"Hang" - Matchbox 20

There is no way you could have lived through the 90's without having heard a song from the Matchbox 20 album "Yourself or Something Like It". It was ridiculously popular, certified multi-platinum in Canada and featured hits such as, "3 A.M" and "Push". The interesting part about this album is that Rob Thomas, lead singer of the band, originally wrote most of the songs as acoustic with piano. If you search a bit you'll be able to find most tracks off of this album in acoustic version, "Shame", "Unwell", "Bent", "3 A.M" to name a few. The acoustic versions, in my opinion, are even better than the recorded versions, as you really get a sense of Thomas's talent as a vocalist and a musician.

Another interesting fact is the controversy behind the album cover of "Yourself or Something Like It". Nine years after the release of the album Frank Torres, who is featured on the cover art, sued Matchbox 20. Torres claimed he had never given permission to use the photo and the release had caused him "mental anguish."

Thomas has said at live shows that "Hang", was written about two of his friends that liked each other, but moved to separate places, and never ended up getting together. Reading through the lyrics it reminds me of a situation I’ve seen many times. Being from a small town you're friends with everyone growing up, and there's always that friend that you liked but never pursued. That one person that was always kind of on your mind. As is the story of small towns most people grow up, move out and move on, but there is always that handful of people that stay. Neither ever understands each other's reason to stay or go, and that's exemplified in the two contrasting lyrics, “She knows, she's been here too few years to feel this old," and "He knows she's been here too few years, to be gone."

The people that leave - never come back, and if they visit it's as a different person. The people that stay -don't seem to change, like someone standing still in the street while traffic moves on all around them. When these two types of people fall for each other it inevitably doesn't work out. Either way someone has to compromise.

It's often said, "You can take the person out of the small town, but you can't take the small town out of the person". I often think in some instances "you can't take the person out of the small town". I myself was in this situation at one point, except he compromised and actually moved away with me. In the end it didn't work out. My heart and my head were here, and his were back home. We never really talked about what happened until years later when we got back in touch. He said, "You know I loved you, I’m sorry it didn't work out, but I just couldn't live anywhere but back home." This song reminds me of him, and us, and all of my other friends who found themselves in that same situation. Having to choose between being with the one you want, and being in the place you want is never an easy choice.

She grabs her magazines

She packs her things and she goes
She leaves the pictures hanging on the wall, she burns all
Her notes and she knows, she's been here too few years
To feel this old


He smokes his cigarette, he stays outside 'till it's gone
If anybody ever had a heart, he wouldn't be alone
He knows, she's been here too few years, to be gone


And we always say, it would be good to go away, someday
But if there's nothing there to make things change
If it's the same for you I'll just hang


The trouble understand, is she got reasons he don't
Funny how he couldn't see at all, 'til she grabbed up her coat
And she goes, she's been here too few years to take it all in stride
But still it's much too long, to let hurt go (you let her go)
And we always say, it would be good to go away, someday


But if there's nothing there to make things change
If it's the same for you I'll just hang
The same for you
I'll always hang


Well I always say, it would be good to go away
But if things don't work out like we think
And there's nothing there to ease this ache
But if there's nothing there to make things change
If it's the same for you, I'll just hang