Analysis Of My Own Little World By Matthew West

The song “My Own Little World” was written and performed by Matthew West for his fourth studio album The Story of Your Life in 2010. In a video interview, West notes that before writing the songs for this album, he asked fans to send in stories about their lives, their struggles, and their joys. West then took these letters to a secluded cabin in Tennessee and read each and every one of them, looking for inspiration. The idea behind this particular song came about when West realized that even though he was supposed to be alone in his song-writing cabin, he was still surrounded by people through the stories they had given him. He recognized that he was part of the blanket we call society and that he could have a profound effect on those around him, no matter where he went (West).

The lyrics specifically mention the social problem of homelessness. The focus seems to be more on the homeless individual, without blaming a source (such as economic inequality or a domination system) or putting the problem into a larger societal context. While this approach may not be beneficial for ultimately solving the problem, I appreciate the personal touch this song creates. Homelessness is a large enough phenomenon to be
West challenges us to ask ourselves “what have I been doing” when we ignore those around us who are in need. He makes his audience open their eyes to their own hypocrisy by judging himself; he is not afraid to admit that he is also a perpetrator of this attitude of ignorance. In both the song and his video interview mentioned earlier, West mentions that he is just as likely as the average person to turn a blind eye to those around him. “My Own Little World” is an acknowledgement of this fault and finally offers a sense of hope as change begins to happen when your world becomes “population