How Are You True

Album: Tell Me I'm Pretty (2015)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Here, Matt Shultz reflects on how true he is to himself and whether he is living a worthwhile life. The song was inspired by a struggling musician that the Cage vocalist met on a plane ride. Shultz recalled to Entertainment Weekly:

    "I was coming back from New York to Nashville and there was this young kid, super flustered, on the [airplane's] jet bridge. The flight attendant asked him if he was going to Nashville to get a record deal and he was like, 'No, my label is sending me to rehab.' He was kind of playing into the rock 'n' roll persona and I thought, 'Oh no…' But I felt drawn to him; I had this feeling that I was supposed to talk to this kid.

    Low and behold, we get on the airplane and he's sitting right beside me. We started talking and he just kind of tells me his story - it was pretty heavy. I was really moved. And then it turned out his name was True, which I couldn't believe."
  • This is the Cage The Elephant song that bass player Daniel Tichenor is most proud of. He explained to Artist Direct:

    "When we got the first mix back, it provoked a lot of emotion. I felt like we had accomplished everything we went into the studio to do, but more importantly I just felt like we stuck true to ourselves and ended up writing something that we will forever be proud of."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Melanie

MelanieSongwriter Interviews

The singer-songwriter Melanie talks about her spiritual awakening at Woodstock, "Brand New Key," and why songwriting is an art, not a craft.

We Will Rock You (To Sleep): Pop Stars Who Recorded Kids' Albums

We Will Rock You (To Sleep): Pop Stars Who Recorded Kids' AlbumsSong Writing

With the rise of Kindie rock, more musicians are embracing their inner child with tunes for tots - here, we look at pop stars who recorded kids' albums.

Michael Franti

Michael FrantiSongwriter Interviews

Franti tells the story behind his hit "Say Hey (I Love You)" and explains why yoga is an integral part of his lifestyle and his Soulshine tour.

Tom Keifer of Cinderella

Tom Keifer of CinderellaSongwriter Interviews

Tom talks about the evolution of Cinderella's songs through their first three albums, and how he writes as a solo artist.

Lori McKenna

Lori McKennaSongwriter Interviews

Lori's songs have been recorded by Faith Hill and Sara Evans. She's performed on the CMAs and on Oprah. She also has five kids.

Stand By Me: The Perfect Song-Movie Combination

Stand By Me: The Perfect Song-Movie CombinationSong Writing

In 1986, a Stephen King novella was made into a movie, with a classic song serving as title, soundtrack and tone.