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).

VICKI INTERMISSION
M.I.A. Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I find that if it's not the world, its the people
And if it's not the people, then maybe its you
If it's not you, then maybe it's me
But if it's not me, then it's the music

Overall Meaning

M.I.A.'s song VICKI INTERMISSION is a contemplative piece that delves into the various factors that could be responsible for the different situations we find ourselves in. The opening lines "I find that if it's not the world, it's the people" speaks directly to the interconnectedness of events, how what happens in the world affects the people and how people, in turn, affect the world. The next line "And if it's not the people, then maybe it's you" brings up the age-long question of personal responsibility and how our actions can either help or harm others.

The subsequent line "If it's not you, then maybe it's me" could be interpreted in different ways, but it could speak to the idea that sometimes our actions could be misconstrued even when we didn't mean to cause any harm. The last line "But if it's not me, then it's the music" references how music can be both a source of solace and a force that drives people to action. It could also be a metaphor for the world at large and how sometimes, things are beyond our control.

Overall, VICKI INTERMISSION is a thought-provoking song that addresses complex themes and ideas, and encourages listeners to introspect and examine their actions.

Line by Line Meaning

I find that if it's not the world, its the people
Whenever something goes wrong, it's either due to external circumstances or caused by someone else

And if it's not the people, then maybe its you
If external circumstances are not the issue, then perhaps it's yourself that is causing problems

If it's not you, then maybe it's me
If you are not to blame, then it could be someone else, but it could also be yourself who's responsible

But if it's not me, then it's the music
If you're not at fault, and nobody else is, then it must be the music which is causing issues. Music has a powerful impact on our moods, emotions and behavior.

Contributed by Mackenzie I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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