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
Willingly
Vertical Horizon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My mama said to me
Don't fall in love willingly
Now that is all forgotten
Unwilling memory
But if you change your mind
I'll follow
Willingly
We used to talk about it
But now it seems the wind has blown your way
And I have come to doubt it
That you and I will ever love again
'Cause good enough is one thing
That I will never be
And I admit it all
Willingly
And now the times are changing
The things I've seen before don't look the same
My life is rearranging
But falls apart with whispers of your name
And though I swear to love you
With all sincerity
I'll slowly fade away
Willingly
The sun is on my shoulders
Perhaps it's colder for I've lost some pride
Or maybe it's the absence
Of all the joy I felt right by your side
And when the storm was over
I found your memory
And I will hold it warm
Willingly
In Vertical Horizon's song “Willingly”, the writer tells his story about being warned by his mother not to fall in love willingly when he was young. The idea of his father's abandoning made him never to give his heart away too easily again. However, time passed, and he met someone he loved, but he lost her. The song reveals his willingness to walk the line and follow her again if she ever decides to come back. Despite the pain he experienced, the writer is still in love with the one who got away, but he has now realized that "good enough" is not something that he will ever be. He, therefore, admits it all willingly.
As the times change, the writer realizes that life is never the same again, and although he swears to love his partner, he slowly fades away. However, as circumstances change, he has lost his pride and joy, which he had while with her; his life falls apart, and he's just holding on to her memory, which he will hold onto gladly. The use of words like "memory," "faded away,"" lost some pride," and "falls apart" create a mood of nostalgia and a sense of loss, which perfectly illustrates the meaning behind the lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
When I was just just a young boy
As a child, I was told by my mother to be cautious about falling in love.
My mama said to me
My mother advised me.
Don't fall in love willingly
I was warned not to give my heart too easily.
Now that is all forgotten
As time passed, I forgot my mother's warning.
Unwilling memory
But the memory of it still remains in my subconscious.
But if you change your mind
However, if you decide to reconsider...
I will walk the line
I will commit to being there for you.
I'll follow
I'll be by your side.
We used to talk about it
We used to discuss our relationship.
But now it seems the wind has blown your way
It appears that you have moved on without me.
And I have come to doubt it
I am beginning to question if we will ever reconcile.
That you and I will ever love again
I fear that our love is lost forever.
'Cause good enough is one thing
I know that I am not perfect.
That I will never be
I accept my flaws and limitations.
And I admit it all
I acknowledge my faults.
Willingly
I do so freely and without hesitation.
And now the times are changing
Time has passed and things are different now.
The things I've seen before don't look the same
I see things differently now.
My life is rearranging
My life is in transition.
But falls apart with whispers of your name
However, the mere mention of your name can still break me down.
And though I swear to love you
Despite everything, I still promise to love you.
With all sincerity
I mean it with all my heart.
I'll slowly fade away
But I know that I am losing you.
Willingly
I accept that and am willing to let you go.
The sun is on my shoulders
The world keeps turning.
Perhaps it's colder for I've lost some pride
Things feel colder because I have been hurt and my ego has taken a hit.
Or maybe it's the absence
Or maybe it's because you are no longer here.
Of all the joy I felt right by your side
I miss the happiness I felt when we were together.
And when the storm was over
After the drama and chaos of our relationship.
I found your memory
I am left with memories of you.
And I will hold it warm
I will cherish those memories.
Willingly
Even though it hurts, I am doing so willingly.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind