Martha-Jane Official - Street Corner King

It’s eight o’clock I’m off the bus
Tired of the day, like the rest of us
My eyes drowning in the concrete
They reach a man, I walk off beat

Blue eyed soul, king of books
Long white hair, king of looks
Got his empire at his feet
Plastic bags, paper cup, tidy ’n neat

There’s a man on the street
And everyday we meet
He’s the most brilliant sir
Yet stuck on a street corner

Hello monsieur how do you do
I wish I could come talk to you
Those books around, what do you read
What’s in those bags, what do you need

What’s your take on the world around us
Do you care whеn they all make a fuss
Why am I stuck and why don’t I dare
Takе a step, give a word, not just stare

There’s a man on the street
And everyday we meet
He’s the most brilliant sir
Yet stuck on a street corner
It’s eight o’clock, no bus today
I took a walk, I’m on my way
I’m gonna speak I’m gonna say
Sir you are grand, for you I pray
And the sun is shining
But the king is missing

There’s a man on the street
And everyday we meet
He’s the most brilliant sir
Yet stuck on a street corner

At the beginning of Martha-Jane’s journey to release her first EP in 2024, is a bowl of chocolate cereals and a television, on a Sunday morning of September 2001, in suburban Paris. The screen put light on a black fedora and a sparkling glove. And while the Western world experienced a major geopolitical upheaval, a little girl found a beacon that would never leave her.

This marked the beginning of years spent in choir, dance, and diligently reading record sleeve credits. She became involved in music-related associations and organized studio meetings with artists whose names adorned those CD booklets. Eventually, she found her place in the music business.

But a year before Covid put our lives on hold, she learnt that hers might not be as long as expected. Guts problems, apparently. Suddenly, everything became urgent, starting with giving herself permission to create “her music”. She thus spent two years learning music theory in jazz and contemporary music schools. This allowed her to deepen her understanding of her influences, ranging from Stevie Wonder to Carole King, Steely Dan, Minnie Riperton, and Michael Jackson. Through her music, she expresses a blend of happy nostalgia, introspection, a sense of place, and the importance of following one’s gut.