People

Album: The Dreaming Room (2016)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This song about black resilience ends with a verse by London Grime MC and rapper Wretch 32, who is best known for his 2011 UK chart-topper "Don't Go."
  • Laura Mvula sings here of how "our skin was a terrible thing to live in." The lyric is about the emotionally scarring attitudes the singer's classmates had towards her dark skin when she was a child "When I sing that line I always think about the experience I had when I was young, where kids in infant school wouldn't hold my hand," Mvula explained to the Evening Standard magazine. "You know when they line up the kids and say, 'Get a partner, hold hands'? They would say, 'No, I'm not holding her hand because I'm scared the brown's going to rub off'."

    "At that point in my life," she added, "as a five- or six-year-old, being taught subconsciously that there's something not quite right with my skin led me on a very difficult and distorted path in terms of my identity, self-worth and self-esteem."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Melanie

MelanieSongwriter Interviews

The singer-songwriter Melanie talks about her spiritual awakening at Woodstock, "Brand New Key," and why songwriting is an art, not a craft.

We Will Rock You (To Sleep): Pop Stars Who Recorded Kids' Albums

We Will Rock You (To Sleep): Pop Stars Who Recorded Kids' AlbumsSong Writing

With the rise of Kindie rock, more musicians are embracing their inner child with tunes for tots - here, we look at pop stars who recorded kids' albums.

Michael Franti

Michael FrantiSongwriter Interviews

Franti tells the story behind his hit "Say Hey (I Love You)" and explains why yoga is an integral part of his lifestyle and his Soulshine tour.

Tom Keifer of Cinderella

Tom Keifer of CinderellaSongwriter Interviews

Tom talks about the evolution of Cinderella's songs through their first three albums, and how he writes as a solo artist.

Lori McKenna

Lori McKennaSongwriter Interviews

Lori's songs have been recorded by Faith Hill and Sara Evans. She's performed on the CMAs and on Oprah. She also has five kids.

Stand By Me: The Perfect Song-Movie Combination

Stand By Me: The Perfect Song-Movie CombinationSong Writing

In 1986, a Stephen King novella was made into a movie, with a classic song serving as title, soundtrack and tone.