2) A Norwegian, Chri… Read Full Bio ↴1) Women's a cappella group at University of Oregon
2) A Norwegian, Christian choir. They started in 1983 at Bildøy Bibelskole outside Bergen. They have a large variety in their music. They have done classical, gospel, jazz and folksongs. The choir has also been on several tours: Jerusalem, twice in USA and different places in Norway.
Mama Who Bore Me
DIVISI Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Mamma who gave me
No way to handle things
Who made me so sad
Mamma, the weeping
Mamma, the Angels
No sleep in Heaven
Some pray that one day, Christ will come a'-callin'
They light a candle and hope that it glows
And some just lie there crying for Him to come and find them
But when He comes they don't know how to go
Mamma who bore me
Mamma who gave me
No way to handle things
Who made me so bad
Mamma, the weeping
Mamma, the Angels
No sleep in Heaven
Or Bethlehem
The lyrics to DIVISI’s song “Mama Who Bore Me” can be interpreted in a variety of ways, but one common thread seems to be a pervasive sense of sadness and longing. The chorus repeats “Mamma who bore me, Mamma who gave me, no way to handle things, who made me so sad.” This suggests a feeling of helplessness, as if the subject of the song is a victim of circumstance and has been unable to develop the emotional tools necessary to cope with life’s challenges.
The second part of the chorus is equally evocative, with its reference to “Mamma, the weeping” and “Mamma, the Angels.” These lines seem to suggest a sense of loss or grief, as if the singer has lost someone important to them – perhaps their mother, or someone else who played a maternal role in their life. The reference to “no sleep in Heaven or Bethlehem” further underscores this sense of searching for something that can’t be found.
The final verse of the song takes on a more explicitly religious tone, with references to Christ and people waiting for Him to come and find them. This could be interpreted as a way of calling out to a higher power for help or guidance, but the ambiguity of the lyrics leaves room for a variety of interpretations. The fact that the singer doesn’t know how to go when Christ comes could suggest a lack of faith or a fear of the unknown, but it’s also possible that the song is simply describing the universal struggle to find meaning in life and to come to terms with our own mortality.
Line by Line Meaning
Mamma who bore me
Addressing the mother who gave birth to me
Mamma who gave me
Addressing the mother who brought me into this world
No way to handle things
I was never taught how to manage difficult situations
Who made me so sad
Wondering who caused me so much emotional pain
Mamma, the weeping
Addressing the mother who is crying
Mamma, the Angels
Describing the mother as an angelic figure
No sleep in Heaven
The implication that the mother is in constant distress even in the afterlife
Or Bethlehem
A reference to the biblical birthplace of Jesus, paralleling the idea of a mother in pain during childbirth
Some pray that one day, Christ will come a'-callin'
Some people hope that Jesus will come and save them
They light a candle and hope that it glows
To symbolize their hope and faith that their prayers will be answered
And some just lie there crying for Him to come and find them
Others are so overwhelmed by their emotions they cannot do anything else
But when He comes they don't know how to go
They don't know what to do when their prayers are answered or how to handle their situation
Mamma who bore me
Repeating the opening line, again addressing the mother who gave birth to me
Mamma who gave me
Repeating the second line to emphasize the mother's role in bringing the singer into existence
No way to handle things
Repeating the third line, highlighting the fact that the singer lacks the necessary skills to deal with difficult situations
Who made me so bad
Asking who or what caused the artist to feel this way about themselves
Contributed by Madelyn T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.