Mena was thirteen years old she moved to live with her musician father. She sang and wrote lyrics as a form of therapy for her feelings and frustrations. Not all the stories in her diary became songs, but "My Lullaby" was one of them, expressing her pain from her parents' divorce. After pleading with her father to make a demo, he contacted some industry experts to record Maria's songs in the studio. Then he presented his daughter's demo to the music industry. Sony Music signed Maria Mena to their label.
In March 2002, Mena's single "My Lullaby" reached number five in the Norwegian charts. The young singer quickly gained fans and soon earned her first platinum record. 2005 saw the release of Apparently Unaffected, including singles "Miss You Love" and "Just Hold Me". A significant success in Norway, the album gained three Spellemann nominations: best female artist, best hit, and best music video.
In September 2008 Mena's fifth studio album was released, Cause and Effect.
Cause and Effect
Maria Mena Lyrics
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I?m trying to lose myself
You ought to try it
Just starve for 6 days straight
Oh it?s a riot
Every Sunday night
I binge and I barf cause I carry the scars of an eight-year-old
As her own
I think you?ll leave me soon
Though I?ve no proof of it
But I?ll make it easier for you
By being a little bitch
And this is just the fear
But I think the reason
Why I?m scared you broke is
The only male influence I?ve had
After daddy went and left
Were my mother?s weekend lovers and
Their alcoholic breaths
I?ll tell you what caused it
If you handle the effects (the effects 2x)
Yes I?ll tell you what caused it
If you handle the effects (the effects 2x)
I?ll tell you what caused it
If you handle the effects
Yes I?ll tell you what caused it
If you handle the effects
I can?t laugh to hard I?m on a diet
I?m trying to lose myself
You ought to try it
Just starve for 6 days straight Oh it?s a riot
Every Sunday night
The song "Cause and Effect" by Maria Mena is a song that talks about the singer's struggles with body image issues, her fear of being left alone, and her difficult upbringing. The opening lines of the song "I can't laugh to hard I'm on a diet, I'm trying to lose myself, you ought to try it, just starve for 6 days straight, oh it's a riot, every Sunday night" suggest the singer's obsession with losing weight and her efforts to control her body, even at the cost of her own health.
As the song progresses, she talks about her mother who enforced the same rules on her body as hers and the pain and trauma of the experience that still lingers. She says that she thinks her partner will leave her soon, and she'll make it easier for him by being a little bitch, suggesting that she is pushing him away because of her fear of being abandoned.
The chorus of the song, "I'll tell you what caused it if you handle the effects," implies that the singer has an underlying issue that has caused her struggles, and if the listener is willing to hear her out, she'll explain it.
In summary, "Cause and Effect" touches on several difficult topics, including mental health issues like body dysmorphia, family trauma, and abandonment. It's a song that highlights the pain of these experiences, and the singer's desire to be heard and understood.
Line by Line Meaning
I can't laugh too hard I'm on a diet
I am too focused on my weight loss goals to completely express joy.
I'm trying to lose myself
I feel lost as a person and hope to find myself through this diet.
You ought to try it, just starve for 6 days straight. Oh, it's a riot every Sunday night
I am sarcastically recommending my unhealthy diet to someone, but in reality, it is a miserable experience.
I binge and I barf cause I carry the scars of an eight-year-old who's mother applied the same rules to a kid's body as her own
My mother's distorted views about body image and weight loss have caused me to struggle with an eating disorder since I was a child.
I think you'll leave me soon, though I've no proof of it. But I'll make it easier for you by being a little bitch, and this is just the fear but I think the reason why I'm scared you broke
I fear being abandoned by my partner and will act out to push them away as a form of self-preservation.
The only male influence I've had after daddy went and left were my mother's weekend lovers and their alcoholic breaths
I lacked positive male role models growing up, as my mother frequently had casual relationships with men who struggled with substance abuse.
I'll tell you what caused it if you handle the effects (the effects 2x). Yes I'll tell you what caused it if you handle the effects (the effects 2x)
I am willing to share the root cause of my issues, but only if the listener is prepared to deal with the consequences or impact of that knowledge.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: MARIA MENA, ARVID SOLVANG, ARVID WAM SOLVANG
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind