Mark My Words

Album: Purpose (2015)
Charted: 33 42
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Justin Bieber dated Selena Gomez between 2010 and 2013 and freely admits she was his first love. Although Purpose was recorded two years after the end of their relationship, the singer was still coming to terms with their split, and he details his heartbreak on a trio of the album's tracks.

    This song, "What Do You Mean?" and a bit of "Sorry" were all written about Selena. "A lot of it, dude, a lot of it (is about her)," Bieber told Access Hollywood. "Probably like three (songs). "It was really tough. I don't know if I'm over it yet. I think that I'm definitely in another place and I think we've definitely went our separate ways. I love her and I want her to be awesome, but there are things that remind me of her."
  • Justin Bieber sought advice from Kanye West during the recording of Purpose. This drum-free cut is apparently Kanye's favorite track on the album. "He's over drums," Bieber told NME. "He was like 'that's so, so sick 'cos there are no drums on it.'"

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Mike Scott of The Waterboys

Mike Scott of The WaterboysSongwriter Interviews

The stories behind "Whole Of The Moon" and "Red Army Blues," and why rock music has "outlived its era of innovation."

Edwin McCain

Edwin McCainSongwriter Interviews

"I'll Be" was what Edwin called his "Hail Mary" song. He says it proves "intention of the songwriter is 180 degrees from potential interpretation by an audience."

Philip Cody

Philip CodySongwriter Interviews

A talented lyricist, Philip helped revive Neil Sedaka's career with the words to "Laughter In The Rain" and "Bad Blood."

Harold Brown of War

Harold Brown of WarSongwriter Interviews

A founding member of the band War, Harold gives a first-person account of one of the most important periods in music history.

Graham Bonnet (Alcatrazz, Rainbow)

Graham Bonnet (Alcatrazz, Rainbow)Songwriter Interviews

Yngwie Malmsteen and Steve Vai were two of Graham's co-writers for some '80s rock classics.

Tony Joe White

Tony Joe WhiteSongwriter Interviews

The writer of "Rainy Night in Georgia" and "Polk Salad Annie" explains how he cooks up his Louisiana swamp rock.