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listening time: 2m 56s
this song by san francisco-based artist matt nathanson is so beneath the surface i had to google what the word 'awarenesses' means. i've never used that word in the plural form in my life, and apparently it's some sort of a philosophical concept. read the lyrics here. i still don't get completely what the song means, but if my reading is right then matt makes a very poignant statement about shallow friendships. my guess is it's about a guy who has made a series of mistakes in his life and feels that his friends, with their "half concerns," have outgrown him. or it could be the other way around: he gained from his failures a deeper sense of self-awareness that he has outgrown his friends, the liars and fools he's probably referring to, who in contrast have become too self-involved. i may be reading too much into this, but it's only because the words are so captivating, delivered with understated woe, and all blending very well with the beautiful melody of the song.
anyway. matt's a brilliant artist, and i hear he's funny live. i love every song on the first cd of his that i bought, still waiting for spring, which includes this song, and his new one, beneath these fireworks, is even better. matt is what happens when a guy who listened to kiss before 12th grade discovers suzanne vega, indigo girls, and tracy chapman. that's more or less his own description. i'd fly to san francisco to see him. well only if mark kozelek is playing around the same time. then i'll be smiling.
been littered with small awarenesses lately?
hey. matt nathanson is one of my favorite artists ever, and then i'll be smiling is one of my favorite songs. (and one of his best, i think.) to me, it's a song about not ever thinking you, the world, your friends, everything, is good enough, and realizing that that fact is an essential part of you that you can't escape. in other words, you're doomed to always think you could do more or be more, and this fact makes you feel really lonely sometimes. i think it's an awesome, really thoughtful song. it sends shivers down my spine. you should go see matt live if you can, he is one of the best live performers i've ever seen and a really really great human being in general. i've met him a few times and he never ceases to amaze me. anyway, you have a cool journal and i'll be sure to come back and read more :)
ReplyDelete-meghan
(see you on the matt boards!)