Martinez, real name Martin Swanstein, was born in 1981 and raised in the southernmost part of Sweden. At quite early age he discovered techno and later house music and since he already played keys, guitar, and flute it was a natural development to start to produce dance music on his computer. He also got himself a pair of turntables and started to hunt records. At this time Martin was too young to attend the clubs. Instead he arranged his own house parties on the beach, often with himself as DJ.
Some years later, via a demo tape, Martin got a chance to develop his producer skills in the Wrong Steps studio in Stockholm. There he co-produced some of his own tracks together with French producer Manuel Perez. Martin at this time still went to school, so the work had to be scheduled around the holidays. One of these early tracks later appeared as `Late Night Groove` on Martins debut twelve on Swedish label Deeplay Music.
In 2000 Martinez moved from the small Swedish town to the much more open music climate in the Danish capital Copenhagen. This supported him to put even more time and energy in his music productions, and not long after he landed a record deal with the well reputed Guidance label in Chicago. First out was the βLaidback Grooves EPβ with its mix of deephouse and broken beats and so far he's been releasing three twelve's on Guidance. As mentioned above Martinez debut twelve was released on Deeplay Music and he's also made some wonderful remixes for the Physics duo on the same label. His `Aquarium Jazz Dub Mix' on `Don't Deny Me Love` was a great success among audience, DJ's, and reviewers around the world. Other remix work include Danish pop/house act Filur as well as Dalminjo, Silicone Soul, The Beard, Holmes ft. Dragonfly, Jussi Pekka, Dibaba and Spiro Projecto.
Martinezβs sound started in the deeper & jazzier fields of electronic music. In the middle of 2003, Martinez felt a stronger passion for the more techie and experimental sounds of house music. He started to work more with samples and electro base-sounds, as well as introducing something that he calls, "Cosmic House"; a spacey house sound in a mixture of tech, atmosphere and colorful melodies. Not long after this, Martinez got called up by Steve Bug for a release on his DeepHouse imprint, Dessous Recordings, which resulted in "Skywalker EP", which was a huge success with many DJs around the globe. This opened up a whole new side of Martinez music, more edge and twisted. The more the better! Not long after, Martinez launched his own label, Out of Orbit Recordings. He has released three EPs by himself on Out of Orbit as well as 12inches from friends of his like, Trentemoller (huge success with Beta Boy/orb003), Zvukbroda and Jussi Pekka. Martinez also got two tracks signed to the very well repudiated Get Physical label out of Berlin.
Martinez's great deck skills and impeccable taste has given him a strong DJ reputation and he's often seen in the booth in various quality clubs and parties in Denmark and Sweden, where he's been supporting among others Aqua Bassino. On his 18th birthday, he played at the big closing party for the Stockholm Film Festival alongside hot-shot DJs like Jori Hulkkonen, Elegia and Llorca. He also played at the Roskilde festival in 2002, at Ben Watts Cherry Jam in London, Brama Jazz Cafe in Poland, Otto Zutz and Macarena Club in Barcelona. Swedish and Danish national radio and Radio Nova in Paris have broadcast his journeys on the wheels of steel
Carousel
Martinez Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Will I catch up to love? I could never tell, I know,
Chasing after you is like a fairytale, but I,
Feel like I'm glued on tight to this carousel
Come, come one, come all,
You must be this tall
To ride this ride at the carnival
Oh, come, take my hand
And run though playland
So high, too high at the carnival
And itβs all fun and games,
'Til somebody falls in love,
But you've already bought a ticket,
And thereβs no turning back now
Round and round like a horse on a carousel, we go,
Will I catch up to love? I could never tell, I know,
Chasing after you is like a fairytale, but I,
Feel like I'm glued on tight to this carousel
This horse is too slow,
Weβre always this close,
Almost, almost, weβre a freakshow
Right, right when Iβm near,
Itβs like you disappeared,
Whereβd you go? My dear, you're a freakshow!
And itβs all fun and games,
'Til somebody falls in love,
But you've already bought a ticket,
And thereβs no turning back now
Round and round like a horse on a carousel, we go,
Will I catch up to love? I could never tell, I know,
Chasing after you is like a fairytale, but I,
Feel like I'm glued on tight to this carousel
Why did you steal my cotton candy heart?
You threw it in this damn coin slot,
And now Iβm stuck, I'm stuck
Riding, riding, riding
Round and round like a horse on a carousel, we go,
Will I catch up to love? I could never tell, I know,
Chasing after you is like a fairytale, but I,
Feel like I'm glued on tight to this carousel
The song "Carousel" by Melanie Martinez is about the ups and downs of love compared to a carnival ride. The lyrics compare the experience of chasing after someone to a fairytale and being glued to a carousel. The chorus repeats the phrase "Round and round like a horse on a carousel, we go, will I catch up to love?" which highlights the circular nature of falling in and out of love. The song also references the fun and frivolous nature of the carnival with the lines "Come, come one, come all, you must be this tall, to ride this ride at the carnival" and "And itβs all fun and games, 'til somebody falls in love."
The second verse introduces the idea of being a freak show, with the lines "This horse is too slow, we're always this close, almost, almost, we're a freak show. Right, right when I'm near, it's like you disappeared, where'd you go? My dear, you're a freak show!" This suggests that the relationship is complicated and unpredictable, like a carnival attraction. The bridge of the song brings home the idea of being stuck on the ride, with the lines "Why did you steal my cotton candy heart? You threw it in this damn coin slot, and now I'm stuck, I'm stuck riding, riding, riding."
In summary, "Carousel" by Melanie Martinez is a metaphor for the rollercoaster ride of love, comparing it to the circular motion of a carousel ride at a carnival. It's a catchy and relatable commentary on the ups and downs of relationships.
Line by Line Meaning
Round and round like a horse on a carousel, we go
Our relationship is like a horse carousel, with no way out of the cycle we're in.
Will I catch up to love? I could never tell, I know
I'm unsure if I'll ever truly find love, or if it's just an unattainable goal.
Chasing after you is like a fairytale, but I
Pursuing you feels like a storybook romance, but it's not complete without true love.
Feel like I'm glued on tight to this carousel
I'm trapped in this endless cycle, unable to escape my feelings for you.
Come, come one, come all
Everyone is invited to our relationship, but there are some rules.
You must be this tall
There are certain standards and requirements for entering this relationship.
To ride this ride at the carnival
There are specific expectations that must be met to participate in this romance.
Oh, come, take my hand
Join me on this journey.
And run through playland
Let's enjoy life together.
So high, too high at the carnival
Our emotions are heightened to the point of being overwhelming and almost too much to handle.
And itβs all fun and games
At first, it's easy to believe that our romance is nothing but a fun, playful game.
'Til somebody falls in love
But when one of us falls in love, everything changes.
But you've already bought a ticket
We're already in too deep to back out and undo our feelings for each other.
And thereβs no turning back now
We're committed to this romantic path and can't change direction.
This horse is too slow
Our relationship is stagnant and moving too slowly.
Weβre always this close
We're always near each other, but never truly together.
Almost, almost, weβre a freakshow
Our relationship is like a sideshow attraction, always on the verge of something but never quite reaching it.
Right, right when Iβm near
When I'm closest to you, you seem to disappear or become distant.
Itβs like you disappeared
You become elusive and hard to reach.
Whereβd you go? My dear, you're a freakshow!
I can't understand why you're playing games with me and not committing to our relationship like I am.
Why did you steal my cotton candy heart?
You took my heart, which was sweet and light like cotton candy, and now it's in your hands.
You threw it in this damn coin slot
You're using my heart like a commodity or currency in our relationship.
And now Iβm stuck, I'm stuck
I'm trapped in my feelings for you and can't escape even if I wanted to.
Riding, riding, riding
I'm stuck in this emotional ride, unable to get off and escape my feelings for you.
Lyrics Β© Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JEREMY DUSSOLLIET, MELANIE MARTINEZ, TIMOTHY SOMMERS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind