I had many inspirations for this track. I'm very interested in history, in fact I used to do this YouTube series called "History for Gen Z" where I would go over historical topics but like with memes. It didn't last long. I've recently
started learning Japanese with a teacher who lives in Japan and it got me thinking that the only thing I knew about Japanese history was the events of World War 2, even though a lot happened between then and now. And then I thought about the people who grew up during that time, and then I thought about the other changes the world went through (such as Stonewall and other cornerstone LGBT points in time of the 60s and 70s), and it slowly just developed into the themes of the song.
The writing process was surprisingly difficult. Taking out the fact that I was trying to write about something extremely intricate and not really song-like, the actual music was super tricky. There were certain parts that had to sound happy and certain parts that had to sound ominous and the ending was rewritten three times. The ending of the song was the hardest part to find, because how do you end a story like this?
I want to convey that times change, and with it so do ideas. It can be hard for
some people to accept that, so hard that it even splits up families. I don't want it to, I don't think anybody wants it to. The "main character" of the song so to speak wants more than anything just to be back with his family, his mom again, but she's so stuck in her anger and her tired ideology that that might never happen.
Taking all this into account, I think that's very important to say this is not about any specific person in my life. My family is very loving and very caring, and I based the mother character off of everything that my mother isn't. Sometimes a story is just a story. I've found lately that I like doing that a lot: Just telling a story. I put a lot of myself out there with "The Big Hill" and "Suburban
Child", so right now making up characters and scenarios is something that I find a new challenge for me, a new process to learn about.
lyrics
Mama maybe I love a man and Oh
Mama maybe he's from Japan and Oh
Mama run away while you can but Oh
Don't you love me
When mama grew up
Her daddy blew up
At the Harbor
On the USS Arizona
What the Day of Infamy's known as
And from there you see
As mama grew since
Her face would wince
At her neighbors
Who she truly also thought were traitors
They got dragged off to Manzanar
The happiest she'd ever be
Mama maybe I love a man and Oh
Mama maybe he's from Japan and Oh
Mama run away while you can but Oh
Don't you love me
The British invaded and
Mama hated her husband
Just as quick as she fell in love with him
I thought that I could keep her above it
It didn't last, you see
Stonewall, Milk
The flag waved and it had her bitter
The looks at me that she would deliver
I knew that she could tell so i bid her
A long life free
Mama maybe I love a man and Oh
Mama maybe he's from Japan and Oh
Mama run away while you can but Oh
Don't you love me
Mama I can tell you're not a fan and Oh
Mama even if you began well Oh
Mama there's a whole world to ban but Oh
Don't you love me
Mama, I said I need a new start
Maybe I, maybe I
Mama, you said I broke your heart
Maybe I, maybe I
Mama, I said I need a new start
Maybe I, maybe I
Mama, you said I broke your heart
Maybe I, maybe I
Mama maybe I love a man and Oh
Mama maybe he's from Japan and Oh
Mama run away while you can but Oh
Don't you love me
Mama there's a whole world to see and Oh
Don't you want to go see it with me and Oh
It's been forever since we could agree but Oh
I know you love me
Mama maybe I love a man and Oh
Mama maybe he's from Japan and Oh
Mama run away while you can but Oh
Don't you love me
Mama you know everything has changed and Oh
All alone you probably feel the pain and Oh
Let me tell you that I feel the same but Oh
I just wanna know if mama
Will I ever see you again
(Mama will I ever see you again)
Mama maybe I love a man and Oh
Mama maybe he's from Japan and Oh
Mama run away while you can but Oh
Don't you love me
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