Mowgli's Road

Album: The Family Jewels (2009)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This is the first single release from keyboard-playing songstress Marina and the Diamonds. She explained to Digital Spy why she chose this for her buzz single: "Because it wasn't time for me to release one of my really big songs. 'Mowgli's Road' is one of my most uncompromising songs and I wanted to get the message out there that I'm not a manufactured girl popstar and I'm going to do my own thing. I knew it wasn't going to be really successful but that wasn't the point. Saying that, getting a song that starts with the word 'cuckoo' in the charts was worth a shot!"
  • The song's title is a reference to the character in Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book and the track conjures up the sense if not the sound of the English writer's story. Marina explained the song's message to Digital Spy: "It's about there being two roads in fame and the industry. When I wrote it, I didn't know whether I was meant to be some kind of weird indie artist or a big pop thing. At the end of the day, I just thought, 'You can be both if you want'. I'm a leftfield artist but I want to be really successful. You know, I think celebrity culture and sexuality in pop music is really important, but I want there to be an alternative for people."
  • For the song's video, Marina had two plastic puppet legs bolted to her waist for 17 hours. She described the promo to the BBC as "Jim Henson does Beyoncé's Single Ladies". The songstress added laughing: "Making these things isn't all fun and games."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Yacht Rock Quiz

Yacht Rock QuizFact or Fiction

Christopher Cross with Deep Purple? Kenny Loggins in Caddyshack? A Fact or Fiction all about yacht rock and those who made it.

Dean Friedman - "Ariel"

Dean Friedman - "Ariel"They're Playing My Song

Dean's saga began with "Ariel," a song about falling in love with a Jewish girl from New Jersey.

Concert Disasters

Concert DisastersFact or Fiction

Ozzy biting a dove? Alice Cooper causing mayhem with a chicken? Creed so bad they were sued? See if you can spot the real concert mishaps.

Michael Glabicki of Rusted Root

Michael Glabicki of Rusted RootSongwriter Interviews

Michael tells the story of "Send Me On My Way," and explains why some of the words in the song don't have a literal meaning.

Kevin Godley

Kevin GodleySongwriter Interviews

Kevin Godley talks about directing classic videos for The Police, U2 and Duran Duran, and discusses song and videos he made with 10cc and Godley & Creme.

Let Me Be Your Teddy Bear: Teddy Bears and Teddy Boys in Songs

Let Me Be Your Teddy Bear: Teddy Bears and Teddy Boys in SongsSong Writing

Elvis, Little Richard and Cheryl Cole have all sung about Teddy Bears, but there is also a terrifying Teddy song from 1932 and a touching trucker Teddy tune from 1976.