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.
If
Meja Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
of how I thought life would be
And now the years have gone
I realized too many things
I am so glad I am home by the early morning breeze
I am so glad that I have all my darling friends
I wouldn磘 be what I am today
I wouldn磘 be here now
If you weren磘 there, If you weren磘 there
If you weren磘 there to stand by my side
I wouldn磘 be what I am today
I wouldn磘 be here now,
If you weren磘 there If you weren磘 there,
If you weren磘 there to stand by my side
As long as I磎 alive
I owe you with my gratitude
cause you taught me how to see
the value of my life
There磗 no one else I'd rather be
from this moment Iç£l be free
Bridge
I am so glad I am home by the rainbow and the sea
I am so glad that I have all my darling friends
Chorus
The lyrics of Meja's song "If" reflect upon the journey of self-discovery and the appreciation for the people who have supported and stood by the singer throughout their life. The song begins by acknowledging how as a "princess of today," the singer grew up with fantasies and illusions created by fairytales about how life would be. However, as time passes, they come to realize the harshness of reality and the many lessons it teaches.
The first verse expresses gratitude for being able to come to this realization and acknowledges the presence of friends who have played a significant role in the singer's life. The early morning breeze and the feeling of being at home symbolize a sense of comfort and security. The singer emphasizes that they would not be who they are today or in their current state if it weren't for the support and presence of these friends.
The second verse reinforces this sentiment by acknowledging that the singer owes their gratitude to someone specific who taught them the value of life and guided them to see it through a new perspective. This person, who seems to potentially be a mentor or a close companion, becomes the ultimate reason for their growth and newfound freedom.
The bridge further emphasizes the singer's happiness and gratitude, being home by the rainbow and the sea, representing a state of joy and harmony. Once again, the presence of dear friends is highlighted as a source of delight and contentment.
Overall, the lyrics of "If" convey a deep appreciation for the lessons learned and the individuals who have supported the singer's personal growth and development.
Line by Line Meaning
As princess of today I read too many fairytales
I have grown up with unrealistic expectations, influenced by the idealized stories I have read
of how I thought life would be
imagining a life filled with magic, perfect endings, and no hardships
And now the years have gone
as time has passed
I realized too many things
I have come to understand many truths
that you call reality
the harsh realities of life that you face
I am so glad I am home by the early morning breeze
I feel a deep sense of contentment and comfort being in my own space, embraced by the gentle breeze of a new day
I am so glad that I have all my darling friends
I am grateful to have wonderful friends who bring joy and support into my life
I wouldn't be what I am today
I would not have become the person I am now
I wouldn't be here now
I would not be in this present moment
If you weren't there, If you weren't there
If you had not been by my side
I wouldn't be what I am today
I would not have become the person I am now
I wouldn't be here now
I would not be in this present moment
If you weren't there, If you weren't there
If you had not been by my side
As long as I'm alive
For as long as I continue to exist
I owe you with my gratitude
I am indebted to you and express my thanks
cause you taught me how to see
because you have shown me a new perspective
the value of my life
the importance and worth of my existence
There's no one else I'd rather be
I am content being who I am, I wouldn't want to be anyone else
from this moment I'll be free
starting now, I will embrace freedom and liberation
I am so glad I am home by the rainbow and the sea
I feel immense joy in being at home, surrounded by the beauty of a rainbow and the serenity of the sea
I am so glad that I have all my darling friends
I am grateful for the company and love of my dear friends
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: MEJA ANNA PERNILLA BECKMAN, ALEXANDER ERIK KRONLUND
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@damayantiayumi9581
Sometimes I find another world
inside my mind
when I realise
the crazy things we do
It makes me feel ashamed to be alive
It makes me wanna run away and hide
It's all 'bout the money
It's all 'bout the dum dum.......
And I don't think It's funny
to see us fade away
It's all 'bout the money
It's all 'bout the dum dum...
and I think we got it all wrong anyway
We find strange ways of showing
them how much we really care
when in fact
we just don't seem to care at all
This pretty world
is getting out of hand
So tell me how we fail to understand?
It's all 'bout the money
It's all 'bout the dum dum.......
And I don?t think It?s funny
to see us fade away
It's all 'bout the money
It's all 'bout the dum dum...
and I think we got it all wrong anyway
Anyway
Cause it's all 'bout the money
It's all 'bout the money
It's all 'bout the dum dum...
And I don't think it's funny
to see us fade away
It's all 'bout the money
It's all 'bout the dum dum...
and I think we got it all wrong
Anyway
It's all 'bout the money
It's all 'bout the dum dum...
And I don't think it's funny
to see us fade away
It's all 'bout the money
It's all 'bout the dum dum...
and I think we got it all wrong anyway
Anyway
@21blackjack21
Who's listening in 2024 ? Raise your Hand✋
@gustavgnoettgen
What a nice original idea. We should comment that under every song.
@FredGoldust
@@gustavgnoettgen Somebody didn't ask for today yet
@djpulp
Suddenly just started to playing in my head =D
@rayaslove
✋
@dannyprabowo6941
🎉🎉
@JedTaneo
These are pop songs from the 90’s that actually rock. There’s something back then so good you can’t explain.
@sinic1978
You put the 60s, 70s and 80s together and you have the 90s. Music's greatest decade. Peak Music.
@bemfawkes3214
It's so weird seeing people get so fussed over the 90s. I remember thinking we had no style and we were copycats with music and/or just pumping out boyband/girl band shite.
@Tipi83
@@bemfawkes3214 Wouldn't say that everyone was copycats. If you look at music today, man, no originality, music nor fashion-wise. Back in the 90's we were bumpin rap, rock and punk/skate punk. Boy bands were never our thing. :)