"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."
Who Wants to Live Forever
Marc Martel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There's no place for us
What is this thing that builds our dreams
Yet slips away from us?
Who wants to live forever?
Who wants to live forever? Ooh
It's all decided for us
This world has only one sweet moment
Set aside for us
Who wants to live forever?
Who wants to live forever? Ooh
Who dares to love forever
Oh, when love must die?
But touch my tears with your lips
Touch my world with your fingertips
And we can have forever
And we can love forever
Forever is our today
Who wants to live
Who wants to live forever?
Who wants to live forever?
Forever is our today
Who waits forever anyway?
The lyrics of Marc Martel's song Who Wants to Live Forever raises questions about the transience of human life and the fleeting nature of our dreams. The song begins with a sense of despair as the singer asks what is the point of building dreams when they inevitably slip away from us. The first verse highlights the temporal nature of human existence and suggests that there is neither time nor place for our aspirations. The second verse takes a more negative turn and argues that there is no chance for us since everything is already decided before we are even born.
However, in the chorus, the singer asks, "Who wants to live forever?" which indicates that immortality is not necessarily desirable or satisfying. The repetition of the phrase "ooh" suggests that the idea of living forever is both enticing and scary. The lyrics then transition into the idea of eternal love that can transcend death. The bridge of the song encourages the listener to touch the singer's tears with their lips and their world with their fingertips, indicating a sense of intimacy and connection. The song concludes with the question, "Who waits forever anyway?" which suggests that while immortality may be a desirable thought, forever is unattainable and unknowable.
Line by Line Meaning
There's no time for us
We don't have any time left to achieve our dreams or do things we want to do. Time is running out.
There's no place for us
We don't belong anywhere, we don't fit in, no one accepts us.
What is this thing that builds our dreams
Yet slips away from us?
The hope of our aspirations, lifestyle, and happiness appears to be within reach, but it vanishes as soon as we grasp it for a moment or two. As a result, it seems like we'll never attain our objectives.
Who wants to live forever?
Who wants to live forever? Ooh
Is living forever what people really want? Is it sustainable? Is it actually appealing? If given the choice, would people opt to opt out of the mortality cycle perpetuated by all living creatures?
There's no chance for us
It's all decided for us
This world has only one sweet moment
Set aside for us
We don't have any opportunities, and life's fate is decided before we even have a say in it. The world is a harsh, unforgiving place, but we can cherish one sweet moment.
Who dares to love forever
Oh, when love must die?
Is it worth it to risk everything for a lifelong love that will eventually perish? Is it feasible to keep love alive for an unlimited period of time?
But touch my tears with your lips
Touch my world with your fingertips
And we can have forever
And we can love forever
Forever is our today
Despite all of life's difficulties and the inevitability of death, love is what keeps us going. A little affection can go a long way, and we can experience the illusion of forever if we simply focus on the present.
Who waits forever anyway?
Why bother sitting around waiting for something that may never come or last indefinitely? We should make the most of what we have and not waste time on wishful thinking.
Writer(s): Michael Kamen, Brian May
Contributed by Adrian G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@AAAOU1
Apparently Freddie’s voice wants to live forever....
@natethefox1921
@Black Dog y so mad?
@natethefox1921
@Black Dog but y so mad at Marc?
I mean he didnt do anything really bad ...right?
@maidaydreaming4365
Alexander Foulks so true
@ABorges2000
@Black Dog dude, is simple: don´t like him, don´t hear him... people are so obnoxious in this internet age... geez
@ABorges2000
@Black Dog well, right now, you're the obnoxious one. If you don't even listen to the videos why do you have to comment? Ignore Martel and ignore his fans. You will be much better
@johnyair
Marc, it's not about that "you have a gift", YOU ARE THE GIFT for millions of Queen's fans all over the world. Please, keep the show on...
@vlogsnstufflikethat
perfectly said!
@Darth_Jalos
The show must go on!
@Hexe2310
True words 💝