Born in London, he is the son of writer Ann Dexter-Jones and real estate tycoon Laurence Ronson. His mother later married Mick Jones, lead guitarist of multiplatinum selling rock band Foreigner. He has two sisters: fashion designer Charlotte Ronson and DJ Samantha Ronson. He spent his childhood in a wealthy suburb of London where he lived on the same street as Paul McCartneyโs family. When his parents divorced at age 8, he moved to New York, where he made friends with John Lennon's son, Sean Lennon.
Ronson played guitar and drums from an early age, but it wasn't until moving to New York City with his mother that Ronson discovered DJ culture. At age 16, already a fan of such popular hip-hop artists as Run-D.M.C. and the Beastie Boys, Ronson began listening to the various hip-hop mixtapes released every few months by DJs. Inspired, Ronson confiscated his father's record collection and began trying his hand at mixing.
The young DJ with the diverse taste soon caught the ears and eyes of various socialites and New York celebrities, including fashion designer Tommy Hilfiger, who featured Ronson along with other sons and daughters of celebrities in a 1997 fashion campaign. A year later, hip-hop mogul Sean "P. Diddy" Combs hired Ronson to DJ his fabled 29th birthday bash. These and other high-profile gigs boosted Ronson's "hip quotient" and helped promote his more serious-minded music career. Fusing his eclectic turntable skills with his knowledge of musical instruments and songwriting, Ronson eventually embarked on his first solo project. Featuring such diverse guest artists as dancehall rapper Sean Paul, hip-hop artist Mos Def, Jack White of the White Stripes, and Rivers Cuomo of Weezer, Ronson's debut album, Here Comes the Fuzz, bowed for Elektra in 2003.
Ronson's second album, Version, adds to his eclectic style. In this sophomore album, Ronson fuses a range of musical genres from Daniel Merriweather to Ol' Dirty Bastard to Phantom Planet with an up tempo contemporary funk sound. All the songs on this album are covers of previous Billboard top-10 pop songs, with a jazzy twist.
Career
Attending Vassar College and then New York University (NYU), Ronson became a regular at downtown hip-hop spots and made his name as a DJ on the New York club scene in 1993. He was soon one of the most respected DJs and was being called on for celebrities' private parties. Ronson is known for his diverse, genre-spanning selection, influenced by both the hip-hop scene of New York and the more rock influence of the UK, amongst others.
He moved on, however, to producing music. After producing Nikka Costa's song "Everybody Got Their Something," Ronson signed a record contract with Elektra Records. His first album Here Comes the Fuzz was released in 2003 and was a critically acclaimed success that featured artists of all genres, despite initially poor sales. The most well known song from the album, " Ooh Wee" samples " Sunny" by Boney M and features Nate Dogg, Ghostface Killah, and Trife Da God. He has since produced multiple songs on the albums of singers Christina Aguilera, Amy Winehouse, Lily Allen, and Robbie Williams.
In 2004, he formed his own record label, Allido Records, a subsidiary of Sony BMG's J Records, along with his longtime manager Rich Kleiman. The first artist he signed to Allido was rapper Rhymefest, most well-known for winning the Grammy for co-writing Kanye West's "Jesus Walks".
In March 2006, Ronson released a cover of Radiohead's " Just" as a single. In certain areas, such as the UK, it gained major radio play. It also saw release as part of Exit Music: Songs with Radio Heads, a full Radiohead covers CD, in April, later appearing on Ronson's second album, Version, which was released in the UK on 16 April 2007. It includes other covers of a diverse selection of rock & pop songs including: Kaiser Chiefs' " Oh My God" (featuring guest vocals from Lily Allen), an instrumental version of Coldplay's " God Put A Smile Upon Your Face", Britney Spears' "Toxic", Ryan Adams' "Amy", Maxรฏmo Park's " Apply Some Pressure", The Zutons' "Valerie" and Kasabian's "L.S.F.".
God Put A Smile Upon Your Face feat. The Daptone Horns
Mark Ronson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I've gotta say I'm on my way down
God give me style and give me grace
God put a smile upon my face
Where do we go to draw the line?
I've gotta say,
I wasted all your time, honey honey
God put a smile upon your face
Yeah
Now when you work it out I'm worse than you
Yeah when you work it out I wanted to
Now when you work out where to draw the line
Your guess is as good as mine
Where do we go nobody knows?
Don't ever say you're on your way down... when
God gave you style and gave you grace
And put a smile upon your face
Ah yeah
Now when you work it out I'm worse than you
Yeah when you work it out I wanted to
Now when you work out where to draw the line
Your guess is as good as mine
It's as good as mine
It's as good as mine
It's as good as mine
As good as mine
As good as mine
As good as mine
As good as mine
Where do we go nobody knows?
Don't ever say you're on your way down, when
God gave you style and gave you grace
And put a smile upon your face
The lyrics of the song God Put A Smile Upon Your Face by Mark Ronson feat. The Daptone Horns are an exploration of the uncertainty that lies ahead of us in life. The opening lines, "Where do we go nobody knows? I've gotta say I'm on my way down" set the tone of the song. The singer is acknowledging that life is unpredictable, and he is uncertain of what is to come. However, in the next lines, he prays to God to give him style and grace, and this is where the song title comes in. He attributes the smile on his face to the grace of God.
The second verse seems to be a conversation with a lover or a partner, where the singer is reflecting on how he has wasted their time. He wonders where he can go to fall from grace (to make things right again) and says that it was God who put a smile upon the face of his partner. The chorus repeats the uncertainty of life and the need to trust in God's grace. The final lines "Don't ever say you're on your way down when God gave you style and gave you grace and put a smile upon your face" serve as a reminder to the listener that even in difficult times, one should remember the gifts that God has provided and focus on the things that bring them joy.
Line by Line Meaning
Where do we go nobody knows?
Uncertainty about the future
I've gotta say I'm on my way down
Admitting defeat
God give me style and give me grace
Requesting help from a higher power
God put a smile upon my face
Feeling blessed and grateful for help received
Where do we go to draw the line?
Questioning boundaries and limits
I've gotta say, I wasted all your time, honey honey
Apologizing for mistakes and regrets
Where do I go to fall from grace?
Asking for guidance in difficult times
God put a smile upon your face
Recognizing the power of faith and hope
Now when you work it out I'm worse than you
Comparing oneself unfavorably to others
Yeah when you work it out I wanted to
Acknowledging personal shortcomings and mistakes
Your guess is as good as mine
Admitting ignorance and uncertainty
Don't ever say you're on your way down...
Encouraging oneself and others to stay positive
And put a smile upon your face
Repeating the refrain to emphasize its message
Lyrics ยฉ Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: CHRISTOPHER ANTHONY JOHN MARTIN, GUY RUPERT BERRYMAN, JONATHAN MARK BUCKLAND, WILLIAM CHAMPION
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@natashabenitez7650
Tired Skater. The Lyrics are actually in the description
When you look at the date or pressing the information of production..
God give me grace style..
You will see the lyrics..
Just wanted you to know if you didn't...
The Instruments are great!
did you notice the sign waves around..?, This is pretty jazzy
Mark has a small documentary on sounds over laying eachother..interesting.has more than one.. Best about a comment section we learn from eachother. Keep passing that around always.knowledge is power..
@wiedietie
The drums put a smile on my face ๐
@MisterBigBlunts
RIP Sharon Jones. Hearing these horns without her breaks my heart in a beautiful way.
@arargomez8423
Its gives me an old school vibes๐
@natashabenitez7650
Arar Gomez yesss do you notice the sign moving?
GOD PUT A SMILE
ON YOUR FACE
IT'S WAVING IN SLOW
MOTION ๐โ๐
DAPTONE HORNS
IS ABOVE IT..
BELOW MARK RONSON
INSTRUMENTS ๐ท
LOVE THIS VIBE !
@georgemladenov4738
Perfect for Break Dancing! You are great artist, bless!
@CalvinRRC
Such a good breaking song. Funky and dangerous.
@Livfree33
This album is still amazing a decade later๐
@nachiopistachio
A major Chilean talk radio station (Tele 13 Radio) has been using this as BGM for a couple of their shows and I wouldโve never guessed Mark freakinโ Ronson was behind it. Anyway, now I need more funky takes on my fav Coldplay tracks ๐
@heydayASMR
How to cure depression in 3 minutes
@jhemo8171
Mark eres de otro mundo ๐ Fantรกstico!!! โค