I feel obligated to start out by exposing my secret -- I picked my CD without knowing exactly why I did. I do have some thoughts as to why I love it, but there is not one main quality that stood out to me on the CD Matchbox 20- Yourself or Someone Like You. I have known from the beginning that this was the CD I wanted, and I know that it's the best choice. My problem is that I don't know WHY. Matchbox 20 evokes many feelings for me; it is extremely powerful. I can't pinpoint the exact moment I fell in love with this album, and I can't completely narrow down the reasons for my decision. I'm not sure if I like the CD for the happiness and hope that song 4 gives me or for the sadness that songs 3 and 5 give me. Many of the songs deal with problems in relationships, and listening to those lyrics would let me reminisce about previous boyfriends. It could be for the memories of the weeks when I played it non stopÐit could also be for the overall feeling of familiarity I get whenever I hear the CD mentioned. The actual members of the group have a genuine quality that I am fond ofÐwhich also attracts me to the album they produced. I think all of these reasons contribute to my decision to take Matchbox 20 with me to the Desert Island.
Happiness has to be one of the best feelings to experienceÐwhat could go wrong if you're happy? This has been my motto for many years. I go through my life trying to make things as pleasant and fun as possible. I remember times when I would try to laugh so that I would stop myself from crying. I always maintain an optimistic attitude, so I need a CD that contains at least one song that is confident and enthusiastic about life.
The actual music in song number four, called "Push," is uplifting in its own way. A mellow guitar starts the song, and the chords are strong. The singer, Rob Thomas, has a voice that is moving and comforting. "Push" would help me through the day. The lyrics talk about obstacles in lifeÐis there ever a time when obstacles aren't a part of one's everyday experiences? "Push" is a song about one of Rob's past relationships, a relationship where he was manipulated and forced to learn how to handle it (band bio, unofficial web page). The lyrics go into detail about how Rob deals with the problems he faces so that life will be easier and more enjoyable for him in the future. The song talks about how people shouldn't give up hope if they feel strongly about something: "this ain't over, no not here, not while I still need you around, you don't owe me, yeah we just might feel good." If I need encouragement, this track helps me to achieve it. Although I use music to comfort me, Thomas uses writing as his way of dealing with conflicts. He says that he "is not one of those people who suffers for his artÐits more like I would be suffering without it. Writing is almost medicinal for me, it's the best therapy I can think of" (anon, unofficial web page). I have listened to songs that evoke different emotions depending on the mood I am in when I hear the song. This is a song that would always lift my spirits.
Although happiness is great, my life has been full of sadness. It
would be strange, almost foreign, to be on the island without
experiencing a little bit of stress and sadnessÐwell, actually a
lot of it. Remember no one is on the island to see me cry. Although
sadness is unpleasant to have, I am sometimes comforted by it because
I have been surrounded by it throughout my life. I would be reminded
of so many important events from my past as I listened to tracks 1, 3
and 5. These are all depressing songs, but I could easily relate to
them. The entire album is full of "soulful lyrics, ringing guitars
and probing lyrics about people whose lives are coming apart, and
their struggle to hold onÐthese are the elements that drive the
debut album by MB20" (Guitar World).
As I listen to track 5, the song "Girl Like That," I could picture
myself in the hospital with cancer in fifth grade. This was an
experience that shaped the attitude I live by today because I learned
that a positive attitude helps in every situation. I also learned
that people are always there for me when I need them. It is a
critical event that I could remember by listening to track 5.
Everyone spent a great deal of time trying to comfort me and make me
feel better. The lyrics do the sameÐ" I put my hand on your
shoulder, you're saying you're scared is all, I think I know too much
about you." The guitar melody at the beginning repeats itself
throughout the entire introduction. It wavers only slightly
throughout the song. I would be reminded symbolically of how my
mother took care of me for all of those months. She was always there
for me, just as the guitar melody is always there for Rob Thomas.
I would definitely remember seventh grade when my dad was in the hospital with a brain aneurysm. It was a time when I felt extremely lonely because my family spent so much time in the hospital with him. I feel a connection with the singer as he sings the lyrics of track 3, called "3 a.m.": "well I can't help to be scared of it all sometimes, says the rain's gonna wash away I believe it." I think that is a major reason why I feel so confident in my decision to bring Match Box 20 to my desert island. When the listener has a strong feeling of connection to the story of the song it can be powerful Ð almost intimidating Ð because one could feel that one's situation has been experienced by others. I would not feel as lonely as I sat in solitude on my Desert Island if I were confident that others were in my situation. Rob Thomas is familiar with loneliness from his memories of hitchhiking as a teenager. He explains that "You would just sit there and no one is around you. You can scream. You can sing if you want, you can do whatever you want. I had my little keyboard with me in my backpack and I'd pull it out and sit there and work on some tunes" (unofficial web site).
If remembering those memories was not enough, I would remember the more recent memory of my mom, and how she handled cancer three years ago. I always think about how hard it must have been for her. Many of the tracks on this album are trying to deal with hardships in life. Track 1, titled "The Real World," is about someone who is unhappy with the life he is living and the world that he is a part of. The song starts differently than the other ones because it begins with percussion instead of the usual solo guitar. This makes the song more dramatic because it starts with an angrier edge. When I hear the lyrics to that song, including the lines "Straight up, what did you hope to learn about here, if I were someone else would this all fall apart -- I wish the real world would just stop hassling me," I am reassured that life won't always be perfect. If I began thinking about my mom, and that experience for her, I could play this song to realize that many people struggle with hardships in lifeÐI would know that she wasn't alone in her battle, and I would feel better. These are all memories that I would never want to forget and I would think about them as I listened to Matchbox 20.
Relationships are a huge problem in the songs on Yourself or Someone Like You. Track 2 is about a man who doubts his girlfriend and doesn't know how genuine she is anymore. Track 4 is a story of a guy whose girlfriend is making him feel self-conscious, and he is troubled because he doesn't know how to deal with it. Track 6, called "Back 2 Good," deals with a guy who feels that relationships don't work out in the end: "everyone here is wondering what it's like to be with somebody else." I think I would miss having a relationship as I sat around on my island. I would also miss the feeling I get when I know someone cares for me as much as I care for him. The songs could at least let me remember what it was like to be involved with someone.
Track 11 is called "Shame." Rob Thomas sings about how drastically things can change when time goes by. I feel like he is singing about my situation on the island as he sings that "there is no one around who can tell us what we're here for -- there's no one around you can remember being good to you." I think that would console me when I feel lonely on the island. I have always loved action and try to keep myself busy whenever possible. I would need this song to let me know that it's okay to be lonely and bored once in a while.
My family has always been extremely important to me, and I always think of my brother when I hear a Match Box 20 song. This has to do with the actual group members, but also with the style of music. The group members are around the same age as Chris, my brother, and I always get a picture of him in my head when I hear the music. My brother listens to music with a style similar to Matchbox 20's -- groups that fall between steady rock and alternative. The style of Matchbox 20's music has raised a question because people are unable to classify it into one category. Entertainment Avenue thinks that Matchbox 20's style is a mixture of many different artists including the Rolling Stones, Ani DiFranco, REM and Neil Diamond (anon, Entertainment Ave). They said that MB 20's style is a combination of those artists --"with their own styling thrown in for good measure." But what exactly is their own style? Blair Fischer, a writer for Rolling Stone, commented that Matchbox 20 has a "poppy grunge based sound." The variation in artists that influenced Rob Thomas could contribute to the struggle to classify MB20's style. Van Morrison, Elvis Costello, REM and Al Green all seen to have influenced the music Rob writes (Entertainment Ave). Critic M. Mark writes that Van Morrison's work is "a peculiar mix of moonstruck story-telling," (Mark, 12) and Rob Thomas has clearly been influenced by this lyric writing technique. I feel close to my brother as I listen to this. I feel like we have MB20's music in common. He lives on the other side of the country, and as I listen to Matchbox 20 there seems to be a bond between us. On my island, I will remember my brother always.
Critic Rob Moody also illustrated Van Morrison's effect on Thomas when he explains that "Rob is a storyteller whose lyrics focus mainly on personal relationships, he delivers his lines with a certain intimacy, like two friends sharing a good secret" (Moody, Official Web Page). The intimacy of the group, combined with their sincerity, is another quality that drives fans (including myself) wild. Matchbox 20 is a group that hasn't let fame and stardom influence their wholesome quality. The musicians are as down to earth, and as genuine, as everyday people.
The band seems to asses the problems that arise when performers
sell-out to their fans. Matchbox 20 "stands on the shoulders" of
these musicians by realizing those mistakes, and learning from them.
Rob Thomas sums up the mentality the group has at a performance when
he says "I don't think we try to put any dramatics into it, but after
a show when we are just talking to people, they'll tell us 'you know
you were so into it, that was so intense to watch.' To us, we were
just playing the songs and losing ourselves in them. It is like if
you were coming to a rehearsal, you'd see the same thingÐit's not
something we can help really" (Official Web Page). The group's
ability to lose themselves in their work demonstrates their
dedication to their music. This is another reason for choosing their
CD for my Desert Island Disc.
Solitude is the main cause for my decision to choose Yourself or
Someone Like You for my Desert Island Disc. I believe that a fear
of isolation and seclusion from the outside world is driving me to
choose a CD that produces many memories from my past. Music critic
Grace Lichtenstein sums this idea up when she says that her desert
island disc, Desperado, is "now a part of my own history"
(Lichtenstein, 91). My decision was also based on the actual group
members thoughÐI did not want to be stuck on an island with a
bunch of phonies singing to me. Matchbox 20 seemed to be the perfect
group; they fulfilled both qualities. By being able to hold onto
these memories, I feel that I could survive that separation for a
lifetime.