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
On the Sea
Vertical Horizon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The stars shine so bright now's the time
I close my eyes
Soft wind touch my face
Cool sand upon the place where I once kissed you
And held you close
Now I will reach for the stars
Oh my love that's where you are
Though the storms of black night rage on
I still see your face
I still feel your lips on mine
And though my heart feels all alone without you
I still hear you sing to me
I still hear your voice on the sea
Waves crash break the silence
Gulls cry their song of lament
I walk on through the stormy night
The air cries flash of anger
Dark night enshrouds the stranger
All alone
Without you
Now I will reach for the stars
Because
Oh my love that's where you are
No fog clear in the moonlight
The stars shine so bright now's the time
I close my eyes
Cool sand upon the place where I once kissed you
And held you close
Now I will reach for the stars
Because
Oh my love that's where you are
The lyrics to Vertical Horizon's "On the Sea" are a poignant and emotional reflection on lost love and the power of memories to both inspire and haunt us. The song opens with a vivid image of a clear night sky, with no fog to obscure the twinkling stars. The singer closes their eyes and feels the soft touch of the wind on their face and the cool sand beneath their feet - a sensory experience that brings them back to a place where they once kissed and held someone close. Despite being alone now, they still hear the person's voice and feel their lips on theirs.
As the song progresses, it becomes clear that the singer is grappling with the aftermath of a breakup, with "storms of black night" raging on and the air crying out with flashes of anger. The waves crash and the gulls cry out their song of lament. The person is alone, without the one they love, but still reaches for the stars and hears their voice on the sea. The lyrics suggest that despite the pain of loss, the singer is determined to hold onto the memory of their love and find a way to move forward.
The imagery and poetic language in "On the Sea" are universal in their depiction of human emotions - the feeling of loss and loneliness, the power of memory, and the possibility of hope even in the darkest of times.
Line by Line Meaning
No fog clear in the moonlight
The night is clear and the moon is shining bright without any fog.
The stars shine so bright now's the time
The stars are shining brightly and it is the perfect time to gaze upon them.
I close my eyes
The singer closes their eyes to better feel the sensations around them.
Soft wind touch my face
The wind is gentle and touching the artist's face softly.
Cool sand upon the place where I once kissed you
The artist is standing on the cool sand where they once shared a kiss with someone.
And held you close
The singer had held the person they once kissed and loved, closely.
Now I will reach for the stars Because Oh my love that's where you are
The singer will now reach for the stars as they believe their love is among the stars.
Though the storms of black night rage on
Despite the raging storms of the dark night,
I still see your face
The artist can still visualize the face of the person they love.
I still feel your lips on mine
The artist can still feel the sensation of their loved one's lips on theirs.
And though my heart feels all alone without you
Even though the singer's heart feels lonely without their loved one near them,
I still hear you sing to me
The artist can still hear their loved one's voice singing to them.
I still hear your voice on the sea
The singer hears the voice of their loved one in the sounds of the ocean.
Waves crash break the silence
The waves are crashing and breaking the silence of the night.
Gulls cry their song of lament
The seagulls are crying a mournful song.
I walk on through the stormy night
Despite the stormy night, the artist continues to walk on.
The air cries flash of anger
The weather and environment convey an angry feeling.
Dark night enshrouds the stranger
The darkness of the night shrouds the stranger who is the singer without their loved one.
All alone
The singer is all alone without their loved one.
Now I will reach for the stars Because Oh my love that's where you are
The artist reiterates their plan to reach for the stars where they believe their love is.
No fog clear in the moonlight
The night remains clear without any fog.
The stars shine so bright now's the time
The stars continue to shine brightly and it is still a perfect time to marvel at them.
I close my eyes
The singer continues to close their eyes to enhance their sensory experience.
Cool sand upon the place where I once kissed you
The artist remains standing on the cool sand where they once shared love with their significant other.
And held you close
The singer recalls holding their loved one close and cherishing the moment.
Now I will reach for the stars Because Oh my love that's where you are
The singer repeats their intent to reach for the stars where they believe their love resides.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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