They have described themselves as queer, straight edge, vegan and anarchist. They have no designated frontperson and all contribute vocals. Two members of Martha previously founded (and still play in) the band ONSIND, and another leads the band No Ditching.
They have variously cited The Housemartins, Motown, Billy Bragg, The Thermals, Ted Leo, power pop, The Replacements, Heart, The Marked Men, Big Star, Masshysteri, and The Exploding Hearts as influences.
Martha formed in the village of Pity Me, a suburb of Durham in the North East of England. Formed by J.C. Cairns (guitar/vocals), Daniel Ellis (guitar/vocals), Naomi Griffin (bass/vocals), and Nathan Stephens-Griffin (drums/vocals) in the early 2010s, they released their self-titled debut EP in February 2012.
A year later they released the "Sycamore"/"Lost Without You" single on their own Discount Horse label. The band played Indietracks festival for the first time in 2013. After releasing a split single with American artist Spoonboy (David Combs of The Max Levine Ensemble) Martha headed to the studio with MJ of Hookworms to record their first album.
Courting Strong was released by Fortuna Pop! in the U.K. and Salinas Records in the U.S. They followed it with more split singles with American bands Benny "The Jet" Rodriguez and Radiator Hospital, a repeat visit to Indietracks and an appearance at Glastonbury Festival.
Their next album Blisters in the Pit of My Heart, also produced by MJ, was issued in mid-2016 by Dirtnap Records in the U.S. and Fortuna Pop! once again in the U.K.
They toured the UK with Radiator Hospital in late 2015, and played a tour of the UK and Ireland with Joyce Manor in July 2017.
In mid to late April and early May 2018 they, along with Bad Moves of Washington, D.C., supported Jeff Rosenstock for the Northeastern and Midwestern leg of his US tour.
On 17 April 2018 Martha, filling in last minute for Yo La Tengo, were the guest band on an episode of The Chris Gethard Show on truTV.
On 13 December 2018 the band released single "Heart Is Healing"; announcing they had signed to Big Scary Monsters in the UK and EU and had a new album following soon. On 28 January 2019 the band unveiled title track "Love Keeps Kicking" as a single. The video for which was the second directed for the band by friends Ben Epstein and David Combs of The Max Levine Ensemble. The band's third album, Love Keeps Kicking, was released on 5 April 2019.
I Want You Back
Martha Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I didn't want you around
Those pretty faces always made you
Stand out in a crowd
But someone picked you from the bunch
One glance was all it took
Now it's much too late for me
To take second look
Oh baby give me one more chance
To show you that I love you
Won't you please send me back in your heart
Oh darlin' I was blind to let you go
But now since I see you in his arms
I want you back
Yes I do now
I want you back
Ooh ooh baby
Yeah yeah, naw
Trying to live without your love
Is one long sleepless night
Let me show you girl
That I know wrong from right
Every street you walk on
I leave tear stains on the ground
Following the girl
I didn't even want around
Oh baby give me one more chance
To show you that I love you
Won't you please send me back in your heart
Abuh buh buh buh
All I want!
Abuh buh buh buh
All I need!
Abuh buh buh buh
The lyrics of "I Want You Back" by Martha Reeves and The Vandellas express regret and a desire to reclaim a lost love. The singer acknowledges that when they were together, they took their partner for granted, seeing them as just another pretty face in a crowd. However, they recognize the error of their ways and wish they could have another chance to show their love. The song also indicates that the singer is having a difficult time moving on without their love and is following them around, leaving tear stains on the ground.
The chorus of the song, "Oh baby give me one more chance, to show you that I love you" is a universal sentiment that many people can relate to. The singer's longing for a lost love is something that most people can empathize with, and the repetition of the phrase "Abuh buh buh buh" at the end of the song adds an element of urgency to the lyrics, emphasizing the singer's desperation to win back their love.
Overall, "I Want You Back" is a classic love song about lost love and the longing to make things right again. The lyrics are straightforward and honest, expressing the singer's regret and desire to be with their partner again. The melody is catchy and upbeat, making it a classic that has stood the test of time.
Line by Line Meaning
When I had you to myself
When we were together, I didn't appreciate or value you.
I didn't want you around
I pushed you away and didn't want to be with you.
Those pretty faces always made you stand out in a crowd
You were attractive and caught people's attention.
But someone picked you from the bunch
Someone chose you over everyone else.
One glance was all it took
They fell in love with you at first sight.
Now it's much too late for me to take second look
I realize now that I made a mistake and it's too late to change things.
Oh baby give me one more chance
Please give me another opportunity to make things right.
To show you that I love you
To prove my love to you through my actions.
Won't you please send me back in your heart
Please open your heart to me again and forgive me.
Oh darlin' I was blind to let you go
I didn't realize how much I cared for you until you were gone.
But now since I see you in his arms
Now that I see you with someone else, I realize my mistake.
I want you back
I want to be with you again.
Trying to live without your love
It's difficult to go on without you.
Is one long sleepless night
I can't sleep or rest without you in my life.
Let me show you girl
Allow me to demonstrate my love for you.
That I know wrong from right
I understand what I did wrong and how to make it right.
Every street you walk on
Everywhere you go, I'm reminded of you.
I leave tear stains on the ground
I cry and feel sorrowful when I think of you.
Following the girl I didn't even want around
I realize now that I was wrong to not appreciate you when I had you.
Abuh buh buh buh all I want!
All I want is to be with you.
Abuh buh buh buh all I need!
All I need is your love and forgiveness.
Abuh buh buh buh
Repeated sounds representing the singer's passion and longing for their love.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Freddie Perren, Alphonso Mizell, Deke Richards, Berry Gordy Jr
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind