You Mean the World to Me

Album: Freya Ridings (2019)
Charted: 57
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • "You Mean The World To Me" is a ballad that Freya Ridings wrote alone in her living room about a period when her mother was ill. The song was produced by Adele/Sia key collaborator Greg Kurstin.
  • The video was directed by Game of Thrones actress Lena Headey and stars her castmate, Maisie Williams, who played aka Arya Stark on the show. Williams portrays an older version of the daughter who gets into an argument with the father before finding resolution.

    Freya Ridings explained to Apple Music that Headley "got in touch and said she was getting into directing music videos and that she'd like to do my next one. She thought Maisie would be the perfect lead. I have so much respect for them as actors and the female creative empowerment that we have in this world. It was a really emotional three-day, freezing-cold shoot. I'm so happy with it."

    "I think Freya's voice is undeniable in it's sort of storytelling," Headey told Zane Lowe on Apple Music's Beats 1 Radio about her directorial debut. "When I heard the song, I just thought of family, and then I spoke to Freya, and she said she wrote it about family. And then, the story, basically, kind of grew a little bit, and it's pretty universal in that sometimes things don't always work out, and people don't stay together, and kids are very insightful."

Comments: 1

  • Nick Reynolds from NewportThis is a very powerful story of parental alienation. It tells of a daughters guilt even though she was coercively controlled by her mother to cut her ties with her father. This shame manifests over time as the child becomes an adult, and even though not fully realising the psychological manipulation set upon her by the alienating parent the daughter feels immense remorse that she was mean and stopped contact with her father - even though this wasn't her fault in any way.
see more comments

Editor's Picks

AC/DC

AC/DCFact or Fiction

Does Angus really drink himself silly? Did their name come from a sewing machine? See if you can spot the real stories about AC/DC.

Rickie Lee Jones

Rickie Lee JonesSongwriter Interviews

Rickie Lee Jones on songwriting, social media, and how she's handling Trump.

Who's Johnny, And Why Does He Show Up In So Many Songs

Who's Johnny, And Why Does He Show Up In So Many SongsSong Writing

For songwriters, Johnny represents the American man. He has been angry, cool, magic, a rebel and, of course, marching home.

Grunge Bands Quiz

Grunge Bands QuizMusic Quiz

If the name Citizen Dick means anything to you, there's a chance you'll get some of these right.

Kerry Livgren of Kansas

Kerry Livgren of KansasSongwriter Interviews

In this talk from the '80s, the Kansas frontman talks turning to God and writing "Dust In The Wind."

Songs Discussed in Movies

Songs Discussed in MoviesSong Writing

Bridesmaids, Reservoir Dogs, Willy Wonka - just a few of the flicks where characters discuss specific songs, sometimes as a prelude to murder.