Mvula grew up in the Birmingham suburbs of Selly Park and Kings Heath with two younger siblings, and was influenced by the girl band Eternal. She sang with Black Voices, an a capella group set up by her aunt. She graduated from the Birmingham Conservatoire with a degree in composition. While she was working as a supply teacher in a Birmingham secondary school, she started writing songs on her laptop. She was working as a receptionist when she sent out two demos to several people in the music industry. She is married to singer Themba Mvula.
Signed to Sony subsidiary RCA, Mvula released her debut extended play, "She", on 16 November 2012. Her debut studio album, Sing to the Moon, was released on 4 March 2013. One person has described her music using a new term, "gospeldelia". The album was preceeded by the single "Green Garden". The song is an elegy to her home in Kings Heath. On 6 December 2012, Mvula was shortlisted for the Critics' Choice award at the 2013 BRIT Awards. On 9 December, she was nominated for the BBC's Sound of 2013 poll, and finished in fourth position. On 1 February 2013, she gave a live TV performance on The Graham Norton Show on BBC One, singing "Green Garden".
YOU WORK FOR ME
Laura Mvula Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You′re bound to fall
Hit the ground like Autum leaves
I remember I started it all
Now I'm left with nothing
But the memories
When you came crawling back
I told you one thing
Do you remember you work for me?
Don′t forget you work for me
Nobody else
You work for me
Don't forget you work for me
Nobody else
(Lala)
Dragged out kick'n and screaming (Lalalala)
Tied to the bottom of the sea (Lalalalala)
I really don′t care what you believe in (Lalalala)
Just remember one thing (Lalalala)
You work for me
Don′t forget you work for me
Nobody else
You work for me
Don't forget you work for me
Nobody else
Come when I come
Get down on your knees
A promise doesn′t mean a thing, unless you bleed
You must remember
You work for me
You work for me
In the song "You Work For Me" by Laura Mvula, the lyrics suggest a person who has achieved great success, but ultimately falls from grace. The lyrics "Once on top, you're bound to fall, hit the ground like autumn leaves" infer that the person was once in power, but eventually came tumbling down. The singer then states "I remember I started it all, now I'm left with nothing but the memories", suggesting that the person was responsible for their own downfall.
Later in the song, the singer speaks about the person returning to them and being forgiven, but reminding them that they "work for me". This could suggest a power dynamic between the two people in the song, with the singer holding all the power and the other person being subservient. The lyric "Come when I come, get down on your knees, a promise doesn't mean a thing unless you bleed, you must remember, you work for me" emphasize this power dynamic and the control that the singer holds over the other person.
Overall, the song "You Work For Me" by Laura Mvula tells a story of power, control, and ultimately, the downfall of a person who was once in a position of authority. The singer reminds the other person that they are subservient, and should not forget this fact.
Line by Line Meaning
Once on top
You′re bound to fall
If you reach success, it is inevitable that you will experience failure at some point.
Hit the ground like Autum leaves
I remember I started it all
When failure strikes, it can happen suddenly and painfully. The singer recognizes that she is partly responsible for the current situation.
Now I'm left with nothing
But the memories
The singer has lost everything due to the failure, and all that remains are memories.
When you came crawling back
And I took you back
I told you one thing
Do you remember you work for me?
The artist is reminding someone that she had previously forgiven for betrayal that they should remember that they are under her authority.
Don′t forget you work for me
Nobody else
The artist emphasizes that the person in question should not forget that they are working for her exclusively, and not anyone else.
Dragged out kick'n and screaming (Lalalala)
Tied to the bottom of the sea (Lalalalala)
I really don′t care what you believe in (Lalalala)
Just remember one thing (Lalalala)
The singer is describing a painful and possibly violent situation involving the person in question. She does not care about their beliefs but wants them to remember their subordinate status.
Come when I come
Get down on your knees
A promise doesn′t mean a thing, unless you bleed
You must remember
You work for me
The singer is demanding absolute obedience and showing a willingness to resort to violence to enforce it. She wants the person in question to remember their subordinate status.
Writer(s): Jack Glass, Tobias Macdonald Jesso, Christopher John Stracey
Contributed by Christian W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Khaled Shnainah
Once on top
You bound to fall
Hit the ground like Autum leaves
I remember I started it all
Now I'm left with nothing
But the memories
When you came crawling back
I told you one thing
You work for me.
Don't forget
You work for me...
Nobody else.
Dragged out kick'n & screaming
(Lalalala)
Tied to the bottom of the sea
(Lalalalala)
I really don't care
What you believe in
(Lalalala)
Just remember one thing.
(Lalalala)
You work for me...
Don't forget
You work for me...
Nobody else
Come when i come
Get down on your knees
A promise doesn't mean a thing
Unless you bleed.
You must remember.
You work for me...
You work for me.
clerkman59
This song was playing in the movie Mafia Mamma and I fell in love with it, awesome 👍
Allan e Howard
Yup first time hearing it
امسيات وجلسات مطاعم بغداديه چالغي بغدادي
🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉
Jewls Orr
Same with me. That's how I discovered her.
mary libcke
Just finished watching it... Love the song!
ernest musenge
Same. And I thought it was Amy Winehouse.
Dazza
The reason I’m here is because I just finished watching “Mafia Mamma”. This song was in the movie and it gave he chills when I heard it.
Raketen Norbert
same.
Allan e Howard
Same
Annette Renaud
❤️🖤💚My exact story!❤️🖤💚