Bent (song)

"Bent"
Single by Matchbox Twenty
from the album Mad Season
Released	July 4, 2000
Format	CD single, audio cassette
Recorded	1999
Genre	Alternative rock
Length	4:16
Label	Atlantic
Writer(s)	Rob Thomas
Producer	Matt Serletic
Matchbox Twenty singles chronology
"Girl Like That" (1998) "Bent" (2000) "If You're Gone" (2000)

"Bent" is the first single from Mad Season, the second album by the rock band Matchbox Twenty. The song reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 on July 22, 2000, and stayed there for one week before being unseated by 'N Sync's "It's Gonna Be Me".

This was Thomas' first attempt at a love song and he believes it is co-dependent of the 21st century. Thomas spoke on Storytellers that the song is about two people who are both messed up, but because they're together, it doesn't matter.

The song had an interesting reception in the UK market, as "bent" is a slang term synonymous with "gay": the chorus of the song contains the lyric "Can you help me? I'm bent." The song also contains suggestive lyrics in this vein: "Keep breaking me in", a slang term for being sexually penetrated.

Background and writing

Thomas told Billboard magazine that it's "a love song and a rock song; there's a hopeful tone to it. It's kind of like the person is saying, 'As misguided as I may be, these are things that it takes to be with me.'"

Music video

The video, directed by Pedro Romhanyi, seems to be a bit of a play on Rob Thomas' increased profile following the 1999 mega-hit, "Smooth", since it features other members of the band mistreating him. It starts with him being hit by a car driven by Adam Gaynor. As he lies on the ground, Kyle Cook shows up and empties Thomas of all money in his wallet. After this, Rob recovers from the car hit and walks off, singing the chorus. After the first chorus, he bumps into Paul Doucette. Rob sings a few more lines to a clearly unimpressed Paul, who basically shoves Thomas out of his way. At this point Rob walks off again, singing the second chorus, and the wind seems to hit him stronger than it hits other people. He then heads into an alley where day and night intermix. He's assaulted yet again, at which point Brian Yale shows up apparently to help him off the ground. Rob refuses the hand and walks off, eventually leaving the alleyway and emerging back into the daylight, when the events seem to re-occur from the beginning of the video.

Chart positions

Peak positions

Charts	Peak position
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	1
U.S. Billboard Modern Rock Tracks	16
U.S. Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks	24
U.S. Billboard Adult Top 40	1
U.S. Billboard Top 40 Mainstream	1
Australian ARIA Singles Chart	19
Canadian RPM Top Singles	1
Canadian RPM Rock/Alternative Chart	1
New Zealand Singles Chart	20
UK Singles Chart	79

Year-end charts

Chart (2000)	Position
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	9

Preceded by "Everything You Want" by Vertical Horizon	Billboard Hot 100 number-one single July 22, 2000	Succeeded by "It's Gonna Be Me" by 'N Sync
Preceded by Kryptonite by 3 Doors Down	Canadian RPM Rock/Alternative 30 number-one single June 12, 2000 – June 19, 2000	Succeeded by "Kryptonite" by 3 Doors Down