Matt and Keith together played all the instruments appearing on that album, with its name taken from 'The Hobbit' by J.R.R. Tolkien, though they both mostly played acoustic guitar. Both also contributed to writing all the songs and both sang for 'There and Back Again'. The duo toured for several years after this, mostly appearing with similar bands such as Jackopierce. By 1995, they were ready to record again. The resulting album, titled 'Running on Ice', again had Matt and Keith playing acoustic guitar and singing, but it also featured the addition of other guest musicians to play other instruments. Guests included members of Jackopierce band as well as Carter Beauford (of the Dave Matthews Band) on drums.
More touring followed, and soon Matt and Keith were joined by Ed Toth on drums. In 1997, a live album, Live Stages, was released. This featured Matt, Keith, and Ed, as well as Ryan Fisher on bass. Live Stages signaled a departure from the original acoustic guitar-based music, and featured heavy emphasis on electric guitar. Also, by this time, the band was explicit in their intent to find a major record label; band members have said that it was no accident that the first track of Live Stages opens with the sounds of a large cheering audience. Their wishes came true, and the band was signed to RCA Records.
Ryan had never intended to join the band permanently, so the three other members held auditions for a permanent bass player. Their first audition was Sean Hurley, and everyone liked him immediately. There were many more auditions, but they eventually came back to Sean, and he officially joined Vertical Horizon.
The band's major label debut, "Everything You Want", was released in 1999. The title track, released as the second single from the album, skyrocketed up the charts and ended up as one of the most played tracks on radio in 2000. One of the stand out tracks "You're A God" got on several compilation CD's and featured in the Box Office smash Bruce Almighty
The follow up to "Everything You Want", titled "Go", was delayed several times until finally being released in 2003. "I'm Still Here", the first single from Go, was released with little fanfare and faded quickly. VH ended their relationship with RCA in 2004 and re-signed with Hybrid Recordings. "Go" was re-released with an additional track in 2005. A second single, "Forever", was released prior to the re-release and received moderate airplay but did not match the earlier success of Everything You Want.
In 2005, drummer Ed Toth got what he considered the dream gig of a lifetime when he was invited to join the Doobie Brothers following the death of drummer Keith Knudsen. While Toth had hoped to juggle both bands, he quickly realized it would not be possible and announced his departure from Vertical Horizon in July 2005.
In 2007, realizing as Matt says, “there was more to do” and “thinking the timing was just right to start working on a new album,” the band began writing and recording, Burning The Days. The album is slated for release on September 22, 2009 with the first single, “Save Me From Myself” recently sent to radio. The single has been extremely well-received and is currently climbing the Hot AC charts with strong airplay in McAllen, Modesto, Monterey-Salinas, El Paso, and New Orleans.
Independent of label constraints, Burning The Days was produced by Scannell and recorded at his studio over the course of the past 2 years. For the band, it was a complete return to their beginnings of working at their own pace and “nurturing those moments of inspiration.” According to Matt, the album is “sonically as good as anything we have ever done. I take great pride in this album and feel that our renewed sense of creativity will resonate with our fans.” The album also features virtuoso drummer Neil Peart of Rush on “Save Me From Myself,” “Even Now” and “Welcome To The Bottom” as well as Richard Marx playing piano on “Here” and producing two of Matt’s lead vocal tracks.
“I’m actually in a pretty positive place right now,” says Scannell. “Of course I still have that underlying fear of everything falling apart and crumbling to the floor, but it is not the first thing on my mind, like it’s been at times in the past.” And so one of the main themes of Burning The Days is about finding balance in a journey from hardship to peacefulness – knowing that the up must follow the down, and vice versa. “It’s about being okay with things going well, and also finding strength to get through the tough times.”
The first single, “Save Me From Myself,” is about “the danger of getting so lost in your own struggles and personal demons that you can’t help the people you love, and you won’t let the people you love help you. You’re too far away in your own head to do anything but spin off in self-criticism and doubt. There’s a lot of anger and frustration in that song.” Conversely, “The Lucky One” is one of the album’s most upbeat tracks, a fact that took the song’s author a bit of time to get used to. “I’m usually wary of songs that have really upbeat messages, but this song resonated for me because I tend to be the last one to believe when things are really going well. Songs where everything is perfect and everyone’s in love make me suspicious, but this song has enough of a gray area to feel real for me.”
Other highlights on the album are “Afterglow,” “All Is Said And Done” and “The Middle Ground.”
To support the album’s September 22nd release, the band plans on doing targeted performance dates throughout the summer with a nationwide tour in the fall.
Offical web site: http://www.verticalhorizon.com
Children's Lullaby
Vertical Horizon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The sun so hot and the roses so red where she lie
As little boys sit and watch as she twirls all around
Sunny smiles not a raincloud could bring that girl down
But now...
What's behind those big brown eyes
Do you dream at night
Little boy sits alone as he sings in the dark
Wondering if his own dreams had pulled them apart
He sings a song of tomorrow he never can see
Mostly sings of a lost little girl's memory
And now...
As his dreams go flashing by
He begins to hear
A lonely lullaby
Well now...
We used to sing
And we used to cry
Through everything
In our children's lullaby
Little girl on the street with nobody around
Has her head in the air dirty feet on the ground
She shuts her eyes and wonders if this is a mistake
Now she's gone from the warmth of her little boy days
And still...
She believes that she'll get by
On her own without
Her little boy's lullaby
Little boy prays to God to answer his song
To hold her hand when everyone else's are gone
Time goes by and the wounds slowly turn into scars
So he makes his final wish on the midnight stars
And he screams...
Little girl won't you hear my cry
Won't you come back home
To your lover's lullaby
Little girl down by the waterside
Goodbye
The lyrics of "Children's Lullaby" by Vertical Horizon tell the story of two childhood friends who have been separated and are struggling to cope without each other. The first verse describes a little girl dancing by the waterside, basking in the sun and not letting anything bring her down. However, the next lines reveal that the girl may be troubled inside and may not have her lullaby to comfort her at night. The second verse focuses on the little boy who is singing by himself in the dark, hoping that his dreams can bring his lost little girl back. The chorus highlights the memories of their past, sharing how they used to sing and cry in their children's lullaby.
As the song progresses, the little girl seems to be wandering alone and trying to figure out if leaving was a mistake. The little boy is left to pray and make his final wish on the midnight stars, pleading for her to come back home to her lover's lullaby. The story ends with a sense of sadness as the little girl says goodbye, possibly indicating that she may never return.
Overall, "Children's Lullaby" uses simple language and vivid imagery to convey the emotions and experiences of childhood friendships and separation. The lyrics are open to interpretation and can resonate with a broad range of listeners who have lost someone that was once close to them.
Line by Line Meaning
Little girl was down by the waterside
A young girl was near the water's edge
The sun so hot and the roses so red where she lie
The sun was shining and the flowers nearby were vibrant in color while the girl rested
As little boys sit and watch as she twirls all around
Some young boys were watching the girl spin around
Sunny smiles not a raincloud could bring that girl down
The girl was happily smiling, and nothing could take that joy away
What's behind those big brown eyes
What is the girl thinking or feeling inside
Do you dream at night
Do you have aspirations or worries while you sleep
Without your lullaby
Is there anyone or anything comforting you during tough times?
Little boy sits alone as he sings in the dark
A young boy sings to himself in the absence of others
Wondering if his own dreams had pulled them apart
Uncertain if his own aspirations were getting in the way of his relationship with the girl
He sings a song of tomorrow he never can see
He's imagining a future that he may never experience
Mostly sings of a lost little girl's memory
The boy reminisces about his experiences with the girl
As his dreams go flashing by
As his own aspirations continue to consume him
He begins to hear
He becomes aware of something
A lonely lullaby
A sad song that brings him comfort
Well now...
An introduction to a change in topic or perspective
We used to sing
Reflecting on past memories of singing together
And we used to cry
Recalling times of shared sorrow
Through everything
During any and all circumstances
In our children's lullaby
While they found peace in a song as children
Little girl on the street with nobody around
An unaccompanied girl on the side of a road
Has her head in the air dirty feet on the ground
She is looking upwards while her feet are covered in dirt
She shuts her eyes and wonders if this is a mistake
She closes her eyes and questions if she's made a wrong decision
Now she's gone from the warmth of her little boy days
She's now separated from the affectionate moments of her youth
And still...
Nevertheless, there is something that remains true
She believes that she'll get by
She has faith in her ability to persevere
On her own without
Doing this without assistance from others
Her little boy's lullaby
A song that her partner used to sing to her
Little boy prays to God to answer his song
The boy makes a plea to a higher power to fulfill his request
To hold her hand when everyone else's are gone
To remain close to her when other people leave or move on
Time goes by and the wounds slowly turn into scars
As time passes, emotional injuries have the potential to leave more lasting marks
So he makes his final wish on the midnight stars
As a last effort, he makes a wish in the late night sky
And he screams...
He cries out loudly in passion or desperation
Little girl won't you hear my cry
An emotional plea for the girl's attention
Won't you come back home
A request for the girl to return to their shared home or relationship
To your lover's lullaby
To rediscover the comfort that they once found in singing together as a couple
Little girl down by the waterside
Repeating the girl's initial setting
Goodbye
A final farewell
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind