1. Mathangi “Maya” Ar… Read Full Bio ↴There are five known artists under this name:
1. Mathangi “Maya” Arulpragasam also known as M.I.A., (born 18 July 1975 in Hounslow, London, U.K.) is a British artist of Sri Lankan descent. As a baby she moved with her family to their native Sri Lanka, where her father became increasingly politically active in militant activities. As the Civil War escalated the rest of the family was forced to flee as refugees, first to India and then the UK. “M.I.A.” [“Missing In Action”] references both her London neighborhood (Acton) and her politically tumultuous youth.
Her style contains elements of hip-hop, reggae, alternative, dance hall, electro and baile funk and is strongly inspired by her Sri Lankan background.
2. American Punk/Hardcore band formed in Orange County, CA in 1981 by Chris Moon, drums; Mike Conley, bass; Nick Adams, guitar (all previously of Las Vegas, NV punk band The Swell); and Art Carasco, vocals. Their sound was generally hardcore and thrasher, though they produced more melodic and progressive sounds in their later albums. Allmusic called the band "one of the 50 best So-Cal punk bands of the great early-'80s second wave explosion. In 1984 they signed a deal with the cult Alternative Tentacles label, after the label's founder, Dead Kennedys frontman Jello Biafra, saw them play at a secret illegal punk nightclub in Las Vegas. Biafra was impressed by Mike Conley's distinctive voice, saying "The minute you hear a song with him singing you know it's him." They released the album Murder in a Foreign Place on Alternative Tentacles in 1984, followed in 1985 by Notes From the Underground on National Trust Records, and in 1987 by After the Fact on Flipside Records. The band split up in 1988. In 2001, Alternative Tentacles released Lost Boys, a 37-song retrospective of the band's work, including Last Rites, Murder in a Foreign Place, and several additional tracks. On February 28, 2008 vocalist Mike Conley was found dead in a Chicago hotel parking lot. Conley was taken to Gottlieb Memorial Hospital in Melrose Park, where he was pronounced dead at 6:25 a.m. On April 27, 2008, there was a secret warm-up show at Detroit Bar featuring Todd Sampson of Self Abuse and Samson's Army on vocals, Jello Biafra of Dead Kennedys on guest vocals, Chris Moon and Larry Pearson on drums, Nick Adams on guitar, and Bob Thomson on bass. The next day, the "Beautiful Noise" benefit show took place at the Anaheim House of Blues with Jigsaw, Naked Soul, Cadillac Tramps, Social Distortion and MIA with the same lineup as the previous night, but adding Kevin Seconds of 7 Seconds on guest vocals. The proceeds of "Beautiful Noise" went to Mike Conley's family.
(3) Formed in the mid 70s, Independent Musicians Associated (MIA) was a group of musicians, technicians and drawers gathered together by Lito and Liliana Vitale’s parents. They produced their own records and concerts in an independent way. Their music is a complex symphonic rock with definite Argentinean/latin folk influence with multiple chorals and vocals beautifully contrasting with the keyboards and a great guitar sound upon a strong rhythmic section. They were highly influenced by symphonic music, more noteworthy by Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Gentle Giant and Focus.
4. Merriweathers is a member of Underground Resistance under the alias of The Unknown Soldier.
5. mia's page (Michaela Grobelny).
Big Branch
M.I.A. Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Came over to my ranch
Took all my land
Left me with a branch
That's how I feel about the
Loving that I had
Thats I know about the girls he had
Bring me that ho
I Put her on the table
And put her in my claw
I'll put her down my jaw
To my belly, to my toe
I'll shit on that ho
And drop her to the floor
Big branch
I'll hit her with the mother fucking branch!
Men are like pearls
They look good with my curls
I string em to get the best necklace in the world
In the states of the world
All women wanna lay
But it's man's world so keep him at bay
You can fuck a man, mack a man
Tell 'em that you're gay
Tell him real love ain't on BET
Sex is so cheap, I get it at KFC
When its meaningless why they do R&B
Bring her to my door now
Bring me that ho
I Put her on the table
I And put her in my claw
I'll put her down my jaw
To my belly, to my toe
I'll shit on that ho
And drop her to the floor
Big branch
I'll hit her with the mother fucking branch!
I ate my chips and I washed that plate
Thought about women that take that bait
Men with stamina or money on the plate
Can get a woman thinking her period is late
Thanks to Jesus, I got my own estate
If I let you in, will you run off with my maid?
All men are just so fickle these days
To find a really good one
I keep on getting laid
Bring her to my door now
Bring me that ho
I Put her on the table
And I put her in my claw
I'll put her down in my jaw
To my belly, to my toe
I'll shit on that ho
And drop her to the floor
The song "Big Branch" by M.I.A. is a bold and provocative statement that deals with themes of power, ownership, and sexual politics. The lyrics describe how the singer has had everything taken away from them by a "big bad wolf," leaving them with nothing but a branch. This is a metaphor for the way love has been stripped away from them, leaving them feeling empty and bitter. The singer also talks about how men are like pearls that look good with her curls, and how she strings them together to form the best necklace in the world. She talks about man's world and how she keeps them at bay, and how meaningless sex has become in today's society. She goes on to describe how she would treat a woman who is brought to her door, putting her on a table and putting her in her jaw, belly, and toe, ultimately shitting on her and dropping her to the floor. The line "Big branch, I'll hit her with the mother fucking branch!" is repeated several times throughout the song, suggesting violence and aggression.
Overall, the song is a scathing commentary on male domination and female objectification. It presents a dark and twisted vision of relationships and sex, where men are seen as disposable items to be used and discarded, and women are mere objects to be controlled and manipulated.
Line by Line Meaning
Big bad wolf
The antagonist that invaded her territory.
Came over to my ranch
The territory that the antagonist invaded.
Took all my land
The antagonist won over the territory she owned.
Left me with a branch
All she had left and could use as a weapon was a branch.
That's how I feel about the
Her feeling about the following lines.
Loving that I had
The love she thought she had.
Thats I know about the girls he had
The girls her partner cheated on her with.
Bring her to my door now
Command to bring the woman over to her place.
Bring me that ho
Command to bring the woman over.
I Put her on the table
Instructions to place the woman on the table.
And put her in my claw
Instructions to grab and hold the woman.
I'll put her down my jaw
Instruction to swallow the woman.
To my belly, to my toe
Where the woman will end up after being swallowed.
I'll shit on that ho
Instructions to defecate on the woman.
And drop her to the floor
What she will do with the woman after defecating on her.
Big branch
The weapon she will use to hit the woman.
I'll hit her with the mother fucking branch!
Instructions for using the big branch to hit the woman.
Men are like pearls
A comparison of men to pearls.
They look good with my curls
She thinks men complement her appearance.
I string em to get the best necklace in the world
She strings together men like pearls to make her appear better than anyone.
In the states of the world
In different parts of the world.
All women wanna lay
All women want to have sex with men.
But it's man's world so keep him at bay
Men dominate, this is a warning to be careful around them.
You can fuck a man, mack a man
Different ways to interact with men.
Tell 'em that you're gay
Even if she tells them she is gay, men still want to sleep with her.
Tell him real love ain't on BET
Her outlook on love represented in pop-culture.
Sex is so cheap, I get it at KFC
Sex is so accessible it may be equated with going to a fast-food restaurant.
When its meaningless why they do R&B
Why people make music about meaningless sex.
I ate my chips and I washed that plate
She finished eating and cleaned her plate.
Thought about women that take that bait
She reflects on women who fall for men's advances.
Men with stamina or money on the plate
What separates the attractive and unattractive men.
Can get a woman thinking her period is late
Men can make women believe they are pregnant to keep them around.
Thanks to Jesus, I got my own estate
She owes her success to her level of ambition and financial independence.
If I let you in, will you run off with my maid?
Questions whether men are truly trustworthy.
All men are just so fickle these days
Men are unreliable.
To find a really good one
To find a trustworthy man she needs to have sex with many men.
I keep on getting laid
She sleeps with a lot of men.
Contributed by Mateo P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@Flavita013
I always have some issues finding this track, is not even in Spotify, it deserve so much better, still so fresh in 2023.
@IlluminatedMel
Her dad was anti-establishment and so she has been gifted with the “problematic” label or stigma. Partly due to his reputation and also bc she speaks up which I adore. Similar to Marley etc. Her music is very hard to find on platforms here in the states..but we’re so free right 😂
@mochaamlnn
"All Men Are Just So Fickle These Days, To Find A Really Good One I Keep On Getting Laid." Damn, she really does go hard in this song. I love it!
@exceptforwhenimmissingyou
Yes, we are listening to this in 2020. What about it?
@goshelbygo123
This one of my favorites by MIA
@IlluminatedMel
I'm obsessed will the her since sunshowers 😍😍
@ThisIsAeroPlane
This song goes sooooo hard how did it not make it on the album...
@willchan9960
It would actually be perfect on Arular!
@ngr3gorius
The lyrics are just a bit problematic... and she unnecessarily trashes R&B.
@ZenHenGreen
Best beat ever.