# aiiee!  who does this Matchbox 20 song remind me of?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aiiee-who-does-this-matchbox-20-song-remind-me-of/214893>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [November 23, 2003, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aiiee-who-does-this-matchbox-20-song-remind-me-of/214893 "2003-11-23T21:54:01Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\
**Post date:** [November 23, 2003, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aiiee-who-does-this-matchbox-20-song-remind-me-of/214893/1 "2003-11-23T21:54:01Z")

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Matchbox Twenty’s song “Bright Lights” reminds me of someone else, maybe multiple someones. It drives me absolutely mad. The beginning piano sounds like someone. The middle, where it has the “Let that city take you in/Let that city spit you out/Let that city take you down/For God’s sake turn around” sounds like someone, too.

Help! You wouldn’t want my insanity on your head now, would you?

Julie

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**Author:** ![Gmork](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f19dbf/32.png) [@Gmork](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gmork)\
**Post date:** [November 24, 2003, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aiiee-who-does-this-matchbox-20-song-remind-me-of/214893/2 "2003-11-24T02:31:22Z")

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Of another particular song, or of another band’s/artist’s particular style?

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**Author:** ![TripleAnt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e19adc/32.png) [@TripleAnt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TripleAnt)\
**Post date:** [November 24, 2003, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aiiee-who-does-this-matchbox-20-song-remind-me-of/214893/3 "2003-11-24T03:12:37Z")

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I think the song is very beatlesque as it were. Just something about it. I’ve heard a cover of theirs of “Don’t Let Me Down” by the Beatles and I think this song is in the same vein.

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**Author:** ![pepperlandgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f17d59/32.png) [@pepperlandgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pepperlandgirl)\
**Post date:** [November 24, 2003, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aiiee-who-does-this-matchbox-20-song-remind-me-of/214893/4 "2003-11-24T03:37:22Z")

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That’s the very same line that drives me crazy! Everytime I hear “For God’s sake turn around” it makes me nutty because it does sound like he’s copying somebody, or paying homage to somebody.

But who damnit? Who?

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**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\
**Post date:** [November 24, 2003, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aiiee-who-does-this-matchbox-20-song-remind-me-of/214893/5 "2003-11-24T03:48:08Z")

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I think it sounds kind of like Train’s “Drops of Jupiter.”

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**Author:** ![Livefrom718](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3bc359/32.png) [@Livefrom718](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Livefrom718)\
**Post date:** [February 15, 2026, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aiiee-who-does-this-matchbox-20-song-remind-me-of/214893/6 "2026-02-15T13:21:09Z")

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Hey! 23 years later, lol. Always thought Brightlights sounded familiar and I really think it’s come together by the Beatles 🤷🏻‍♂️

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**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\
**Post date:** [February 15, 2026, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aiiee-who-does-this-matchbox-20-song-remind-me-of/214893/7 "2026-02-15T13:48:29Z")

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It reminds me of Pearl Jam’s Yellow Ledbetter.