Born on the 2nd February 1985 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Gardot took up piano and played as a youngster on the nightclub scene of Philadelphia, influenced by jazz, folk, rock, and pop musics. At the age of nineteen she was a fashion student at the Community College of Philadelphia. While cycling in Philadelphia in November 2003 she was hit by a car whose driver had ignored a red traffic light. In the accident she suffered serious head and spinal injuries, and her pelvis was broken in two places. Because of these severe injuries she was confined to her hospital bed for a year. Her musical beginning was prompted by a tending physician who was concerned with her cognitive impairment as a result of head injury sustained in the accident. He believed that music would help her brain injury improve, as it has been known to show remarkable results in improving people's cognitive ability after such trauma.
Following her doctor's suggestion, Gardot made recordings bedside, while still unable to walk, and eventually released the works as an EP: Some Lessons: The Bedroom Sessions (2005). Gardot's desire to be well, combined with a bit of luck, brought her to the attention of a local radio DJ at the AAA station WXPN (known for launching the careers of artists such as Amos Lee and Norah Jones). Her cognitive powers slowly but surely became pronounced, leading to the independent recording and release of her debut CD, Worrisome Heart, which was reissued in 2007 by Verve records.
Gardot is hypersensitive to light and noise, so wears dark glasses; she also uses a cane to walk. Onstage she requires a special seating unit, and wears a Transcutaneous Electro-Nerve Stimulator, a TENS device, to assist in alleviating her neuralgic muscle pain. Though touring is difficult, she has been performing in major cities on the East Coast of the U.S. to support her recordings. In 2009, working with producer Larry Klein and arranger Vince Mendoza - both known for their work with Joni Mitchell - Gardot followed up her Verve debut with My One and Only Thrill.
In 2012, she released the album The Absence.
Momma
Melody Gardot Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To see you in such an awful pain
You know that i'll do anything i can
Just to make you smile all over again
(Chorus:)
Momma, what's been going on,
You've been way to down,
I said Momma,
Did i go and do something wrong,
Momma, what's going on
Momma you can take your time,
Momma that will be just fine,
But you know i'd listen up to every word
Come on, Momma now
Don't you be absurd,
(Chorus:)
Momma, what's been going on,
You've been way to down
For way to long
I said Momma,
Did I go and do something wrong,
Momma what's going on
Momma, i know you're feeling blue,
I see the way he talks to you,
His words,they cut like a knife
And Momma i know you're feeling bad
I see the way he miss you sad,
I wish that I could change our lives
But I figure it out
You got to start it all over now
(Chorus:)
Momma, what's been going on
You've been way to down
For way too long
I said Momma, did i go and do something wrong
Momma, what's going on
Momma what's going on
Momma what's going on
In Melody Gardot's song "Momma," the persona is expressing their concern for their mother who is going through a tough time. The lyrics "Momma it's driving me insane, to see you in such an awful pain" indicate the intense pain the persona feels on seeing their mother hurt. They offer to do anything to make their mother happy and smile again. The chorus of the song restates the persona's worry about their mother's well-being and asks her what is going on, if they did something wrong to cause her distress.
The second verse shows the persona's understanding of their mother's situation. They acknowledge the way the person who is hurting their mother speaks to her, cutting her with their words, indicating verbal abuse. The persona wishes they could change their lives and make things better for their mother. However, they encourage their mother to start over and to take all the time she needs. The use of the word "absurd" in the line "come on Momma, now don't you be absurd" shows the persona's impatience with their mother's reluctance to open up and share her feelings.
Line by Line Meaning
Momma it's driving me insane
It is difficult for me to bear the pain you are experiencing, Mom.
To see you in such an awful pain
It hurts me to see you in such a terrible state of discomfort.
You know that i'll do anything i can
I am willing to go to any extent to assist you.
Just to make you smile all over again
My sole purpose is to see you happy once more.
Momma, what's been going on,
Mom, I have noticed that something is not right.
You've been way to down,
You are feeling sad beyond normal.
For way too long
And it's lasting for an extended period.
I said Momma,Did i go and do something wrong,
If I am responsible, Mom, please let me know.
Momma you can take your time,
Take your time, Mom.
Momma that will be just fine,
Relax and take it easy, Mom.
But you know i'd listen up to every word
Rest assured I'm all ears for anything you have to say.
Come on, Momma now
Come on, believe me, Mom.
Don't you be absurd,
Don't be ridiculous, Mom.
Momma, i know you're feeling blue,
I can sense that you have been feeling down, Mom.
I see the way he talks to you,
I have observed the way he converses with you, Mom.
His words,they cut like a knife
His statements are hurtful and painful, Mom.
And Momma i know you're feeling bad
I understand you are feeling terrible, Mom.
I see the way he miss you sad,
I have noticed the sadness in you that he has brought out, Mom.
I wish that I could change our lives
I yearn to bring a positive transformation into our lives, Mom.
But I figure it out
But I will try my best to sort it out, Mom.
You got to start it all over now
It might be necessary to begin afresh, Mom.
Momma what's going on
Mom, please let me know what is happening.
Contributed by Mila M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@JuanFHernandezA
Beautiful and emotional!! I' d dare to say that this woman can take Jazz back to it's golden ages!!! She's one in a million nowadays... Thank you for posting :D
@jindandy7826
Totally relate! A rare gem for those who do.
@annalukomsky3508
I can't even begin to imagine what it was like for Melody's mom to watch her daughter struggle through her painful recovery. What a beautiful and heartfelt song!
@pantherenoire64
she is superb.. I love Miss Gardot !
@lydiembl
Merci 🙏........ de nous transporter dans cet univers magique !
La musique, les mélodies, votre voix......
@KimberleyRichardson
Childhood memories, rise from my soul. So very beautiful.
@nistezabavni
agree, her voice is like ocean surface on a calm summer night, with slight breeze from time to time
@Barbara-fd6pv
What a feeling, incredible!
@slavkocosic5553
S a N...Smooth & Nice<3...Light & Love...
@DeavomSee
Thank you for this inspiring worlds ... that is so right through my heart ... I can not tell you how ... Martina