There are five known artists under this name:

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).

O... Saya
M.I.A. Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

O...Saya

They can't touch me
We break off
Run so fast they can't even catch me
Been that gypsy
Touch me I'll show you tricks with my zig-zag quickly
Pick up the packs on my journey

Dogs run, they start to follow me
Have my luck, some days they suck
When you live for the buck
We get for the family

One day I wanna be a star
So I get to hang in a bar
I'll go to Vegas with the playas
Just to forget my scars

Ek do teen chaar paanch chheh saat aaTH nau das gyaarah baarah terah (1-13 in Hindi)

Sweat shops have made me shifty
Like a ninja with speed I'm nifty

I hope I live 'til I'm fifty
See my city go from gritty to pretty

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of the song O...Saya by M.I.A. depict the struggles and hardships of a gypsy or a nomad. The person in the song describes how they are constantly on the move and how they are always running away from the problems that their lifestyle poses. They are so fast that no one can catch them. But despite that, they have to face some difficulties and bad luck on some days. They do all this just to support their family.

The person wants to be a star someday, wants to forget all their scars and problems, and enjoy life. They mention the numbers from one to thirteen in Hindi, which is an interesting part of the song. They also mention the sweatshops that have made them shifty and how they have become like a ninja because of their speed. The song ends on a hopeful note as the person is looking forward to their city becoming pretty from gritty.

Line by Line Meaning

They can't touch me
No one can harm or affect me negatively

We break off
We leave behind things that restrict our freedom

Run so fast they can't even catch me
I am so efficient in escaping danger that no one can capture me

Been that gypsy
I have lived a nomadic, adventurous life

Touch me I'll show you tricks with my zig-zag quickly
If someone tries to harm me or threaten me, I will use my quick reflexes and unpredictable moves to defend myself

Pick up the packs on my journey
I carry all my belongings with me as I travel through life

Dogs run, they start to follow me
People try to imitate me or follow in my footsteps because of my effortless charisma and confidence

Have my luck, some days they suck
Sometimes things go my way, other times they don't

When you live for the buck
When you prioritize making money above everything else

We get for the family
We work hard and make sacrifices in order to support our loved ones

One day I wanna be a star
I aspire to achieve fame and success

So I get to hang in a bar
I want to enjoy the perks of being a celebrity, such as being able to hang out at exclusive locations

I'll go to Vegas with the playas
I will travel to Las Vegas with the wealthy and powerful individuals

Just to forget my scars
In order to escape from and ignore the painful experiences I have had in the past

Sweat shops have made me shifty
My time working in exploitative and oppressive conditions has made me resourceful and crafty

Like a ninja with speed I'm nifty
I am skilled, quick, and versatile, like a ninja

I hope I live 'til I'm fifty
I have a desire to live long enough to experience everything I want to in life