"What's the Matter Here?" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Single by 10,000 Maniacs | ||||
from the album In My Tribe | ||||
B-side | "Verdi Cries" | |||
Released | 1988 | |||
Genre | Folk [1] | |||
Songwriter(s) | Natalie Merchant, Robert Buck | |||
Producer(s) | Peter Asher | |||
10,000 Maniacs singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Music video | ||||
"What's the Matter Here" by 10,000 Maniacs on YouTube |
"What's the Matter Here?" was the third single released from 10,000 Maniacs' 1987 album In My Tribe , following "Peace Train" and "Like the Weather." [2] A live version with lead vocalist Mary Ramsey was also included on their 2016 album Playing Favorites .
The song continued the band's slow integration into the mainstream of American commercial radio; it was a number 9 hit on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart in 1988 and reached the Billboard Hot 100 as well (the second single by the band to reach the latter chart, after "Like the Weather"). The song, as the rest of the album, was produced by Peter Asher (half of the duo Peter & Gordon, and producer of Linda Ronstadt and James Taylor). The song was written by Natalie Merchant and Robert Buck.
In the song, singer Natalie Merchant narrates the role of a woman who notices that her neighbors are abusing their young son, and struggles to balance her desire to speak up for the child with her feeling that she must not interfere in the family's affairs: "I'm tired of the excuses everybody uses/He's your kid, do as you see fit/But get this through that I don't approve of what you do to your own flesh and blood ... I want to say, "What's the matter here?"/But I don't dare say..."
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "What's The Matter Here?" (LP Version) | |
2. | "Verdi Cries" (LP Version) | |
3. | "Like The Weather (Live)" (Live from the Einstein A-Go-Go, Jacksonville Beach, Florida, December 13, 1987 ) | |
4. | "Gun Shy (Live)" (Live from the Einstein A-Go-Go, Jacksonville Beach, Florida, December 13, 1987 ) |
10,000 Maniacs is an American alternative rock band founded in 1981. They have released nine studio albums, six EPs, and five live albums. They achieved their most significant success between 1987 and 1993, when they released four albums that charted in the top 50 in the US: In My Tribe (1987), Blind Man's Zoo (1989), Our Time in Eden (1992), and the live album MTV Unplugged (1993). After the recording of MTV Unplugged, original lead singer and songwriter Natalie Merchant left the band to pursue a solo career, while the remaining members continued the band.
Natalie Louise Maines is an American musician. She is the lead vocalist for the country band the Chicks.
Natalie Anne Merchant is an American singer-songwriter. She joined the band 10,000 Maniacs in 1981 and was lead vocalist and primary lyricist for the group. She remained with the group for their first seven albums before leaving to begin her solo career in 1993. She has since released nine studio albums as a solo artist.
World Party was a musical group, predominantly the solo project of its sole consistent member, the songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist Karl Wallinger. Wallinger started the band in 1986 in London after leaving the Waterboys. At various times, World Party also featured Guy Chambers, David Catlin-Birch, future Oasis drummer Chris Sharrock, Jeff Trott, Amanda Kramer and John Turnbull.
Texas are a Scottish rock band from Glasgow, founded in 1986 by Johnny McElhone, Ally McErlaine, and Sharleen Spiteri. Texas, despite their name, has no connection with the US state of Texas. Texas made their performing debut in March 1988 at the University of Dundee. The band released their debut album Southside in 1989, along with the debut single "I Don't Want a Lover", which was a top-ten hit on the UK Singles Chart and peaked within the top ten of the charts in many other European countries. Southside entered at number three on the UK Albums Chart and number 88 on the Billboard 200 album chart in the United States, and sold over two million copies worldwide. Despite the success of Southside, the follow-up albums Mothers Heaven (1991) and Ricks Road (1993) were less successful, peaking at number 32 and number 18 on the UK Albums Chart respectively, but achieved moderate success on various European markets.
Karl Martin Sandberg, known professionally as Max Martin, is a Swedish record producer and songwriter. He rose to prominence in the late 1990s with songwriting credits on a string of hit singles, such as Britney Spears's "...Baby One More Time" (1998), the Backstreet Boys' "I Want It That Way" (1999), Celine Dion's "That's the Way It Is" (1999) and NSYNC's "It's Gonna Be Me" (2000).
Scissor Sisters are an American pop rock band formed in 2000. The band's current line-up consists of Jake Shears (vocals), Babydaddy and Del Marquis. Former members include vocalist Ana Matronic and drummers Paddy Boom and Randy Real.
MTV Unplugged is a 1993 live album and video by American alternative rock band 10,000 Maniacs, recorded for the MTV Unplugged series. The album was certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America and spawned the hit single "Because the Night", a cover of the song written by Patti Smith and Bruce Springsteen. Between the recording and release of the album, vocalist Natalie Merchant left the band to pursue a solo career.
Tiffany Arbuckle Lee, better known by her stage name Plumb, is an American singer-songwriter and author. Plumb has sold more than 500,000 albums and over two million singles worldwide, co-penned songs for numerous other artists, including Michelle Branch, Mandisa, Mandy Moore, Jaci Velasquez, and Natalie Grant, and had music placed in many films and television shows. Originally signed as a contemporary Christian music recording artist in 1997, Plumb is now known as well as or better in alternative rock and EDM, and for the use of her music in film and television than she is in the contemporary Christian music market.
"I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself" is a song written by Burt Bacharach and lyricist Hal David. The song was recorded by Dusty Springfield and it reached No. 3 on the UK chart in 1964.
Portrait is an American R&B and hip hop vocal quartet, consisting of members Michael Angelo Saulsberry, Irving Washington III, Eric Kirkland and Philip Johnson. The quartet group's music sound was influenced by the new jack swing style of the late 1980s and early 1990s.
"Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue " is a song written and recorded by American country music artist Toby Keith. The song was written in late 2001, and was inspired by Keith's father's death in March 2001, as well as the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States later that year. It was released in May 2002 as the lead single from the album, Unleashed.
"Not Ready to Make Nice" is a song co-written and performed by American country music trio Dixie Chicks. It was released on March 20, 2006, as the first single from the band's seventh studio album, Taking the Long Way. The Dixie Chicks wrote the song in response to the backlash they experienced in 2003 after criticizing President George W. Bush.
"You're the Inspiration" is a song written by Peter Cetera and David Foster for the group Chicago and recorded for their fourteenth studio album Chicago 17 (1984), with Cetera singing lead vocals. The third single released from that album, it reached No. 3 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart in January 1985 and also climbed to the top position on the Adult Contemporary chart at the same time. The song won honors for Foster and Cetera from the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP), in 1986 in the most-performed songs category.
Tenth Avenue North is an American contemporary Christian music band from West Palm Beach, Florida. The band released a total of fifteen original music projects, including eight full-length studio albums and multiple RIAA gold singles.
"Don't Trust Me", is a song by the band 3OH!3. It was released as the lead single from their second album Want on June 1, 2008.
"Only Prettier" is a song co-written and recorded by American country music artist Miranda Lambert. It was released in July 2010 as the fourth single from her album Revolution. Co-written with Natalie Hemby, the song has both a country girl and city girl facing each other over the differences of their respective lifestyles, coming to an agreement that they have similarities but the former says that she's like her "only prettier". Critics gave praise to Lambert's vocal performance and lyricism but were critical about the song's production.
So Good is the debut album by British recording artist Mica Paris. It was released on 1 August 1988 by 4th & B'way Records.
"Like the Weather" was the second single released from 10,000 Maniacs' 1987 album In My Tribe, following "Peace Train". A live version with lead vocalist Mary Ramsey was also included on their 2016 album Playing Favorites.
"Someone That I Used to Love" is a torch song written by Michael Masser and lyricist Gerry Goffin that first became a success for Natalie Cole in 1980.