In 1998, she was cast as the lead in The Hot Mikado, a jazzy production based on Gilbert and Sullivan's opera. She also appeared in several Irish television shows, using the opportunity to be recognised as a singer.
At the age of 15, Mumba was discovered in a night club by Irish svengali Louis Walsh (manager of Boyzone and Westlife). Walsh was impressed by her talent and she was signed to Polydor Records, subsequently spending several months moving between Denmark, Sweden, England and Ireland, where she co-wrote and recorded her debut album, Gotta Tell You. She eventually dropped out of school to focus on her music career, citing that it was becoming a difficult task for her to stay in school and work on her music.
Mumba's first hit, Gotta Tell You, was released in 2000 and shot to the #1 spot on three Irish charts, later reaching #2 on the United Kingdom charts. She also scored American success with her debut single, peaking at #4 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album stayed on the charts for a staggering 6 months and eventually certified Platinum for shipments of 1 million copies. Five more Top 10 hits followed in the UK and another top 50 hit in the US, leading some to call her the "black Britney Spears" of pop music, although she has rejected this title. To date, her album has sold over 4 million copies world-wide. Mumba was nominated for a 2002 Grammy award for her song Baby, Come Over (This is our night) in the 'best remixed recording, non-classical' category, but did not win.
In 2002, Mumba prepared to release her follow-up album, entitled Woman, but with the poor sales of the lead single, "I'm Right Here," in both the US and UK, she was dropped from her label and the album was cancelled.
In 2012, she married Charles Porter.
In 2006, she collaborated with Filipino artist Jay-R on a new song, "Just The Way You Are", which will be featured on his upcoming album, scheduled to be released later in the year. It was stated in an article in PC World magazine that Samantha is working on her follow up album with a new label. In October 2008, three new songs "Candyland", "Turn The Beat Up" and "Bad Boy" were posted on her MySpace and YouTube profiles. In a January 2009, Mumba suggested a new would be released in 2010. She also resumed her career as an actress. She will star in the Irish Horror film "Loftus Hall" due for release in October 2010.
Somebody Like Me
Samantha Mumba Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You sit there with your red lips stained
Tryin so hard to explain
How you feel, how you wanna feel and how
Time after time you let yourself down
The one helps grow your self-doubt
And you’re trying so hard but your light is out
It’s never easy to see what they see
When you’re blinded by yourself from what you used to be
(Chorus)
Why you wanna go and make love with somebody?
Why you wanna go and make love with somebody?
Why you wanna go and make love with somebody?
Why you wanna go and make love with somebody like me?
With somebody like me
With somebody like me
With somebody like me
(Verse)
Tired eyes and you leather tights
You’ve been running round in circles tryin to pick your fights
About time you let this go
It’s been racing down your fingers through your hips and toes
As the light dims and your dark fades
You’re struggling to find the words you’re dying to say
(Pre-Chorus)
It’s never easy to see what they see
When you’re blinded by yourself from what you used to be
(Chorus x2)
Why you wanna go and make love with somebody?
Why you wanna go and make love with somebody?
Why you wanna go and make love with somebody?
Why you wanna go? Why you wanna go go?
(Bridge x2)
Tell me, tell me why you wanna
Tell me, tell me how you gonna
Tell me, tell me why you wanna
(Chorus)
Why you wanna go and make love with somebody?
Why you wanna go and make love with somebody?
Why you wanna go and make love with somebody?
Why you wanna go? Why you wanna go go?
Why you wanna go and make love with somebody?
Why you wanna go and make love with somebody?
Why you wanna go and make love with somebody?
Why you wanna go and make love with somebody like me?
With somebody like me
With somebody like me
With somebody like me
With somebody like me
Why you wanna go? Why you wanna go go?
Why you wanna go? (go go)
(go go) Why you wanna go? (go go)
The lyrics to Samantha Mumba's "Somebody Like Me" describe a person who is struggling with their self-doubt and finding it difficult to communicate their feelings. The singer observes this person's red lips stained and sees how hard they are trying to explain themselves. The individual is aware of their self-doubt, and the singer describes the one who helps to grow the person's self-doubt, making it harder for them to find their light. In the pre-chorus, the singer acknowledges that it is challenging to see oneself objectively when blinded by a past version of oneself.
In the second verse, the singer continues to describe the person's struggle with self-doubt, noticing their tired eyes and leather tights. The person seems to be running around in circles, trying to pick fights, and the singer sees that it is time for them to let it all go. The person's self-doubt is causing them to struggle to find the words they want to say. The chorus repeats the phrase, "Why you wanna go and make love with somebody like me?"
The lyrics suggest that the other person seems to want something that the singer feels unsure of, perhaps love or a deeper connection. The "somebody like me" may imply that the singer doesn't feel they are right for the other person or vice versa. In the bridge, the singer wants to know why the other person wants what they want.
Line by Line Meaning
You sit there with your red lips stained
You are trying to explain your feelings with your stained lips
Tryin so hard to explain
You are putting in a lot of effort to convey your emotions
How you feel, how you wanna feel and how
You are trying to express both your current and desired emotional states
Time after time you let yourself down
You have repeatedly disappointed yourself by failing to achieve your goals
The one helps grow your self-doubt
Your own actions contribute to your lack of confidence in yourself
And you’re trying so hard but your light is out
Despite your efforts, you are still feeling emotionally depleted
It’s never easy to see what they see
It can be difficult to understand the perspective of others
When you’re blinded by yourself from what you used to be
Your own preconceptions and past experiences are blocking your ability to see things clearly
Why you wanna go and make love with somebody?
Why are you seeking intimacy with another person?
With somebody like me
Specifically with someone who you perceive to be similar to me
Tired eyes and you leather tights
You are physically exhausted and wearing tight leather clothing
You’ve been running round in circles tryin to pick your fights
You have been struggling to choose your battles wisely and may have been avoiding conflict altogether
About time you let this go
It's time for you to move on from whatever has been holding you back
It’s been racing down your fingers through your hips and toes
Your frustration has been manifesting physically throughout your body
As the light dims and your dark fades
As your mood continues to darken and you struggle to see the positive things in life
You’re struggling to find the words you’re dying to say
You are having difficulty expressing the things that you feel are most important to convey
Tell me, tell me why you wanna
Please offer an explanation for your desires
Tell me, tell me how you gonna
Please explain your intended course of action
Why you wanna go? Why you wanna go go?
Why do you want to move forward in this particular action?
Contributed by Jack V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Barbara Mumba
Beautiful voice!