Big City Life

Album: Signs Of A Struggle (2005)
Charted: 8
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Songfacts®:

  • This song is about the hard life in the big city, the pressure and all the getaways. It explains how living in a metropolitan area is hard, and how everyone's on the move. >>
    Suggestion credit:
    Hi - Campinas, Brazil
  • Mattafix was a duo comprising London-born, Caribbean-raised vocalist Marlon Roudette and producer/keyboardist Preetesh Hirji. Roudette is the son of music producer Cameron McVey (Massive Attack, All Saints, Sugababes) and the stepson of singer Neneh Cherry.
  • Roudette sings the chorus in Jamaican Patois.
  • "Big City Life" topped the charts in Austria, Germany, Italy, New Zealand, and Switzerland, buoyed by its inclusion on the 2006 FIFA World Cup soundtrack. It peaked at #15 in the UK.
  • Mattafix had several more minor hits, but in 2010 Roudette and Hirji split because of their different new ideas for future projects. Roudette embarked on a successful solo career that included two #1 singles in Germany, "New Age" and "When The Beat Drops Out."
  • In 2022, Australian electronic dance music producer Luude remixed "Big City Life" as a drum-and-bass track. Luude was approached for a Mattafix remix after his version of "Down Under" blew up. "I don't even know how old I was but I remember we'd walk through town with our Nokias or whatever. 'Big City Life' was one of the songs I used to always play," the Aussie producer said. "When I got the offer to do it is, I was like 'absolutely'!"'
  • Luude's version took the song into the UK Top 10 for the first time, reaching #8.

Comments: 2

  • Miguel from Coimbra, PortugalThe chorus is in Jamaican English.
  • Mikael from Aizawl, IndiaDon't let the system get you down... don't let the big city crush u within its high skylines...
    Basically about adapting to the metropolitan city, and the conflicts with surroundings,and his innermost desire for a living breathing space..suffocated by the big city...

    Lolz,now we gotta start a topic on finding the meanings for MY meanings
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