"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."
Up In The Air
Marc Martel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Not trigonometry
Either we got it or let's call it history
Suspense it's killing me
So tell me honestly
We can survive on just fifty fifty?
Walk away, I'll take my hat
Stop leading me on let me know where I stand
Don't lift me up in the air
You know it's just isn't fair
No!
I'm getting curious of
You leading into these
Am I in between flame
Are we serious?
In hanging by a string
Just give me anything
Let's have a truth, your silence is definy
And if is over please
Let me down easy
Don't lift me up in the air
No
You know it's just isn't fair
No!
I need some kind of signal
Keeping me on limbo
Gotta know this is going anywhere
Don't let me up in the air
No!
Are we ever gonna touch down
Do you even care?
I'm up in the air
Looking for some solid ground
No, you're not being fair
I'm up on the air
Don't lift me up in the air
You know it's just isn't fair
No!
I need some kind of signal
You're keeping me on limbo
Is this going anywhere
Don't lift me up in the air
The song "Up In The Air" by Marc Martel talks about the uncertainty and confusion in a romantic relationship. The lyrics suggest that love should be easy and natural like chemistry rather than complicated like trigonometry. The singer is expressing his frustration with his partner's lack of clear communication about their feelings for each other, and how their relationship seems to be hanging by a thread.
He is looking for some indication of where they stand, but the other person seems to be keeping him in limbo. He asks for honesty and clarity, and if the relationship is over, he wants to be let down easy. The phrase "don't lift me up in the air" appears multiple times in the song and serves as a metaphor for how his partner is keeping him in suspense and uncertainty.
The chorus emphasizes how unfair the situation is and how he feels like he's just floating around with no solid ground to stand on. The overall message of the song is that communication and honesty are important in any relationship, and without them, it's impossible to build something lasting and meaningful.
Line by Line Meaning
Love should be chemistry
Love should be about natural attraction and connection, not just a calculated equation
Not trigonometry
Love should not involve complicated math or formulas
Either we got it or let's call it history
If there is no chemistry, we should acknowledge it and move on from this relationship
Suspense it's killing me
The uncertainty and lack of clarity in this relationship is causing me emotional pain
So tell me honestly
Please be truthful and transparent with me
We can survive on just fifty fifty?
Can this relationship survive with equal effort from both of us?
Make up your mind
Please make a decision about our relationship
Walk away, I'll take my hat
If you choose to end things, I will accept it and leave without making it difficult
Stop leading me on let me know where I stand
Please stop giving me mixed signals and make it clear how you feel about me
Don't lift me up in the air
Do not give me false hope or lead me on
You know it's just isn't fair
It is unfair to me to be left in a state of confusion and uncertainty
I'm getting curious of
I am becoming curious about
You leading into these
Your actions and words are leading me to believe
Am I in between flame
Am I caught between love and rejection?
Are we serious?
Is this relationship something you take seriously?
In hanging by a string
I feel like our relationship is hanging by a thread
Just give me anything
Please give me a clear sign or indication of how you feel and where this relationship is headed
Let's have a truth, your silence is defying
Let's be honest with each other, your silence is not clarifying anything
And if it's over please
If our relationship is over, please
Let me down easy
End it gently and respectfully
I need some kind of signal
I am looking for some sort of sign or signal
Keeping me on limbo
Your lack of clarity is keeping me in a state of uncertainty and confusion
Gotta know this is going anywhere
I need to know if this relationship is headed in any clear direction
Are we ever gonna touch down
Will we ever reach a stable and clear state in our relationship?
Do you even care?
Are you invested and interested in this relationship at all?
I'm up in the air
I am left in a state of uncertainty and confusion
Looking for some solid ground
I am searching for some sort of stability and clarity
No, you're not being fair
Your actions and lack of communication are not fair to me
Contributed by Isabelle F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.