Born and raised in Washington, D.C., Harrison’s eponymous debut album with Interscope Records was released in April 1998, and sold over a million copies in the United States, producing the gold-certified top ten single “It’s All About Me” featuring Sisqó. In addition to her solo work, Mýa was also a featured artist with Ol’ Dirty Bastard on Pras’ 1998 Grammy Award-nominated hit, “Ghetto Superstar”, from the Bulworth soundtrack and “Take Me There” from The Rugrats Movie soundtrack, with Blackstreet and Mase.
Her second studio album, platinum-selling Fear of Flying, was released in 2000 and became a success stateside and worldwide, with lead single “Case of the Ex” becoming Mýa’s breakthrough hit, reaching number two on the Billboard Hot 100, number three on the UK Singles Chart, and number one on the Australian Singles Chart. A year after, Harrison won her first Grammy Award for the worldwide number-one hit “Lady Marmalade,” a cover version she recorded alongside Christina Aguilera, Lil’ Kim, and Pink for the soundtrack of the film Moulin Rouge! (2001).
The singer’s third album Moodring was released in July 2003 stateside and eventually certified gold by the RIAA. It peaked at number three on the Billboard 200 selling more than 113,000 in its first week of sales, making it Mýa’s highest first week sales ever. The first single, the Missy Elliott-produced “My Love Is Like…Wo,” became a top twenty hit in the U.S. due to its success on mainstream radio.
Following several label changes, Mýa’s often-delayed fourth studio album, Liberation (2007), received a download-release in Japan only and led to her 2008 Japan-exclusive album Sugar & Spice.
Having expanded her career to acting and product endorsement deals, Harrison has been engaged in product endorsement deals with brands such as Coca-Cola, Iceberg, Tommy Hilfiger, and Motorola and has appeared in films such as Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights (2004), Shall We Dance? (2004) and Cursed (2005). In 2002, she had a supporting role in the film adaptation of the 1975 Broadway musical Chicago, for which she won a Screen Actors Guild Award.
Mýa is currently working on her 6th studio album due this summer and to be released on her own independent label, entitled Planet 9. She’s recently signed a new deal with Young Empire Music Group and slated to release a new mixtape called Beauty & The Streets Vol.1
How You Gonna Tell Me
Mýa Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
This girl is giving her advice
She wanna say that he ain't no good
And she think I should get another man in my life
But I don't see how she gon tell me
What she think a man should or should not be
Plus her love life ain't right
She needs to get it tight
[Hook:]
Now come on
If you've been divorced more than twice
And you wanna give advice about my love life
Oh no you can just forget that
I don't need that
So you can just go ahead and keep that
And if you always lookin a mess
But yet you wanna tell me how to dress
Oh no I don't wanna hear that
I won't take that
So you can just go ahead and save that
[Chorus:]
At least if you're gonna try and give advice
About my life have your own shit right
Cuz you ain't even livin' what you preach to me
So please how you gonna tell me
At least if you're gonna try and give advice
About my life have your own shit right
Cause you ain't even livin what you preach to me
So please how you gonna tell me
Tell me why do I find that the blind
Is always trying to lead the blind
They always got something to say every day
About the way you do your thing
But I don't see how they go' tell me
What I need or how I need to be
Cuze if they ain't doing what I wanna do
Living like I wanna live
I don't wanna hear it
[Hook]
[Chorus]
You bout to lose your house and your ride, too
Cause you don't handle business like you should do
But you know how to fix my thang
You dropped out of school in the 11th grade
Strippin' every day just so you could get paid
But you know how to fix my thing
How you gonna tell me yeah
Whoa
[Chorus 2x's]
But if you wanna give advice
Give advice about my life
Make sure that your shit is tight
How you gonna tell me
But if you wanna give advice
Give advice about my life
Make sure that your shit is tight
The lyrics to Mya's "How You Gonna Tell Me" are about the frustration of receiving unsolicited advice from someone who isn't living their own life well. Mya is in a fight with her man, and another woman is giving her advice about what kind of man she should or shouldn't be with. Mya doesn't see how this woman can tell her what to do in her love life, especially since the woman's own love life isn't going well, and she should prioritize fixing her own life before giving advice to others.
Mya goes on to explain that she doesn't want to hear advice from someone who isn't living the way she wants to live herself. She argues that the blind shouldn't try to lead the blind, and that people should focus on getting their own lives right before trying to tell others what to do. The chorus emphasizes the idea that if someone is going to give advice about another person's life, they should make sure that their own life is in order first.
Overall, the song's message is one of empowerment and self-reliance. Mya is tired of people giving her unsolicited advice, especially when they themselves are not leading successful lives. She wants to make her own decisions and live her own life, without the interference of others. It's a message that many people can relate to, as we all have people in our lives who try to tell us what to do, even when they don't have their own lives sorted out.
Line by Line Meaning
See every time me and my man get into a fight
Whenever my partner and I have a disagreement
This girl is giving her advice
I have a friend who likes to offer her opinions
She wanna say that he ain't no good
She suggests that my partner is not worth my time
And she think I should get another man in my life
She urges me to find someone else
But I don't see how she gon tell me
I don't understand why she thinks she has the right
What she think a man should or should not be
To dictate what qualities I should or shouldn't value in a man
Plus her love life ain't right
Moreover, she has issues in her own romantic endeavors
She needs to get it tight
She should address her own problems before meddling in mine
Before she be steppin to me
Before she tries to advise me again
[Hook:]
Now come on
If you've been divorced more than twice
If you've gone through multiple divorces
And you wanna give advice about my love life
And you want to offer input on my romantic life
Oh no you can just forget that
You can forget about doing that
I don't need that
I don't require your suggestions
So you can just go ahead and keep that
You can hold on to your unsolicited opinion
And if you always lookin a mess
Additionally, if you consistently appear unkempt
But yet you wanna tell me how to dress
But still want to advise me on how to dress
Oh no I don't wanna hear that
No, I don't want to listen to that
I won't take that
I won't accept your input
So you can just go ahead and save that
You can keep that to yourself
[Chorus:]
At least if you're gonna try and give advice
If you must offer input
About my life have your own shit right
Make sure your own life is in order
Cuz you ain't even livin' what you preach to me
Since you're not even following your own advice
So please how you gonna tell me
How can you justify giving me guidance?
Tell me why do I find that the blind
I wonder why people who are clueless
Is always trying to lead the blind
Are attempting to guide others
They always got something to say every day
These individuals always have comments to make
About the way you do your thing
Concerning the choices I make
But I don't see how they go' tell me
I don't understand why they think they can advise me
What I need or how I need to be
What direction to take or who to become
Cuze if they ain't doing what I wanna do
Because if they're not pursuing my aspirations
Living like I wanna live
Living in the manner that resonates with me
I don't wanna hear it
I don't want their input
[Hook]
[Chorus]
You bout to lose your house and your ride, too
You're on the verge of foreclosure and repo
Cause you don't handle business like you should do
Since you aren't managing your affairs effectively
But you know how to fix my thang
But you believe you have the answers for my situation
You dropped out of school in the 11th grade
You discontinued your education in eleventh grade
Strippin' every day just so you could get paid
Working as a stripper every day to earn income
But you know how to fix my thing
But you still feel confident in providing guidance to me
How you gonna tell me yeah
How can you justify your advice?
Whoa
[Chorus 2x's]
But if you wanna give advice
However, if you still want to give input
Give advice about my life
Provide guidance regarding my situation
Make sure that your shit is tight
Ensure that you're on top of your own life first
How you gonna tell me
Otherwise, how can you justify your guidance?
But if you wanna give advice
But if you still insist on providing input
Give advice about my life
Provide insight into my situation
Make sure that your shit is tight
Be sure that your own life is well-managed
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Tammy Dee
I am so grateful that I was living some of my best days when this album was out.
leelee modee
this is the realest song she ever wrote . never ask for advice from someone who aint living the life u wanna live .
FckYoChannel
i can relate to this sonq! love it
simply kendy
love this song nice
stormbringer97
Love you Mya <3
Honey510
LOVE THE VIDEO....
BOBBY NiO
this is REALTALK! man this goes out 2 all the busybodies and control freaks who think they know you better than you know yourself! stop. look. listen2 urself, get yo own shit right!!! PULEEZ HOW U GONNA TELL ME!?!?!?!! LOL
Dyvon
This was hott for me!
SuperHurricane75
I so see janet all over this she is looking great!
bryanschevy
+SuperHurricane75 this song almost sounds like a destiny's child song