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.
Dear
Maria Mena Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Of the past we've shared
Our bodies grew much faster than our minds
But together we got good at stopping time
My teen angst drove me to hurt myself
And I made you watch
Oh the pain I must have caused
We were never meant to be lovers
Just fellow late bloomers
Who blossomed apart
Who blossomed apart
Watching my parents
made me look for something destructive
And there you were
With all the characteristics of my mom
Familiarity of home
The geographic gap let to forced adulthood
And your rage exposed
I'm glad we left things when we did
I doubt I'd survive another bloody moan (bloody moan)
We were never meant to be lovers
We just mirrored each other's
self destructiveness
self destructiveness
The spotlight burned in the room when we were together
And we played our parts
And I wore an imaginary tv screen
So you never got to touch my heart (touch my heart)
We were never meant to be lovers
Our egos fed of each other
And died overweight
And died overweight
I thought I'd seen it all when you first walked in
But you shut me up
And challenged every wrong perception I've had of myself
And you haven't ever stopped
The song "Dear" by Maria Mena reveals the aftermath of a past relationship that was never meant to be romantic. The opening lines indicate that the singer remembers their past with fondness, acknowledging the naivety of their youth when their bodies developed before their minds. However, they also emphasize how the love between them was never meant to be the love of different persons, but rather two lost souls who learned to comfort each other. The chorus repeatedly stresses that they were late bloomers that grew apart, not destined to be lovers, but united in their self-destructiveness.
The verse that follows unveils a painful confession made by the singer who admits to hurting themselves in the past, in front of their ex-lover. The lyrics are raw and honest as they reveal the personal battles the singer was going through. However, they admit that their partner's presence in their life was crucial to their survival, indicating how their bond was more than just a little teenage romance. The next verse focuses on the singer's upbringing, hinting at possible abusive family dynamics. The lyrics reveal how the singer sought out her ex-lover as a partner because they reminded her of home, and the familiarity of home can be both comforting and toxic.
The ending part elaborates on the artificial relationship they shared, with the singer suggesting they were acting out their roles in front of an imaginary TV screen. The relationship further deteriorates because of the physical distance and the partner's anger issues. They acknowledge that they both fed off each other's ego, never allowing themselves to look beyond their self-destructive ways, leading to an overweight situation between the two. The song ends ambiguously, with a note of optimism, with the singer confessing that their partner shut them up initially and then challenged their self-perception, implying that their relationship changed them both, maybe for the better.
Line by Line Meaning
I'll always treasure the naivety
I'll always remember and hold dear the innocent, immature mindset we had at the beginning.
Of the past we've shared
Of the experiences and moments we've had together before.
Our bodies grew much faster than our minds
Our physical development surpassed our mental and emotional growth.
But together we got good at stopping time
But we figured out how to make time appear to stand still when we were together.
My teen angst drove me to hurt myself
My teenage emotions and problems led me to harm myself.
And I made you watch
And I made you witness my pain and struggles.
Oh the pain I must have caused
Oh the pain and hurt I must have inflicted on you.
But by staying around you saved my life (saved my life)
But by staying in my life and supporting me, you prevented me from doing something irreparable and saved me.
We were never meant to be lovers
We were not meant to have a romantic relationship or be in love.
Just fellow late bloomers
Just peers who developed later than others.
Who blossomed apart
Who matured and evolved differently and grew apart.
Watching my parents
Observing my parents' behavior and actions.
made me look for something destructive
Made me seek out something harmful or detrimental to myself.
And there you were
And then you came into my life.
With all the characteristics of my mom
You possessed many traits or qualities similar to my mother's.
Familiarity of home
You were familiar like my household or upbringing.
The geographic gap let to forced adulthood
The distance between us forced me to grow up and mature faster.
And your rage exposed
And your outbursts and anger showed your true nature.
I'm glad we left things when we did
I'm happy we moved on and ended things when we did, for the sake of both of us.
I doubt I'd survive another bloody moan (bloody moan)
I don't think I could handle or survive another argument or tantrum.
The spotlight burned in the room when we were together
Our interactions and conversations drew attention and intensity to the room.
And we played our parts
And we acted out our expectations and roles for each other.
And I wore an imaginary tv screen
And I put up a barrier or facade that prevented you from truly understanding or connecting with me.
So you never got to touch my heart (touch my heart)
So you never really knew or felt my true emotions or feelings.
Our egos fed of each other
Our inflated senses of self were reinforced by each other.
And died overweight
And ultimately led to our downfall and decline.
I thought I'd seen it all when you first walked in
I thought I knew everything or had all the answers when I met you originally.
But you shut me up
But you proved me wrong and made me stop talking or thinking in that way.
And challenged every wrong perception I've had of myself
And challenged and changed every false or harmful belief I had about myself.
And you haven't ever stopped
And you continue to inspire and help me grow to this day.
Contributed by Kennedy J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.