• Oct. 6, 1964
• Sweet was an extra in the 1983 movie Terms of Endearment. The producer, Jim Brooks, visited a film class of Sweet's and announced that anybody who wanted to be an extra was more than welcome. Sweet, a huge fan of cinema, is visible walking past the camera in the background of one scenes.
• He formed his first band with Lisa Stipe, the sister of Michael Stipe of R.E.M. Both Sweet and Lisa were students at the University of Georgia. Sweet was a huge fan of R.E.M in high school, and began a pen pal correspondence with Michael Stipe that ultimately brought him to Athens, GA and led to his introduction to Lisa. Sweet and Lisa have since married.
• Sweet first began recording music in high school using a simple four-track tape machine. He was initially very self-conscious about sharing his music, and while he would allow friends to listen to his recordings over headphones, he would never play the music for them while he was in the same room.
• Besides his solo work, Sweet is also known for his Under the Covers series, done in collaboration with Susanna Hoffs, lead singer of Bangles. The series features the pair covering classic songs. The first Under the Covers focuses on music from the '60s, while the second draws from the '70s. Both artists have alluded to plans to record a third entry which would be comprised of '80s music.
• Sweet's song "Girlfriend" was featured on Guitar Hero II. It was included unbeknownst to Sweet, who first heard the song in-game during a party. Sweet was convinced that the song used was his original and, since this was without his knowledge, intended to sue. However, the Guitar Hero II version of "Girlfriend" was actually a cover, and thus legally permissible.
• Near the end of studio sessions for his seminal 1991 album, Girlfriend, Sweet recalls throwing a watermelon off of a tall building while somebody on the street below recorded the sound of the subsequent explosion with a microphone. This unorthodox attempt at percussion, however, never found its way into any of the songs.
• In the 1997 movie Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery he's seen backing Austin on bass in the band Ming Tea.
• Matthew Sweet suffered a stroke on October 12, 2024, a week after turning 60. He was touring with the group Hanson ("MMMbop") at the time, and working on a new album. The stroke left him with a long rehab to regain his speech and movement. Many of his longtime supporters, including members of Pearl Jam, the Bangles and R.E.M., contributed to a GoFundMe to defray is medical costs (he didn't have insurance).

Comments: 1

• Kevin Quinn from Cmch, NjHis hit song "Girlfriend" appears in the video game Guitar Hero II for Playstation 2 and Xbox 360.

More Songfacts:

Three Little BirdsBob Marley & the Wailers

Bob Marley's backup singers, The I Threes, claim they are the "Three Little Birds" in his famous song.

Let's DanceDavid Bowie

David Bowie's "Let's Dance" is about more than just dancing. It's about dishonesty, particularly when we mask our true feelings.

A Little Less ConversationElvis Presley

Elvis Presley's "A Little Less Conversation" was just a minor hit when it was released in 1968, but a 2002 remix made the song a global smash, taking it to #1 in a number of countries, including Australia and the UK.

Money For NothingDire Straits

Dire Straits frontman Mark Knopfler got the idea for "Money For Nothing" after overhearing delivery men in a New York department store complain about their jobs while watching MTV.

You Are A TouristDeath Cab for Cutie

The music video for "You Are A Tourist" by Death Cab For Cutie was done live on the internet, becoming the first live, scripted, single-take music video recorded that way.

Nuclear Device (The Wizard of Aus)The Stranglers

"Nuclear Device (The Wizard of Aus)" by The Stranglers was written about the then Premier of Queensland, Joh Bjelke-Petersen. His political shenanigans were observed by the band during their first tour of Australia.

Editor's Picks

Early Days of MTVFact or Fiction

If you can recall the days when MTV played videos, you know that there are lots of stories to tell. See if you can spot the real ones.

Emilio Castillo from Tower of PowerSongwriter Interviews

Emilio talks about what it's like to write and perform with the Tower of Power horns, and why every struggling band should have a friend like Huey Lewis.

American Hits With Foreign TitlesSong Writing

What are the biggest US hits with French, Spanish (not "Rico Suave"), Italian, Scottish, Greek, and Japanese titles?

U2 LyricsMusic Quiz

How well do you know the lyrics of U2?

Brian Kehew: The Man Behind The RemastersSong Writing

Brian has unearthed outtakes by Fleetwood Mac, Aretha Franklin, Elvis Costello and hundreds of other artists for reissues. Here's how he does it.

80s Video Director Jay DubinSong Writing

Billy Joel and Hall & Oates hated making videos, so they chose a director with similar contempt for the medium. That was Jay Dubin, and he has a lot to say on the subject.