At a 1998 audition for Lilith Fair, Ord met Canadian music impresario Terry McBride of the Vancouver-based record label and management company Nettwerk. She would be showcased at the music festival, and eventually take McBride as her manager.
In 1999, after her sister told her about a talent contest from Edmonton contemporary hit radio radio station Power 92; Maren entered four songs she had written that night, and two of them—"Eternity" and "Falling Slowly"—were recorded on the station's compilation CD, Power Picks Volume II.
The Nettwerk years and Waiting
Waiting, released to different markets between 2000 and 2002.
Once signed with McBride and Nettwerk, Ord continued to perform and record and embarked on years of progressive promotion, including use of her songs on several episodes of the American television series Felicity and her performance of the theme song to the 2000 motion picture Thomas and the Magic Railroad. Her debut album, Waiting, was produced by Stephen Hague and recorded in London, England and New York City.
On November 7, 2000, Highway Records released a special edition of Waiting to a Christian, predominantly Mormon, bookstore market; this edition featured a bonus track that would not appear on the general public release. Nettwerk's record company released Waiting in Canada on February 20, 2001.
While Ord was nominated for a Juno Award for Best New Artist, and her singles "Sarah" and "Perfect" were successful on Canadian radio, an anticipated U.S. and international release with Capitol/EMI in summer 2001 did not come through, and Nettwerk itself, not a major record label outside of Canada, released Waiting quietly in the United States on August 27, 2002.
A second beginning and Not Today
Not Today, released in 2004.
Ord parted ways with McBride and Nettwerk to join Gary McDonald at the boutique Managment firm Frontside, and looked for another mass-market record company, but continued to work with Highway and its focus on the Mormon market for the September 28, 2004 release of her sophomore album, Not Today. Canadian music legend Randy Bachman (The Guess Who, Bachman-Turner Overdrive), also a Latter-day Saint, collaborated as co-writer, guitarist and producer for the album, which they recorded at Bachman's studio on Saltspring Island in British Columbia.
She performed in two Mormon-themed movies: singing on the soundtrack of the 2002 romantic comedy The Singles Ward, and acting, as Sariah Phelps, in the 2003 family comedy The R.M. (or The Returned Missionary).
Writing in Las Vegas Weekly (December 9, 2004), Richard Abowitz contended that Ord "is a more gifted musician than Alanis, sings a lot better than Michelle Branch and writes songs sharper than Pink and Avril combined." [1]
Over the sophomore hump with album number three Pretty Things
With the release of "Pretty Things" on November 21st, 2006 Ord enters yet another phase of her career, an acoustic one. "Pretty Things" marks the beginning of Ord's production career as she co-produced the entire record herself at a studio in Orem, Utah. The sound is simpler, quieter and more reminiscent of Jack Johnson than Avril Lavigne (whom she's been compared to previously). It saw a world-wide digital release through platforms like iTunes on October 10th, 2006 and was met with mostly favorable reviews from her fans.
Perfect
Maren Ord Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
They may not open
What if they open
Would you be alive
Everyone falls
But not everyone rises
Why don't you get up
[Chorus]
What if the world were
A little more perfect
Would you stop crying or
Would you take the leap
What if the world
Were a little more perfect
Would you open your eyes
And blink again for me
What about friendship
What about friends
You said the whole world
Was against you
And it all had to end
What about love
What about family
What about all that
You have to live for
[Chorus]
It isn't easy here without you
Why did you leave me
What am I supposed to do
(without you)
[Chorus]
The lyrics of Maren Ord's song "Perfect" is a reflection on the struggles of life and the importance of perseverance. The first verse urges the listener not to close their eyes, even though they may be tempted to do so in times of difficulty. This is because if they do not open them again, they may lose their chance at life. The second verse acknowledges that everyone falls in life, but not everyone rises. The singer then asks the listener to rise again, not for themselves, but for the sake of others.
The chorus of the song poses a hypothetical question about a world that is a little more perfect. The singer asks whether the listener would stop crying or take the leap if the world were a little more perfect. The idea is that even if the world were perfect, people would still face challenges and have to make the choice between giving up or persevering. The bridge questions the listener's personal relationships, asking them to consider the importance of friendship, love, and family when feeling hopeless.
In conclusion, "Perfect" by Maren Ord is an emotional and poignant song that urges listeners not to give up on life, even in the face of adversity. The song reminds us that no matter how perfect the world may seem, we all have to face our personal trials and make the choice to keep going for the sake of ourselves and those we love.
Line by Line Meaning
Don't close your eyes
Don't shut yourself away from the world
They may not open
You might miss out on experiencing life
What if they open
What if you give life a chance
Would you be alive
Would you be truly living
Everyone falls
Everyone experiences setbacks
But not everyone rises
Not everyone bounces back from their setbacks
Why don't you get up
Why don't you try to rise again
And rise again for me
And try to live a fulfilling life for those who care for you
[Chorus]
Refocus on what life could be like if it were a little more perfect
What about friendship
What about the relationships and connections we share
What about friends
What about the people who support us
You said the whole world
You felt like the entire world was against you
Was against you
You felt isolated and alone
And it all had to end
And you were ready to give up on everything
What about love
What about the love we have in our lives
What about family
What about the support from our families
What about all that
What about all the other things in life
You have to live for
We have a lot to live for
[Chorus]
Look for hope and optimism instead of despair
It isn't easy here without you
It's hard to move on from losing someone you care about
Why did you leave me
It's natural to feel abandoned and want answers
What am I supposed to do
It can be difficult to know how to move forward
(without you)
Without the person we lost
[Chorus]
Consider the possibilities of what life could be like with a little more positivity
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JONATHAN MICHAEL MCLAUGHLIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind