His success allowed him to release 5 solo albums that have since sold over 80,000 copies and were well received by the strong audience he has built.
He was choosing his own road and had interest from almost every major label. Naturally, he had expectations of "making it" with national tours, the swank tour bus, and a big record deal. He thought he needed something slick for his next album, 3 Different Views, so he took out a second mortgage on his house and enlisted players from John Mellencamp's Band to record and play on the CD.
Major labels showed some interest but didn't bring a deal to the table. 3 Different Views was his most expensive CD to make and is his lowest selling CD to date. Mahoney's dream of "making it" was alluding him.
Depressed, he did the only thing he knew how to do--he focused on the music. Ultimately this was an eye-opening and therapeutic learning experience. He continued to write and started to play solo acoustic shows. This was the beginning of the evolution of his opinion and attitude toward his career. The reception was overwhelmingly positive.
So he released a solo acoustic CD Full Circle and in just 9 months had already sold over 4,000 copies.Proof that the comfortable rasp in his voice and the bittersweet lyrics are still winning people over. Full Circle was his least expensive CD to make and it is on pace to be one of his best selling CDs.
And after showcasing at a NACA (National Association of Campus Activities) Conference, he has performed solo acoustic shows at over 40 colleges in the Midwest and continues to expand nationally. He plays over 150 shows a year between full band and solo acoustic.
He moved through disappointment and disillusionment to the realization that he has been LIVING his dream for 10 years. He has built a business and is making a living doing something he loves.
But now Tim is more focused, more mature and more appreciative of his fans. And in turn, his fans have remained loyal and faithful in supporting him. He is enjoying the journey to longevity in the music business.
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Chad Whittaker is no stranger to the music scene. Self-taught on the bass, keyboard, guitar and vocals, Chad has no problem keeping busy in and around Minneapolis. In 2005 alone, he has played well over 100 shows with twelve different bands, and even recorded two albums. Chad first explored the Minneapolis music scene in 1994 joining the already successful pop band Charlie's Cafe. Their first self-titled album was released in 1996, and was nominated "best pop album" later that year by the Minnesota Music Awards. Just after the millennium, Chad had an idea to start a cover band that would emulate entire shows performed by the jam-band Phish. He called it Taboot, and it won him a second nomination by the Minnesota Music Awards in 2001. In 2000 he was asked to tour with the Beach Boys as a rhythm guitarist and backing vocalist. Chad has also had the privilege to play with the popular "Kung Fu Hippies" in 2003, and share stages with the Allman Brothers, the Big Wu, O.A.R., and Widespread Panic. The Hippies also found time that year to record an original CD in which Chad wrote and sang about half of the album. Chad joined the Tim Mahoney Band full-time in the fall of 2003, but was an occasional fill-in as far back as 1999. In addition to the Tim Mahoney Band, you may see Chad around town sitting in with Dazy Head Mazy, Concentual, Red Dot Garage, and many others. Ask Chad who his biggest musical influence is, and without blinking he'll tell you it's Joni Mitchell. He's also very fond of the Beatles, Dylan, and the Grateful Dead. Oh, almost forgot ... Chad and Tim went to the same middle school in Mound together when they were kids, so that's pretty cool.
Sticks And Stones
Tim Mahoney Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You know it doesn’t really make things right
Can we please just forget it
Or are you just holding out for spite
All these words we use in anger
Are so quick to rearrange
And in all they’re doing there’s a danger
We can’t undo what we have changed
Baby I know
I’m gonna shut my mouth and turn the other cheek
Cause darling don’t you know
I belong with you
And baby you belong with me
I was wrong there I said it
I tend to only think of myself
Can we please just forget it
Or are we just holding on too tight
And all these words we use in anger
Are so quick to rearrange
In all they are doing there’s a danger
I can’t undo what we have changed
And all those sticks and stones
Baby I know
I’m gonna shut my mouth and turn the other cheek
Cause darling don’t you know
I belong with you
And baby you belong with me
How can you sit here with your conscience clear
Wrecking ball hits my heart
And you want to hold like a million stones
But you’re tearing me apart
Oh you’re tearing me apart
You’re tearing me apart
And all those sticks and stones
Baby I know
I’m gonna shut my mouth and turn the other cheek
Cause darling don’t you know
I belong with you
And baby you belong with me
In Tim Mahoney's song Sticks and Stones, he admits to being wrong and asks for forgiveness, even though he realizes that saying sorry doesn't necessarily fix everything. He asks whether they can move on and forget about the hurtful things that have been said, or if the other person is holding onto grudges. He believes that using harsh words in anger can be dangerous because once they are spoken, they cannot be undone. He acknowledges his self-centered tendencies and wonders if they are grasping onto the relationship too tightly.
As the song progresses, Mahoney questions how someone can continue to hurt another person while being oblivious to the impact of their actions. He describes the pain as a wrecking ball hitting his heart and feels that the other person is holding onto him like a million stones, causing him to be torn apart.
Overall, the message in Sticks and Stones is clear. Mahoney encourages forgiveness, acknowledging ones mistakes and moving on, despite the fact that it may be easier said than done.
Line by Line Meaning
I was wrong, there I said it
Admitting to a mistake that was made
You know it doesn’t really make things right
Simply acknowledging the mistake doesn't automatically fix things
Can we please just forget it
Trying to move past the mistake and not dwell on it
Or are you just holding out for spite
Questioning if the other person is still angry about the mistake and holding onto resentment
All these words we use in anger
Acknowledging that words expressed in anger can be destructive
Are so quick to rearrange
Hurtful words can't be taken back, and once said they can change the course of things indefinitely
And in all they’re doing there’s a danger
Speaking out in anger can cause harm and put the relationship in danger
We can’t undo what we have changed
Once things have been said or done, they can't be undone or taken back
And all those sticks and stones
All the things that have been said and done
Baby I know / I’m gonna shut my mouth and turn the other cheek
Acknowledging that it's better to stay quiet and not engage in an argument, and trying to be forgiving
Cause darling don’t you know / I belong with you / And baby you belong with me
Reinforcing the love and desire to stay together despite the mistakes that have been made
I tend to only think of myself
Acknowledging a selfish behavior and wanting to change it
Or are we just holding on too tight
Questioning if both people are struggling to move on from the mistake and just holding onto it too tightly
How can you sit here with your conscience clear
Challenging the other person to reflect on their own actions and the consequences they've caused
Wrecking ball hits my heart
The hurt caused by the other person's actions and words
And you want to hold like a million stones
Referring to the other person holding onto grudges and pain
But you’re tearing me apart
Expressing the emotional pain from the other person's actions
And all those sticks and stones
Reiterating the harm caused by the things that have been said and done
Contributed by Kylie S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.