Matchbox Twenty

Released: October 1, 1996

Songwriter: Rob Thomas

Producer: Matt Serletic

[Verse 1]
What we learned here
Is love tastes bitter when it's gone
Past yourself, forget the light
Things look dirty when it's on
Funny how it comes to pass
That all the good slips away
And there's no one around
You can remember being good to you

[Chorus]
Shame
Shouldn't try you
Couldn't step by you
And open up more shame
Shame, shame

[Verse 2]
What we lost here
Is something better left alone
Second steps have been forgotten
Will you tell me how they go?
Set yourself, situate
Like a fool, try again
There's no one around
You can remember being good for you

[Chorus]
So, shame
Shouldn't try you
Couldn't step by you
And open up more shame
Shame, shame, yeah

[Chorus]
Ah, shame
Shouldn't try you
Couldn't step by you
And open up more shame
Shame, shame

[Bridge]
We never thought we'd get so troubled
(Never get this, never get this bad)
We could never think that much
(Never get this, never get this bad)
And it should never get this bad

[Verse 3]
So, let the wind blow ya
Across the big floor
But there's no one around
Who can tell us what we're here for
But, funny, in a certain light
How we all look the same
And there's no one in life
You can remember ever stood for you

[Chorus]
So, shame
Shouldn't try you
Couldn't step by you
And open up more shame
Shame, shame

[Chorus]
Shame
Shouldn't try you
Couldn't step by you
And open up more shame
Shame, shame, oh

Upon the release of their debut album, Yourself or Someone Like You, in fall 1996, Matchbox Twenty was pigeonholed as one of the legions of post-grunge guitar bands that roamed the American pop scene in the middle of that decade. As their first single, “Push,” climbed the charts, it was widely assumed (at least by cynical critics) that they were a one-hit wonder, but Yourself or Someone Like You continued to spin off singles well into 1998. By that time, the group’s blend of ‘70s arena rock and early-'90s American alt-rock – closer to Pearl Jam and maybe R.E.M. than Nirvana – had become the sound of mainstream American rock. That transition slipped underneath the radar of many pop music critics and fans. Yourself or Someone Like You sold millions of copies without ever truly dominating the charts – by 1998, it had gone platinum five times; by 2000, ten times. At no time did the record top the charts, but it was always around, a staple of modern rock, adult alternative, and Top 40 radio alike. Matchbox Twenty was omnipresent because they managed to blend the structure and sentiment of '70s arena rock with '90s hard rock, thereby winning a large audience by seeming simultaneously classicist and modern. They were a little more classicist than modern, but that’s the reason why they became America’s most popular rock band of the late '90s – even if nobody quite realized they had achieved that status.

The de facto leader of Matchbox Twenty is lead singer and songwriter Rob Thomas. An Army brat born on a military base in Germany, Thomas spent much of his childhood between his mother’s house in Florida and his grandmother’s place in South Carolina. The stress of the constant movement spilled over into his schoolwork, and he dropped out of high school at the age of 17. He spent some time wandering around the Southeast, singing in a variety of rock bands before he made Orlando, Florida his home base. There, he met bassist Brian Yale and drummer Paul Doucette, and the three spent several years drifting through local bands before Matchbox Twenty officially formed. They rounded out the lineup with Adam Gaynor (rhythm guitar, vocals), who had previously worked at the Criteria Recording Studios in Miami, and Kyle Cook (lead guitar), a former student of the Atlanta Institute of Music.

The band hooked up with Collective Soul producer Matt Serletic and recorded a batch of demos, which helped the band secure gigs throughout the U.S. Soon, the band signed to Lava, a subsidiary of Atlantic Records, and recorded its debut, Yourself or Someone Like You, also with Serletic. The album was released in October 1996 to little attention, but Matchbox Twenty continued to tour America, cultivating a fan base. They eventually landed their single “Long Day” on several influential radio stations, which paved the way for their breakthrough hit, “Push.” In spring 1997, “Push” began climbing its way to the top of the modern rock charts, as it received heavy airplay from radio and MTV. By the summer, the single was in the modern rock Top Ten, and Yourself or Someone Like You had reached the album Top 40 and gone gold.

more tracks from the album

Yourself or Someone Like You

From the album

Yourself or Someone Like You (1996)

Matchbox Twenty popular songs

ShameMatchbox Twenty

Matchbox Twenty

Yourself or Someone Like You