Matchbox Twenty is a Grammy-nominated rock band formed in Orlando, Florida.

The current members of the band are Rob Thomas, Paul Doucette, Brian Yale, and Kyle Cook. Rhythm guitarist Adam Gaynor left the band in 2005, after performing on their first three studio albums. Rob Thomas is the principal songwriter and lead singer.

Push

“Push” is a song by the group Matchbox Twenty. It was their breakthrough single.

When the song came out initially, feminist groups were outraged and claimed the song was about abusing women, until Rob explained that the man in the song (either himself or fictional) was the one being abused, either emotionally or physically, by a woman.

http://djallyn.org/media/matchbox_twenty-push.flv

She said I don’t know if I’ve ever been good enough.
I’m a little bit rusty, and I think my head is caving in,
And I don’t know if I’ve ever been really loved,
By a hand that’s touched me,
And I feel like something’s gonna give,
And I’m a little bit angry.
Well, this ain’t over, no, not here,
Not while I still need you around.
You don’t owe me, we might change,
Yeah, we just might feel good.

I wanna push you around,
Well, I will,
Well, I will,
I wanna push you down,
Well, I will,
Well, I will,
I wanna take you for granted,
I wanna take you for granted,
Yeah, yeah, well, I will.

She said I don’t know why you ever would lie to me,
Like I’m a little untrusting,
When I think that the truth is gonna hurt ya,
And I don’t know why you couldn’t just stay with me.
You couldn’t stand to be near me,
When my face don’t seem to want to shine,
‘Cause it’s a little bit dirty.
Well, don’t just stand there, say nice things to me,
‘Cause I’ve been cheated, I’ve been wronged,
And you, you don’t know me,
Yeah, well, I can’t change.
I won’t do anything at all.

I wanna push you around,
Well, I will,
Well, I will,
I wanna push you down,
Well, I will,
Well, I will,
I wanna take you for granted,
I wanna take you for granted,
Yeah, yeah, well, I will.

Oh, but don’t bowl me over.
Just wait a minute, well, it kinda fell apart,
Things get so crazy, crazy.
Don’t rush this baby, don’t rush this baby, baby.

I wanna push you around,
Well, I will,
Well, I will,
I wanna push you down,
Well, I will,
Well, I will,
I wanna take you for granted,
I wanna take you for granted,
Yeah, yeah, well, I will.

• Audio from the 1996 album, Yourself Or Someone Like You:

(91)

Matchbox Twenty is a Grammy-nominated rock band formed in Orlando, Florida.

The current members of the band are Rob Thomas, Paul Doucette, Brian Yale, and Kyle Cook. Rhythm guitarist Adam Gaynor left the band in 2005, after performing on their first three studio albums. Rob Thomas is the principal songwriter and lead singer.

3 A.M.

“3 A.M.” is the third single and the third track from Matchbox Twenty’s debut album Yourself or Someone Like You. This song was written by Rob Thomas and was inspired by his mother’s battle with cancer. When Thomas was 12, his mother was given six months to live. But by the time he left home at 17 she was alive and well. Thomas felt that after her illness, his mother failed to take life seriously, preferring to go and party. This song is about his frustration and loneliness during this time. He chose the time 3 a.m. because this was when the bars shut.

http://djallyn.org/media/matchbox20-3am.flv

She says it’s cold outside and she hands me my raincoat
She’s always worried about things like that
She says it’s all gonna end and it might as well be my fault
And she only sleeps when it’s raining
And she screams and her voice is straining

She says baby
It’s 3 am I must be lonely
When she says baby
Well I can’t help but be scared of it all sometimes
Says the rain’s gonna wash away I believe it

She’s got a little bit of something, God it’s better than nothing
And in her color portrait world she believes that she’s got it all
She swears the moon don’t hang quite as high as it used to
And she only sleeps when it’s raining
And she screams and her voice is straining

It’s 3 am I must be lonely
When she says baby
Well I can’t help but be scared of it all sometimes
Says the rain’s gonna wash away I believe it

She believes that life is made up of all that you’re used to
And the clock on the wall has been stuck at three for days, and days
She thinks that happiness is a mat that sits on her doorway
But outside it’s stopped raining

It’s 3 am I must be lonely
When she says baby
Well I can’t help but be scared of it all sometimes
Says the rain’s gonna wash away I believe it

• Audio from the 1996 album, Yourself or Someone Like You:

(104)