Among her best known songs are "Private Emotion", a (duet with Ricky Martin) from his multi-Platinum album Ricky Martin (1999), and "All 'bout the Money", which was nominated for a Grammy Award in 1998.
She gained much popularity in the West after her single "How Crazy are You?" was used as the main theme music for the Xbox video game Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball.
Meja was born Anna Pernilla Torndahl in Nynäshamn, Stockholm County. She had her stage debut at "Ystads City theatre" at the age of 7. She was brought up in a musical family, her grandfather, Per Lundkvist, was a composer of both classical and contemporary music and her mother, a recording artist as a child before choosing a path as a painter.
In 1986, at the age of 16, she moved to Mallorca, Spain, to study. She was introduced to American jazz trumpet player/singer Stephen Frankevich and started to take vocal lessons with singer Deborah Carter.
Meja went to Stockholm in 1990. She sang in different bands there before getting out on tour as a backup singer for the Swedish group Rob n Raz DLC in 1991. In 1992 Meja moved to Los Angeles to continue her studies at the Musicians Institute in Hollywood. She graduated from the vocal program in late 1992 then returned to Sweden.
n 1993, Meja worked with the dance project Legacy of Sound. She co-wrote with Anders Bagge the first single, "Happy", from the album Holy Groove. The song reached the Top 10 on Billboard's Hot Dance Music/Club play, and it peaked at number 68 on the Top 100 during a 12-week stay on the chart. "Happy" was released in over 20 countries. Meja recorded one more album with Legacy of Sound in 1994, Tour de Force.
Meja teamed in 1995 with Swedish manager Lasse Karlsson, manager of Ace of Base, and writer/producer Douglas Carr to provide the vocals for the demo The Juvenile titled The Goldeneye.
The first solo album Meja, was released in 1996, with songs co-written by Billy Steinberg. In 1997 Meja had her first concert tour in Japan: The Flower Girl Jam Tour.
Meja released the album Seven Sisters in 1998. Later that year Columbia (Sony) launched the album in the U.S with the single "How Crazy Are You?"
Meja went to Miami in 1999 to record "Private Emotion", a duet with Ricky Martin for his debut album Ricky Martin. After shooting a video for the song, Meja stayed in Los Angeles to work on her next album Realitales (2000) with Steinberg. She also co-wrote two tracks for the album in London with Stephen Lipson. The artwork for this album was shot by Swedish director Jonas Åkerlund.
In 2003 Meja started to work with her former Sony Music boss, Richard Ogden. The album Mellow was released in 2004, with songs in Portuguese ("Água de Beber", "Dindi") and Spanish. She covered a Caetano Veloso song "O'Leaonzinho" that she named "Little Lion." The album was produced by Hamish Stuart. One song, "Simple Days-Walking the Distance", was used in the Japanese film Lakeside Murder Case.
In 2006 Meja went back to Los Angeles to collaborate again with Steinberg on a new album, also working with writers Jeff Barry, Billy Gibbons, Jed Leiber and Boz Boorer.
The first single "At the Rainbow's End" was released in June 2009, the second single "Regrets (I Have None)" in August, and the album Urban Gypsy was released on her own label Seven Sisters Network in October on a license deal with Sony Music. A remix of Mando Diao's "Dance with Somebody" was released early 2010.
The first release from the album Stroboscope Sky was the single "Blame it on the Shadows" (2013) produced by Ebbot Lundberg. Meja teamed with producer Nicolas Gunthardt and together with his sister Alessandra they wrote "Yellow Ribbon" which served as the theme song for the album. "Yellow Ribbon" was released as a single in collaboration with Amnesty International/Free the Angola 3 to help raise awareness of the case of Albert Woodfox. A remix EP was released with remixes by Deep Forest, Dj Swami, Gota Yashiki, DF Tram, NORD and more.
Flower Girl
Meja Lyrics
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The song "Flower Girl" by Meja is a reflection on memories and lost love. The lyrics suggest that the singer is haunted by a past relationship, represented by the flower girl, who has been absent for a long time. The singer seems to be reminiscing about the good times they shared, and the memories of the past start to dance in their head. The mirror reminds them of how it used to be, indicating a longing for the past. The flower girl is a symbol of the singer's hope and desire for reconnection with their lost love. The lyrics suggest that the singer is confused about the reasons for the separation and wonders whether it was their fault, or the flower girl's actions that caused the change.
The song develops as the singer is reunited with the flower girl, who stands before them. The final stanza indicates a sort of reconciliation or closure, as the singer acknowledges the flower girl's presence and feels that she is "all around", and that they don't want her to go. The song's melody conveys a bittersweet feeling of longing and melancholy, but also a sense of hope and the possibility of reconciliation. Overall, "Flower Girl" is a poignant and relatable song that reflects on the universal theme of lost love.
Line by Line Meaning
My, Oh my. Days are passing by
The singer feels like time is moving quickly.
Little flowergirl today it's long ago
The singer is reflecting on a past memory of someone they used to know who was innocent and pure like a flower.
A chapter of my past, just won't let me go
The singer is struggling to move on from this past memory.
Memories, starts to dance inside my head
The artist is being flooded with memories of this person.
Pictures are flashing and suddenly I see
The memories are vivid and clear in the artist's mind.
The mirror reminds me of how it used to be
The singer sees themselves in the mirror and is reminded of how things were in the past.
Just like a flowergirl
The singer is likening this person to a flowergirl, or someone who is innocent and pure.
How you walk into the room
The artist is remembering how this person walked into a room.
Deep inside of me I feel the flowergirl
The artist still feels the presence of this person in their heart.
Little flowergirl tell me why you could not stay
The artist is questioning why this person couldn't stay in their life.
So far away, Now I can see all those dreams that fade away
The singer is realizing that their dreams with this person have faded away since they left.
Was it me who forgot or you who caused the change
The artist is questioning who was responsible for the relationship falling apart.
What does it mean, when you're coming back this way
The singer is curious as to what it means that this person is returning.
And you walk into the room It couldn't be to soon
The singer is eager for this person to return.
Little flower just like a flowergirl little flowergirl
The singer is repeating their comparison of this person to a flowergirl.
And here we are, standing face to face
The artist and the person they are addressing are in each other's presence.
And don't you go, cause now you found me your all around me, I thought I'd let you know
The artist is telling this person not to leave because they realize they still care for them deeply.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DOUGLAS IAN CARR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind