Announcement: "The Future Was Beautiful" available this Friday!

The Future Was Beautiful and Are You the Matador?... 

This Friday I’m releasing the 2 EPs I shared earlier this year as one collection. It’s called “The Future Was Beautiful”. These songs were gathered this year to be listened to this way, in sequence. It's my quiet offering to try and help ease some of these divisions. We’re at a dangerous intersection. 

I wanted to revisit a couple songs in the hope that context will mean something to some of you. Songs are layered. Music, melody, luck, intentions and ultimately, reception. I’ve learned a lot about grace from releasing songs. 

But here, I want to talk specifically about the words. This first one is for “Are You the Matador?”: 

Part humor and sense of wonder regarding the theater of the absurd. Part indictment of those that would trick and manipulate for personal gain without concern for wide repercussions. 

Life is beautiful and hard. I’m often reminded of these beautiful Springsteen lines from “Living Proof” when I look at the things we do, big and small, together and alone, politician or lover: 

“I crawled deep into some kind of darkness 

Lookin' to burn out every trace of who I'd been 

You do some sad, sad things baby 

When it's your you you're tryin' to lose 

You do some sad and hurtful things 

I've seen living proof“ 

There’s a tyrant in all of us. We must be careful with our questions, and what we fear. They can turn us into monsters. As far as I can tell, kindness and integrity and inclusion is the only way forward. 

“Are You the Matador?” doesn’t come out and say it. It trusts that you understand how delicate “freedom” is. How dependent it is on our right (meaning rooted and clear) minds. Together and alone. 

That’s what it’s about. 

I’ll do a couple more of these before Friday. I hope you take a moment with them, and if you feel inclined, please feel free to share them. At the moment “The Future Was Beautiful” will only be available on some streaming sites so that you can experience the songs in the sequence they are intended to be heard in. My goal isn’t to make you pay twice for the same songs. I hope that’s understood. I hope that makes sense. 

Best Always, 

Matthew Ryan 

 

P.S. It’s called “The Future Was Beautiful” because it can be again. 

 

Here’s the link to “Are You the Matador?” on the YouTube machine: https://youtu.be/L5eMgg9I01M