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
Life in the City
Vertical Horizon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Take an inside look on the outside
Another day
Take time look at the sunshine
Have mine it's better on you anyway
Nobody's perfect all the time
And you know me
And it's alright
Waking up gonna buy me some shoes
Take a long walk out of the hindsight start anew
Look around maybe buy a new topcoat
Stop moping the rain's gonna rain through
Rain through on you
Yes it's true that
Nobody's sunny all the time
But I know you
And you know me
And it's alright
And it's your life
And it's my life
It's our life in the city
And it's your life
And it's my life
It's our life in the city
Got a new piece out in the hills
Plant a seed I'm in need of a break from the fire drill
Repaint where all the paint ain't
Got a clean slate and maybe we can buy a thrill
I'll foot that bill
Yes I will
Nobody's busy all the time
Oh thank God that I know you
And you know me
And it's alright
Oh, you cut it down go put it away
Take an inside look on the outside
Another day
Take time look at the sunshine
Have mine it's better on you anyway
Cut it down go put it away
Take an inside look on the outside
Another day
Take time look at the sunshine
Have mine it's better on you anyway
The song "Life in the City" by Vertical Horizon is about taking a step back and enjoying life in the midst of the busy and stressful city. The singer of the song appears to be feeling overwhelmed and tired of the constant hustle and bustle of city life. They suggest slowing down and appreciating the small things in life, like taking a walk, looking at the sunshine, and planting a seed. The chorus emphasizes that even though life in the city can be tough, it's still their life and they can make the most of it.
The repeated phrase "cut it down, put it away" could be interpreted as a call to simplify life by cutting down unnecessary activities and material possessions. By taking an "inside look on the outside" and looking at things from a different perspective, the singer is able to appreciate life more fully. The lyrics also emphasize the importance of relationships and knowing each other well enough to accept imperfection.
Overall, the message of the song is to find joy in life despite the inevitable hardships and stresses that come with living in the city.
Line by Line Meaning
Cut it down go put it away
Remove the negative things from your life and try to move on
Take an inside look on the outside
Reflect on your life and try to see the bigger picture
Another day
A new day brings new opportunities and a chance to start fresh
Take time look at the sunshine
Take a moment to appreciate the small things in life
Have mine it's better on you anyway
Sharing happiness brings more joy than keeping it to yourself
Nobody's perfect all the time
Everyone makes mistakes sometimes, and that's okay
But I know you
I understand who you are and accept you for it
And you know me
You know me well and accept me for who I am
And it's alright
Everything is okay despite our imperfections
Waking up gonna buy me some shoes
Starting fresh with new experiences and a new outlook on life
Take a long walk out of the hindsight start anew
Leaving behind previous mistakes and regrets and starting afresh
Look around maybe buy a new topcoat
Exploring new options and embracing change
Stop moping the rain's gonna rain through
Stop dwelling on negative things that will eventually pass
Rain through on you
Negative things sometimes happen, but it's important to face them and move on
Yes it's true that
Acknowledging the reality of life's challenges and hardships
Nobody's sunny all the time
Everyone goes through hard times and that's okay
And it's your life
It's your responsibility to make the most out of your life
And it's my life
It's my responsibility to make the most out of my life
It's our life in the city
We share our experiences and hardships while living in a busy city
Got a new piece out in the hills
Starting with a fresh medium and looking for a calm escape
Plant a seed I'm in need of a break from the fire drill
Taking time away from the chaos and stress of everyday life
Repaint where all the paint ain't
Fixing and improving on the mistakes of the past
Got a clean slate and maybe we can buy a thrill
Starting over with a fresh and exciting outlook on life
I'll foot that bill
I will pay for the cost of trying new things and taking risks
Nobody's busy all the time
Sometimes it's important to slow down and enjoy life
Oh thank God that I know you
Thankful for the people in your life who provide comfort and support
Cut it down go put it away
Start anew by removing negativity from your life
Take an inside look on the outside
Reflect on your life and see things from a new perspective
Another day
A new chance to make the most out of your life
Take time look at the sunshine
Appreciate the small things that bring happiness
Have mine it's better on you anyway
Share positivity with others for a more fulfilling life
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: MATT SCANNELL, MATTHEW B. SCANNELL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind