles consume you. Stay strong and persevere.
When you belong to a song, salty eyes, / You belong.
When a song speaks to you on a deep level, it becomes an integral part of who you are and where you belong in the world.
Shrill notes begin, the grim violin / Then from the silence a violence of sirens orchestrate the score / To which one more corpse is left quiet
The music in this section is intense and dramatic, evoking imagery of violence and death.
How we become the hollows of drums / The rests between notes, the hollers that never reach throats / "friends" in quotes, they're not calling
The lyrics here suggest feelings of emptiness and loneliness. Even when surrounded by others, there can still be a sense of isolation and unfulfilled desires in life.
Do please believe, however naive / Let it drag you along by the tongue at the top of your lungs / And belong, salty eyes
The artist suggests that even if others don't understand your connection to a certain song or your emotional investment in the lyrics, don't let that stop you from letting it move and inspire you.
When you belong to a song, salty eyes, / You belong.
The song concludes with a reiteration that when a song captures your heart and soul, it becomes an integral part of who you are and where you fit in the world.
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Lunar Harpy
Still a favorite in 2022. Such a great album
Blob FASH
I listened to this songs when I had very bad symptoms of anxiety and it helped me cope with my insecurities. I still love it to this song.
Cuzjudd
Epico
Javier Lozano
Do you have a playlist or something with the songs? I feel like I need some of those lately
C Martens
this song is so amazing. It gets stuck in my head all the time. I love the still shot of "you do belong" from this video. It's so beautiful. These guys are too creative for their own damn good. :)
xSorexLoserx
This video proves what you can do with dedication, hard work, and heart. The matches have all of that and much more. I've seen them progress so much as a band and although I secretly and selfishly wanted to keep them as a small band, I'm really happy to see them starting to get some recognition. Fans that have been there from the beginning know what I mean, those of you who are just finding them now believe me this is only the beginning. Congrats, You guys deserve all the success you get.
pandainsanity
This is an amazing song. The Matches are one of my favorite bands ever. <3
Kelly Gourley
I can’t believe this song is well over 10 years old. Decomposed was an amazing album from an amazing band. <3
William Wallauer
If anything from the pop punk days could be considered Art, this is it.
E H
That's the thing, I feel like they were being marketed to the wrong crowd. They were so much more than being a pop punk scene band. These dudes should've been bigger.