Lyrical Genius: Matt Nathanson

The history of music is littered with those who have been dubbed lyrical geniuses...from Bob Dylan, Tom Waits, Carole King, and Leonard Cohen to modern artists Dave Matthews, Frank Turner, Ed Sheeran, Mikel Jollett, and Kurt Cobain. Of course, when dealing with lyrics in a song, some artists may ignite passion, anger, forgotten memories, happiness or a combination of those or other emotions & feelings more for one person than another. For example, some say they have never quite seen the brilliance of lyrics penned by Dave Matthews, but his fans support the claim of his lyrical genius fervently, so he's obviously striking a nerve in some that others just aren't feeling. One modern lyricist who we think doesn't get enough credit, possibly because his star in the spotlight is still just beginning to grow, is Matt Nathanson. Matt is probably best known for his hit single "Come On Get Higher", which took pop/alternative radio by storm approximately 6 years ago.

"Come On Get Higher"

We feel Matt Nathanson has written some of the best lyrics out there today. To prove this...in anticipation of even more lyrical wonderment with the release of his new album 'Show Me Your Fangs' on October 2nd, we have compiled a list of the top 10 lyrics penned by Matt Nathanson for your review. We think we've got some greatness highlighted here, and hope you not only agree, but also search out the songs these lyrics are found in and enjoy them as much as we do. You may just find a new favorite singer...that is, if you're not one of the many already on the bandwagon.

Come On Get Higher - Of course, one of the things that made this song such a hit were the lyrics. Matt Nathanson sings a lot of songs about love, lost love, and missed opprtunities that resonate so well with the listener that it evokes memories and emotions that make the listener think "yes, I've been there"...I've experienced that love or that loss or that emotion.

"i miss the sound of your voice

and i miss the rush of your skin

and i miss the still of the silence

as you breahe out, and i breathe in"

Faster - the lead track from his album 'Modern Love' begins with the following lines, perfectly describing wanton lust, desire, and sticky sweet love.

"you're so delicious, you're so soft

sweet on the tip of my tongue.

you taste like sunlight

and strawberry bubblegum.

you bite my lip, you spike my blood.

you make my heart beat faster."

Room @The End Of The World - The world is ending...you're alone...do you have any regrets? This is Matt's self-delcared "theme song for The Rapture"...though with that having come and gone, he's a little disappointed. But it's still a great song in our minds, Rapture or not!

"i was weaving with the drunks,

singing Sinatra loud.

i let go of love

once it finally had me figured out.

i was buried like treasure,

but no one ever came to mark the spot."

"Room @The End Of The World" (live, along with some comedy)

Run - This song reminds us of that time the woman we loved climbed onto the bed we were laying on, crawled on top of us, and looked down into our eyes. Her dark brunette hair was hanging down over her face and into ours and we kissed. Um, did we mention some lyrics hit people more personally than others? Yeah.

"i wanna watch you undress.

i wanna watch you glow.

let your hair down all around

and cover us both"

"Run" (featuring Sugarland)

Farewell, December - Matt sets the scene...two lovers, perfectly in love, ending the year in each others arms watching the fireworks explode in the sky. A culmination of the best year ever, with nothing but positive thoughts for the year to come. This song is how love should be on New Years Eve. We love this song so much, we considered quoting the whole damn thing!

"ship lights look like stars out in the distance.

we're as young now as we're ever going to be.

your hand in my pocket, heart like a rocket...

hey, hey, hey.

i felt alive for the first time in my life.

i held you tight and the crowd sang 'auld lang syne'.

the sky was turning blue, like movie endings do.

this year was ours, farewell, December."

Sky High Honey - This song perfectly describes leaving someone behind that you still love that doesn't love you back. In this case, Matt sings of leaving on a plane, looking down on the city of Boston...reminiscing and regretting the end of love. "i spent the morning with my face against the window seat,

looking down at all the things that got the best of me.

no more late night drives to Boston.

no more Cure songs to get lost in.

no more taxis, subway tokens,

arms wide open,

i'm sky high honey...gone"

Annie's Always Waiting (For The Next One To Leave) - Have you ever given up on a relationship before it had a chance to start becuase of your experiences with love in the past? Annie has.

"she said 'my Mother,

she taught me how to doubt myself.

now, she lives in my head

like it's a tree house.

i see her clearer in the mirror

more and more each day'."

Weight Of It All - This is the only song from Matt's album 'Beneath These Fireworks' that we're featuring lyrics from here. That's not to say there aren't some great lyrics found on that album...or the albums before it that we're not featuring at all. However, we do feel, like most artists, Matt has gotten better and better with each release.

"show me where the sun comes through the sky

i'll show you where the rain gets in

and i'll show you hurricanes

and the way that summer fades

underneath the weight of it all"

Bulletproof Weeks - Matt captures that moment when you know love is over. The silence between two people who never had a hard time communicating before now.

"i'm talking to what's left of you

i'm watching what i say

counting all the freckles on your perfect face

you open your window, i sit on your bed

waiting for the perfect words to come."

Sunday New York Times - If we didn't know Matt was happily married, we'd be a bit concerned. So much lost love and memories of one time happiness. However, like most people, the past relationships you were in sculp a big part of your life and your future search for the right situation.

"running wild down st. marks,

raw and breathless in your arms.

jumping trains to the park,

when the world was ours"

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Looking for more proof of lyrical genius...check out the following songs for more amazingness:

Angel

I Saw

Heartbreak World

Wedding Dress

Still

Detroit Waves

Heart Starts

Kill The Lights

BONUS!

We've been able to hear Matt's new album 'Show Me Your Fangs' before it's release date this Friday, and just as we thought, there are some great lyrics throughout! "Adrenaline", "Shouting", "Washington State Fight Song", and "Gold In The Summertime" are some of our early favorites. Our absolute favorite though has to be "Bill Murray". The song just blew us away! Check out the video for the song below...

"i won’t only love you when you’re winning other fools pretend to understand come on take my hand and we’ll go down swinging let me be your man let me be your man"

#mattnathanson #lyrics