Since 2006, Matsson has released four full-length albums and two EPs. He records and produces these in his home, and usually records his voice and guitar together on one track. He is known both by his fans and his enemies for his charismatic stage presence.
Critics have compared The Tallest Man on Earth to Bob Dylan both in terms of songwriting ability and vocal style. When asked about his lyrical style, Matsson explains that he began listening to Bob Dylan at fifteen, and upon hearing Dylan's cover material, he "tried to figure out where those songs came from" and became slowly exposed to early American folk, such as Pete Seeger and Woody Guthrie. But he is careful to qualify this, saying "I don't consider my work to be a part of any tradition. This is how I play. This is how I write songs."
With regard to his guitar technique, Matsson uses a variety of open tunings, and standard tuning to a lesser degree. He had classical guitar training in his youth, but says he "never really focused on it" and that by the end of high school he "got bored playing guitar because it was like math", until he then discovered open tunings while listening to Nick Drake in his early twenties. He was drawn to this style of playing because it allowed him to focus on singing while still performing intricate music.
He was previously married to Amanda Bergman, also known by the stage name Idiot Wind. Together, they wrote the music for the Swedish drama film Once a Year.
Steal Tomorrow
The Tallest Man on Earth Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I give you all my sweet horizons
In another sense of lame
I'll have to say, it's just a way
To steal tomorrow
Hell, I'm guilty of the crime
But like a bird above the Alcatraz
I'll have to say, it's just a way
To steal tomorrow
I will dance and sway
While you dream away
Bring your curtain down
Then I'll burn this town
It's just a way to steal tomorrow
Well I'll tell you that I'm down
And I will even buy the tickets
Your messiah is in town
I'll have to say, it's just a way
To steal tomorrow
While we're riding on our plane
Well I have bought a special backpack
Just to run away from shame
I'll have to say, it's just a way
To steal tomorrow
I will dance and sway
While you dream away
Bring your curtain down
Then I'll burn this town
It's just a way to steal tomorrow
The Tallest Man on Earth's song "Steal Tomorrow" is a poignant and introspective piece about the complexities of relationships and identity. The song's central theme is the idea of "stealing tomorrow," or trying to escape the past and create a new future for oneself. The singer is open about their guilt, and they recognize that their desire to create a better future is perhaps selfish and destructive. They offer their love and their horizons to their partner, but it's clear that they are also struggling with their own identity and sense of purpose.
The lyrics of the song are filled with metaphors and allusions that add depth and complexity to the meaning of the song. For example, the line "like a bird above the Alcatraz, I'm whiter than your gown" suggests a sense of freedom and purity, but it's also a reference to the infamous prison and the idea of being trapped.
Throughout the song, the singer grapples with a sense of disconnection and disillusionment, struggling to find a sense of purpose and clarity in their life. The chorus of the song reflects this, with the singer singing "I will dance and sway while you dream away, bring your curtain down, then I'll burn this town, it's just a way to steal tomorrow." This lyric suggests a sense of desperation, as if the singer is trying to escape from something that they can't quite put into words.
Overall, "Steal Tomorrow" is a complex and powerful song that explores themes of identity, love, and the struggle to find meaning in a confusing world.
Line by Line Meaning
Well I give you all my rain
I'm giving you everything I have to offer
I give you all my sweet horizons
I share with you every beautiful thing I see
In another sense of lame
In a different angle, it might seem pathetic
I'll have to say, it's just a way
I have to admit, this is my method
To steal tomorrow
To take away our worries about the future
Hell, I'm guilty of the crime
I accept that I'm at fault
But like a bird above the Alcatraz
I'm free like a bird, even in confinement
I'm whiter than your gown
I'm innocent
I will dance and sway
I'll enjoy myself
While you dream away
While you sleep and let go
Bring your curtain down
End your show, let it be over
Then I'll burn this town
I'll start again somewhere else
Well I'll tell you that I'm down
I'm feeling low
And I will even buy the tickets
I'll even take action to leave
Your messiah is in town
Your savior is here, but it's not me
While we're riding on our plane
While we're moving forward together
Well I have bought a special backpack
I've prepared for the unknown
Just to run away from shame
Just in case I need to escape embarrassment
To steal tomorrow
To not let worries about the future hold us down
It's just a way to steal tomorrow
It's just a technique to move forward and not be held back by fears
Contributed by Avery H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Tomanation
this song sends chills down my spine. So good!
fullygrownshambles
An incredibly talented musician and songwriter. Scandinavians just seem to nail it so often. I love the imagery in 'I'm guilty of the crime, but like a bird above the Alcatraz I'm whiter than your gown', beautiful stuff!
MrD2dude
If anyone ever asserts that this is not the most underrated and "under-listened" TMOE song... I will punch a baby emperor penguin due to exceedingly great angst.
zzeellttaa
Incredible. This Swedish lad is so oldschool yet he is loke no other!
lame o
This song is waay too underrated
Thee Drowned God
perhaps stealing tomorrow is all we ever do
Bobby Trainwreck
has a johnny cash kinda look and a bob dylan sound..
Jan Han Il Nam Petersen
Coolest location :o)
Ross Rohan
What the heck is the tuning here?!... Anyone?!
Ben Benson
CGCGCE