Meaning of “Maria, It’s Time” by The Paper Kites
Sam Bentley has described “Maria, It’s Time” as being “about a girl who has an unplanned baby… working out how she’s going to make it work”. Most of the lyrics read as if they’re being relayed from a first-person perspective. But it may not be that the vocalist is taking on the role of said girl but rather the man or boy who impregnated her.
And for the most part it seems as if Sam is up to the challenge. He is not suggesting an abortion or anything like that, despite admitting that this is a pregnancy he “didn’t want”. Instead, despite understanding the difficulty that having another mouth to feed presents, the singer comes off as if he’s willing to go the extra mile to meet that challenge. Furthermore he is under the impression that his partner is likewise committed.
He also notes in the pre-chorus that “momma”, who’s presumably his own mother, is “gonna love it”, i.e. the child, “no matter what”, thus implying that he also anticipates support from her.
So yes, the vocalist understands that this is a less-than-ideal situation he and the addressee have gotten themselves into, i.e. having a child before they are financially ready. But he is not so intimidated that he’s compelled to shy away from his parental responsibilities.
“And it seems like we’re just turnin’
Turnin’ just to make it work
And it seems like we’re just turnin’
Turnin’ just to make it work”
Was “Maria, It’s Time” released as a Single?
No. It came out officially on 1st September, 2023 as part of The Paper Kite’s 2023 album “At the Roadhouse”. In all, six songs were released as singles to market this album. They are:
- “The Sweet Sound of You”
- “Till The Flame Turns Blue”
- “Hurts So Good”
- “Black & Thunder”
- “I Don’t Want to Go That Way”
- “June’s Stolen Car”
