Rob Thomas



Robert Kelly "Rob" Thomas (born February 14, 1972) is an American rock recording artist and songwriter. He is the primary songwriter and lead singer of the band Matchbox Twenty. Thomas also records and performs as a solo artist. Thomas earned three Grammy awards for co-writing and singing on the Santana triple-platinum hit "Smooth", on the album Supernatural in 1999.

He has also lent his songwriting talents to such artists as Tom Petty, Willie Nelson, Mick Jagger, Marc Anthony, Pat Green, Taylor Hicks, Travis Tritt and Daughtry.

Since 1995, his band has released a string of hit singles to radio including "Push", "3 A.M.", "Real World", "Back 2 Good", "Bent", "If You're Gone", "Mad Season", "Disease", "Unwell", "Bright Lights", and "How Far We've Come". In 2004, the Songwriters Hall of Fame awarded Thomas its first Starlight Award, recognizing young songwriters who have already had a lasting influence in the music industry.

His own hits include; "Her Diamonds", "Give Me The Melt Down", "This is How a Heart Breaks", "Ever The Same", "Little Wonders".

Albums

 * ...Something To Be (2005)
 * cradlesong (2009)

Tropes
"Play another one of those heartbreak songs
 * Adorkable: Especially obvious in the ...Something To Be videos
 * Anti Love Song: "Lonely No More".
 * And Now for Something Completely Different: "Getting Late"
 * Audience Participation Song: "Lonely No More"
 * Author Appeal: Really really loves African music and African American gospel vocalists, shown on both his albums, part of his Matchbox Twenty work and expressed in the song; "Fire On the Mountain" explicitly.
 * Be Yourself: "Something To Be"
 * Break Up Song: "This Is How A Heart Breaks", "Mockingbird", "Gasoline", "Natural", "Slowblind".
 * Careful With That Axe: In a sense on "This Is How A Heart Breaks", but when he really wants to let it all out, he does.
 * Creator Breakdown: Rarely leaves this trope
 * Grief Song: "Fallin' To Peices", "My My My"
 * Happily Married: To a model!
 * Mood Whiplash: "When The Heartache Ends", "Something to Be", "All That I Am"
 * Love Will Lead You Back: "Still Ain't Over You"
 * Record Producer: Matt Serletic produces most of his stuff
 * Protest Song: "Fire On the Mountain", dedicated to Africa and the issues Africa faces as a continent, and other continents suffering similar problems.
 * Sanity Slippage Song: "Something To Be", "Give Me the Meltdown", "Wonderful", "I Am An Illusion".
 * Silly Love Songs: "Now Comes The Night" "Ever The Same", "Problem Girl", "All That I Am".
 * Surprisingly Gentle Song: "Now Comes The Night", "Cradlesong", "All That I Am", "When The Heart Ache Ends"
 * Take That / Take That Me: "Something to Be" features some intriguing lines about the artistic process:

Tell another story how things go wrong And they never get back

My pain is a platinum stack/Take that shit back"


 * Obsession Song: "Still Ain't Over You"
 * Unplugged Version: subverted with "Now Comes the Night" which was recorded live with him and his keyboard in a studio.
 * Verbal Tic / Lyrical Tic: Is fond of throwing in "hey man", "man" and variations on that feeling and word in his songs.
 * You Are Not Alone: "Streetcorner Symphony"