"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."
Unchained Melody
Marc Martel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I′ve hungered for your touch
A long, lonely time
Time goes by so slowly
And time can do so much
Are you still mine?
I need your love
I need your love
Lonely rivers flow
To the sea, to the sea
To the open arms of the sea
Lonely rivers sigh
"Wait for me, wait for me"
I'll be coming home, wait for me
Oh, my love, my darling
I′ve hungered, for your touch
A long, lonely time
Time goes by so slowly
And time can do so much
Are you still mine?
I need your love
I need your love
God speed your love to me
The song Unchained Melody by Marc Martel is a classic love ballad that features a powerful, nostalgic storyline where the singer is expressing his yearning for his lover's touch after a long, lonely time. The opening lyrics set the tone for the song, where the singer is filled with longing for his beloved. "Oh, my love, my darling I′ve hungered for your touch, A long, lonely time." The gentle melody of the song adds to the emotional weight of the lyrics.
As the song progresses, the singer emphasizes the passage of time, and how it can be slow yet potent. "Time goes by so slowly, And time can do so much, Are you still mine?" The question marks the uncertainty of whether the singer's beloved is still his. His desperation and plea for love are clearly pointed out in "I need your love, I need your love, Godspeed your love to me."
The second verse is reminiscent of the first verse, where the singer compares the river's flow to the longing of his heart. He asks his lover to wait for him as he heads back to her. The lyrics match the melody's melancholic tone, and the combination creates a powerful, emotional experience for the listener.
In conclusion, Unchained Melody by Marc Martel is a timeless melody that captures the essence of true love and the heart's yearning through its emotional storyline and gentle melody.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, my love, my darling
Addressing the loved one with affection.
I′ve hungered for your touch
The longing for the loved one’s embrace.
A long, lonely time
The time away from the loved one has been isolating and prolonged.
Time goes by so slowly
The absence of the loved one makes the time move at a lethargic pace.
And time can do so much
Time has the power to change a lot in a person's life.
Are you still mine?
Questioning if the loved one is still in a committed relationship.
I need your love
Expressing the necessity of the loved one's affection.
God speed your love to me
Asking the heavens to let the love arrive to the poet quickly.
Lonely rivers flow
The natural flow of the rivers is lonely as it does not have a companion.
To the sea, to the sea
Going towards the vastness of the ocean.
To the open arms of the sea
The ocean is metaphorically compared to having open arms to welcome the lonely rivers.
Lonely rivers sigh
The sighs of the rivers reflect their loneliness.
"Wait for me, wait for me"
The poet reassures the river that they will be home soon.
I'll be coming home, wait for me
The poet promises to return home to the loved one.
Writer(s): H. Zaret, A. North
Contributed by Sadie O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@TD402dd
Finally someone equaled the 1960s Righteous Brothers version. It may be another 60 years before someone does it again.
@stevehoover5005
I have never ever EVER said that anyone but Elvis was my favorite singer but I now have a competitor for that spot in my heart! MAN!!!!
@BigXarlie
One of the best singers alive. Please, don't ever stop singing.
@ToddandRaquiForrest
funny you should say that. one time, long ago, Marc sang an entire lunchtime at school, and as the kids got up to go to class, Marc noticed someone had written, 'Will Martel ever stop singing?' on a table. thankfully, he never has stopped.
@papabearM3
Great King Rat
Having conniptions again? Dear oh dear!
@cannedyams9977
Great King Rat you okay bro?
@cannedyams9977
Great King Rat 😂😂😂 dude I’m laughing out loud that you’re still this passionate like 3 weeks later. Props
@NCC2087
Great King Rat couldn’t be more wrong. LOL. Whether singing his own stuff or somebody else’s, Martel is OBJECTIVELY one of the greatest singers alive today. You have to deny reality to say otherwise.
@jake01159
His voice is a true gift from God himself. Pure beauty flows from his lips.
@michellebrannontaylor3122
So true.