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
Welcome to the Bottom
Vertical Horizon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We've been expecting you
You try to deny your family
Oh, but we came through so
Welcome,
Welcome,
Welcome to the bottom
It's not exactly where you wanna be
But we're the only true friends you've ever had
This company loves your misery, so
Welcome
Welcome
Welcome to the bottom
Welcome
Welcome
Welcome to the bottom
Welcome to the moment
To the highlight of your life
Welcome to the horror
And there's no where you can hide
Welcome to the bottom
The acid burns and it takes its toll
But we all get used to it
There's no give and take
Its just push and pull
It only hurts for a bit, so
Welcome
Welcome
Welcome to the bottom
Welcome
Welcome
Welcome to the bottom
Welcome to the moment
To the highlight of your life
Welcome to the horror
And there's no where you can hide
Welcome to the bottom
Its so endearing how you thought you could change
We know you'll be happy
You just need someone to blame
Welcome back we're back
We're glad you know your place
Its always there for you
Welcome to the moment
To the highlight of your life
Welcome to the horror
And there's no where you can hide
Welcome to the moment
To the highlight of your life
Welcome to the horror
And there's no where you can hide
Welcome
Welcome
Welcome to the bottom
The lyrics of Welcome to the Bottom by Vertical Horizon describe a person who has hit rock bottom and is in a place of misery. The song is written from the perspective of the people who have been waiting for the person to return to the bottom, as they are the only true friends the person has ever had. The lines “Welcome home, it’s been a while, We’ve been expecting you, You try to deny your family, Oh, but we came through” suggest that the person has been in a dark place before and the people around them have been through it with them many times. The song portrays a sense of acceptance of the situation, telling the person that there’s no denying their place at the bottom.
The lines “The waters gone, and the grain is back, It's not exactly where you wanna be, But we're the only true friends you've ever had, This company loves your misery” depict a sense of being trapped and feeling like there's no escape from the misery. The repeated line “Welcome to the bottom” highlights the inevitability of the situation and the acceptance of it by the person and those around them.
Overall, the song Welcome to the Bottom uses a dark theme of struggling and failing to fit in, portraying the acceptance of the situation and the person's place in it.
Line by Line Meaning
Welcome home its been a while
We are glad you are back after a long time
We've been expecting you
We knew you would come back eventually
You try to deny your family
You may not want to admit it, but we are your true family
Oh, but we came through so
Even though you denied us, we are still here for you
The waters gone, and the grain is back
Things have changed since you left
It's not exactly where you wanna be
You may not be happy with where you are now
But we're the only true friends you've ever had
We are the only ones who truly care about you
This company loves your misery, so
We thrive on your unhappiness
The acid burns and it takes its toll
Things may not be easy, but we are used to it
But we all get used to it
We have learned to accept our situation
There's no give and take
We don't compromise, it's always our way
Its just push and pull
We are in a constant power struggle
It only hurts for a bit, so
The pain won't last forever
Its so endearing how you thought you could change
We find it amusing that you thought you could make a difference
We know you'll be happy
You will eventually learn to accept your fate
You just need someone to blame
You will find someone else to blame for your problems
Welcome back we're back
We are welcoming you back with open arms
We're glad you know your place
We are happy that you have accepted your role in our group
Its always there for you
We will always be here for you, no matter what
Welcome to the moment
You are now in a defining moment
To the highlight of your life
This may be the most important moment in your life
Welcome to the horror
This may not be a pleasant experience
And there's no where you can hide
You cannot escape your fate
Welcome to the bottom
You have hit rock bottom
Welcome
We are happy to have you here
Welcome to the bottom
You are now a part of our group at the bottom
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: CRAIG NIELSON, ED CARLSON, ERIC BRAVERMAN, ERIC KNUTSON, JASON WARD, MARK SIMPSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind