"One of my earlier memories of music is my mom sitting at the piano late at night, playing us to sleep with Beethoven's 'Moonlight Sonata,'" Marc says. With a father who preached and led worship and a mother who led the church choir and played piano, Marc was raised in a music-intensive environment.
His parents instilled a love for music in him that followed him throughout his childhood through eight years of piano lessons, through Disney duets he would sing with friends, through hours he spent alone teaching himself guitar all the way to a small college in Saskatchewan, where he formed the band Downhere with his roommate Jason Germain and a few close friends in 1999.
"Our friendship was always based around music," Marc says. "We really hit it off musically... we realized we shared a lot of the same taste in music, while also bringing different influences."
Downhere developed their sound while touring on behalf of the college, which would send them out on the road with production, lighting, sound, and even a vehicle and trailer. After four years of college, the band left their Canadian roots behind and relocated to Nashville, TN, where they signed with Word Records. Downhere has since gone on to win multiple Juno Awards and a Dove Award. They have released 10 albums, including their latest release, On the Altar of Love, which reflects a different approach to songwriting than their previous releases.
"For me it used to be all about being musically complex and artsy," Marc says. "And then I had a real perspective-shifting experience. At one of our shows there was a little girl standing front-center with her mother. When I said the next song was "How Many Kings," her face lit up as she looked up at her mom and grabbed her hand. She sang along to every word. I thought to myself, 'I've got to write more songs like THAT.'"
In September 2011, Marc entered a competition to join Roger Taylor, original drummer for the legendary rock band Queen, on stage for the Queen Extravaganza Live Tour. Throughout his career with Downhere, concertgoers have often approached Marc insisting he sounds just like Freddie Mercury, legendary singer of the rock band Queen.
"I don't think I've done a show in the last five or six years where five to ten people haven't come up to me and said, 'Hey, anyone ever tell you that you sound like Queen?' or 'that guy from Queen' or 'Eddie Mercury,'" he says laughingly. "In the list of great rock signers, he is considered one of the best if not the best and it's always just a huge compliment when people tell that to me."
It seems that Downhere concertgoers aren't alone in their thinking, as Marc's entry for the Queen Extravaganza contest, a video of Marc singing along with the Queen classic "Somebody to Love," generated more millions of views on YouTube after being up for only a few days.
Whether it's onstage with Downhere or on a computer screen, Marc has a message and a voice that has captured millions for the past decade. Through music, Marc is after the one thing people are always looking for a connection.
"There is always time for exploring new soundscapes and interesting arrangements…but the song has to connect with people or there's not much point to it. I'm really trying to stay in that magic equilibrium now as I write, the union of intriguing artistry combined with strong human connection."
Paradise
Marc Martel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Keeps me underneath her thumb,
Robs me of my dignity tonight.
Always wants to take a piece
And chew me up and spit me out,
Just enough to get me through the dark.
Before I know it, I'm just doing what she says
Yes, I'm doing this.
Take me, hold me tight,
Please don't break me,
Keep me chained
Up in Paradise, in Paradise.
Falling,
Cause you know that I'm holding
Keep me chained
Up in Paradise, in Paradise.
Yes, I'm doing this again.
I'm in trouble half the time,
Just looking for another hide
But I don't have another choice
And she don't have to try.
Every moment next to her
Is sweeter than a (?)
Evaporating when I open eyes.
In the most nights, she keep returning in her weaves
I don't wanna stop this!
Take me, hold me tight,
Please don't break me,
Keep me chained,
Up in Paradise, in Paradise.
Falling,
Cause you know that I'm holding
Keep me locked up
I'm in Paradise, in Paradise, in Paradise.
Take me,
Honestly, if it breaks me
I will still call it Paradise, Paradise.
Falling,
Even if I fought it,
I'd never escape from your Paradise, your Paradise.
Take me, hold me tight,
Please don't break me,
Keep me chained,
Up in Paradise, your Paradise.
Paradise.
Your Paradise.
The lyrics to Marc Martel's song "Paradise" tell the story of a toxic and crazy relationship that the singer cannot seem to escape from. He feels trapped and powerless as his partner keeps him "underneath her thumb" and "robs [him] of [his] dignity". Despite knowing that he is being used and manipulated, he cannot help but keep coming back to her, finding himself "just doing what she says." He describes his partner in angelic terms, making him feel "chained up in Paradise" and "falling" for her all over again, despite the knowledge that it will end in heartache once more.
The lyrics of "Paradise" portray a common theme of toxic relationships and the emotional turmoil that they can bring. The singer is unable to escape the cyclical nature of his relationship and keeps falling back into old patterns, even when he knows he shouldn't. The repetition of the phrase "Take me, hold me tight, please don't break me" further emphasizes the idea of being trapped in a vicious cycle of abuse and manipulation. Overall, the lyrics are a powerful and poignant reminder of the dangers of toxic relationships and the need to break free from them.
Line by Line Meaning
Toxic, kinda' crazy, hot
Describing the subject as an irresistible, dangerous force that leaves the singer feeling overwhelmed, powerless, and addicted.
Keeps me underneath her thumb,
The subject controls the singer by manipulating and dominating him through her words and actions.
Robs me of my dignity tonight.
At times, the singer is made to do things that make him feel humiliated, lesser, and lose sense of his self-worth.
Always wants to take a piece
The subject takes advantage of the artist by exploiting his vulnerabilities and extracting what she desires.
And chew me up and spit me out,
In their interactions, the subject leaves the artist feeling drained, powerless, and used.
Just enough to get me through the dark.
Even though the subject's hold on the singer is toxic, in certain moments, the singer finds solace and comfort in that very same hold.
Before I know it, I'm just doing what she says
The singer is at the mercy of the subject's whims and finds himself behaving in ways that aren't true to himself.
Yes, I'm doing this.
Despite knowing the harm this is causing him, the artist is unable to break free of the subject's hold on him.
Take me, hold me tight,
The artist desires the safety and security that comes with being held and owned by the subject.
Please don't break me,
The artist's bond with the subject is the one thing that is keeping him from falling apart and he hopes she won't let that happen.
Keep me chained
The singer wants to be possessed by the subject, bound to her, and kept close.
Up in Paradise, in Paradise.
The subject's hold on the artist is akin to heaven, an escape from the hardships of the world and a source of intense pleasure.
Falling,
Despite the costs, the singer is willingly surrendering himself to the subject, falling into her spell.
Cause you know that I'm holding
An acknowledgement of the fact that the singer knows that he is just as much responsible for his relationship with the subject as she is.
Keep me chained
The singer reiterates his deep desire to belong to the subject, tied and owned by her.
I'm in Paradise, in Paradise.
The subject's realm of control is the only place the artist feels true joy and fulfillment, and he urges her to keep him there.
Yes, I'm doing this again.
The artist knows that his actions are driven by an unhealthy attachment and even though he is aware of the abuse, he keeps returning to the subject for the pleasure it brings.
I'm in trouble half the time,
The singer knows that his relationship with the subject can be characterized by chaos and harm just as much as it brings them joy, companionship, and escape.
Just looking for another hide
The singer tries to find ways to escape the subject's hold on him, but always fails and comes back to her.
But I don't have another choice
The artist is unable to leave the subject's control, as he has already surrendered his will, body, and mind to her.
And she don't have to try.
The subject doesn't have to go out of her way to maintain her hold on the artist, as he is already in the palm of her hand.
Every moment next to her
The artist cherishes every second he spends in the subject's company, and craves for more and more of her presence.
Is sweeter than a (?).
The effect of the subject's hold on the singer is deeper and more pleasurable than anything else in the world.
Evaporating when I open eyes.
However, as soon as the spell breaks and the artist opens his eyes to reality, that sense of joy evaporates and leaves behind pain and confusion.
In the most nights, she keep returning in her weaves
The singer is unable to escape the subject's influence even in his dreams, where she features heavily and keeps him tied to her.
I don't wanna stop this!
Despite the pain and harm, the singer wants to hold onto the bond he shares with the subject, as it brings him a sense of belonging and fulfillment that he has not found anywhere else.
Take me,
The singer pleads with the subject to possess him and keep him close.
Honestly, if it breaks me
The artist is ready to face whatever harm, loss, and pain that might come along with being bound to the subject and her control.
I will still call it Paradise, Paradise.
The artist, even though he knows the dangers of the subject's control, finds a sense of fulfillment, pleasure, and joy that he desires to keep no matter what the cost.
Even if I fought it,
The singer knows that there is no escaping the subject's hold on him, as he has already surrendered his will and body to her control.
I'd never escape from your Paradise, your Paradise.
The subject's hold on the singer is so deeply rooted in him that there is no escaping it, and he has accepted it as his only and true paradise.
Your Paradise.
Emphasizing the subject's ownership over the artist and how the relationship between the two is entirely driven by the former's control and dominance.
Writer(s): John Randall Fields, Marc Martel, Jennifer Decilveo
Contributed by Hannah O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.