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
Lines Upon Your Face
Vertical Horizon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Throwing a ball in the air
One says to another
Hey I'll always be your brother
I'll always be your friend
[Chorus]
Do you remember
And the games we played always had a happy end
But in the game of life all the roses wither
And time writes its lines upon your face
Summers here and three young men
Drive through the town in the night air
When fall comes they'll part again
One turns to another and he says
[Chorus]
It's three a.m. and he's been feeling lonely
Work's been hard and the city's hard too
He picks up the phone and halfway across the country
A brother listens to his blues
He says
[Chorus]
Lift your voices loud and clearly
Sing for brotherhood right now
Lift your voices loud and clearly
Sing for sisterhood right now
Sometimes I wish
That we all were immortal
And the game of life always had a happy end
But I know it's not true oh time keeps passing
But I'm just glad to spend my time with you
Lift your voices loud and clearly
Sing for brotherhood right now
Lift your voices loud and clearly
Sing for sisterhood right now
The song "Lines Upon Your Face" by Vertical Horizon is about the passage of time and the importance of true friendship. It begins by describing a small group of boys playing together, and one of them promises to always be a loyal friend to the other. The chorus reflects on the way we all used to feel invincible when we were young, imagining that life was a game with a happy ending. However, as time goes by, all of us become marked by the lines of experience and aging that life leaves behind. The lyrics suggest that the hard times we go through can be eased by the support of true friends who are always there for us.
The song's second verse adds a layer of complexity to its message. It describes three young men driving around town together, enjoying the freedom of summer. They know that soon they will all have to go their separate ways and face the challenges of adulthood on their own. The lyrics use this moment to reflect on the way that true friendship can last even when people are separated by distance and time. The final verse takes a more universal perspective, acknowledging the way that all of us can feel isolated and alone at times. However, the song ends on a positive note, urging listeners to lift their voices in support of brotherhood and sisterhood, and to appreciate the time they have with the people they care about.
Line by Line Meaning
A small group of boys walks down the street
A few young boys stroll down the roads.
Throwing a ball in the air
While they pass through the streets, the boys throw a ball in the air and catch it repeatedly.
One says to another
One of the boys speaks to another.
Hey I'll always be your brother
He says, 'Hey, I will forever be your brother.'
I'll always be your friend
And he adds, 'I will also always be your friend.'
Do you remember
Do you recall?
When we thought we were immortal
A time when we thought we could never die.
And the games we played always had a happy end
A moment where every game we played had a delightful end.
But in the game of life all the roses wither
But in the game of life, everything turns to dust eventually.
And time writes its lines upon your face
As time passes, its effects start to show on your face.
Summers here and three young men
Three youthful fellows are present in the summer.
Drive through the town in the night air
They drive around the city at night.
When fall comes they'll part again
They will probably have to leave each other again when autumn comes.
One turns to another and he says
One of them rotates to face the other and speaks.
It's three a.m. and he's been feeling lonely
At 3 am, one of the men is feeling alone.
Work's been hard and the city's hard too
He's presumably had a tough time with work, and the city's conditions don't help either.
He picks up the phone and halfway across the country
Hence, he dials the phone and reaches out to someone who's a considerable distance away.
A brother listens to his blues
He connects with his brother and shares his sorrowful state with him.
Lift your voices loud and clearly
Raise your voices, loudly and clearly.
Sing for brotherhood right now
Sing songs that celebrate brotherhood, right now.
Sing for sisterhood right now
Sing songs that celebrate sisterhood, right now.
Sometimes I wish
At times, I yearn.
That we all were immortal
I wish we were all immortal.
And the game of life always had a happy end
And the game of life would always end on a joyful note.
But I know it's not true oh time keeps passing
I am aware that it isn't accurate, as time goes by.
But I'm just glad to spend my time with you
But, I'm pleased that I have spent my time with you.
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind