We’ve updated our Terms of Use to reflect our new entity name and address. You can review the changes here.
We’ve updated our Terms of Use. You can review the changes here.

The Matador

from Hello Cruel World by Gretchen Peters

/

about

Written by: Gretchen Peters

lyrics

I threw a rose to the matador, not sure who I was cheering for
My aim was true, my heart was full, I loved the fighter and the bull
I loved like only a woman can, a very complicated man
I bound his wounds, I heard his cries, I gave him truth, I told him lies

His rage is made of many things: faithless women, wedding rings
Snakes and snails and alcohol, his daddy's fist thrown through the wall
Ah but he's beautiful when he's in the ring, the devil howls, the angels sing
Sparks fly from his fingertips and words like birds fly from his lips

Some man is lyin' in the dirt
Some woman's crying that he's hurt
But he's not alive without the thrill
Without the dance, without the kill
The lights go down, the people roar
They're cheering on the matador
And this is how the story goes
I knew it when I threw the rose

I come to each and every show; the woman in the second row
I watch them in their ancient dance and I know I never stood a chance
Cause while other demons prance and clown, it's vanity that takes you down
I thought that I could be the one, but I'm just another hanger-on

Some man is bleedin' in the dirt
Some woman's crying that she's hurt
But who are we without the thrill
Without the dance, without the kill
And he is bull and matador
And I'm the mother and the whore
And this is how the story goes
I knew it when I threw the rose

I threw a rose to the matador, not sure who I was cheering for
My aim was true, my heart was full, I loved the fighter and the bull

credits

from Hello Cruel World, track released January 31, 2012
©2010 Circus Girl Music, administered by Carnival Music (ASCAP)

Gretchen Peters - Acoustic Guitar
John Gardner- Drums
Viktor Krauss - Upright Bass
Barry Walsh- Accordion
Doug Lancio- Electric Guitar, Baritone Guitar
Will Kimbrough - Electric Guitar

license

all rights reserved

tags

about

Gretchen Peters Nashville, Tennessee

For two decades, Gretchen Peters has been one of Nashville's most beloved and respected artists. A 2014 inductee into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, Peters has accumulated accolades as both songwriter and artist. Her latest album, The Night You Wrote That Song: The Songs of Mickey Newbury (May 2020), is a loving tribute to another Hall of Fame songwriter. ... more

shows

contact / help

Contact Gretchen Peters

Streaming and
Download help

Shipping and returns

Redeem code

Report this track or account

Gretchen Peters recommends:

If you like Gretchen Peters, you may also like: