Album: United State Of Mind (2020)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This song is about the Hollywood actress Zsa Zsa Gabor. In a Songfacts interview with Maxi Priest, explained the meaning behind the lyrics. "I remember we were in the studio trying to create a song about a seductive, provocative, and strong woman," he said. "Robin came up with the idea of Zsa Zsa Gabor and we just went for it! 'Who's a fire like Zsa Zsa,' the progression, melodies, and the lyrical content just flowed."

    Born Sári Gábor, Zsa Zsa was a Hugarian-American actress and socialite who starred in films such as Lovely To Look At and Moulin Rouge. Outside of Hollywood, she was known for her extravagant party lifestyle and her string of husbands: She was married nine times! In 1961, her home in Bel Air was destroyed following a brush fire. Burt Lancaster and Joan Fontaine were among the other celebrities whose houses were lost to the flames. Speaking to the press at the time, Zsa Zsa complained: "My three dark minks, my white mink, my sables, some really very nice little jewels are gone."
  • The United State Of Mind album is a one-off collaboration teaming the soul singer Maxi Priest, the guitar legend Robin Trower, and the acclaimed producer Livingstone Brown. It was released when both COVID-19 and the Black Lives Matter protests were dominating the news cycle. Maxi Priest told us he felt it was a "blessing" the album came out during such an explosive few months, adding: "USM is a journey! If you close your eyes and think of Martin Luther King, Kennedy, Marvin Gaye, Muhammad Ali, you will find similarities in the times, reminding us all that we are still fighting the fight and that with a 'united state of mind' we can overcome."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Janis Ian: Married in London, but not in New York

Janis Ian: Married in London, but not in New YorkSong Writing

Can you be married in one country but not another? Only if you're part of a gay couple. One of the first famous singers to come out as a lesbian, Janis wrote a song about it.

David Bowie Leads the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Long-Haired Men

David Bowie Leads the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Long-Haired MenSong Writing

Bowie's "activist" days of 1964 led to Ziggy Stardust.

16 Songs With a Heartbeat

16 Songs With a HeartbeatSong Writing

We've heard of artists putting their hearts into their music, but some take it literally.

Julian Lennon

Julian LennonSongwriter Interviews

Julian tells the stories behind his hits "Valotte" and "Too Late for Goodbyes," and fills us in on his many non-musical pursuits. Also: what MTV meant to his career.

Songs Discussed in Movies

Songs Discussed in MoviesSong Writing

Bridesmaids, Reservoir Dogs, Willy Wonka - just a few of the flicks where characters discuss specific songs, sometimes as a prelude to murder.

Gene Simmons of Kiss

Gene Simmons of KissSongwriter Interviews

The Kiss rocker covers a lot of ground in this interview, including why there are no Kiss collaborations, and why the Rock Hall has "become a sham."