Written by Michael Mikey Brennan and Mr. (Andrew "Andy") Croft and performed by Brennan featuring additional vocals and keys from Croft, 'Mean Mikey' was Brennan's first ever single and first ever original song ever to be released online and the first installment of Brennan and Croft's song trilogy - The Mikey and Mr. Croft Trilogy - followed by 'A Dream' (released in December, 2012) and 'Can't You See Me' (August, 2013).
The song is written and sung in the prospective of a character - Mean Mikey - whose characteristics are influenced by the likes of Horrid Henry and Bart Simpson, although primarily based on Brennan himself from when he was younger and who he was at the time (aged 13) in 2012 (when the song was written and recorded) in his childhood, a troublemaker and menace having to grow up with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder) and Behaviour Problems.
Originally 'Mean Mikey' was a book written by Brennan who put all his childhood experiences including some of the recent at the time ones primarily based from his school life into a full length story. At the time when Brennan was writing the book he was also working on the song with Croft which was originally meant to be a promotional single to promote the book. Unfortunately though, Bespoke Books UK (the publishers of the 'Mean Mikey') confirmed that they were only allowed to publish the book locally not worldwide and were forbidden to sell it online, therefore the promotion idea was cancelled, however Brennan and Croft still decided to release the song as a single seeing as they had already finished it. The song was released to Brennan's YouTube and MySpace pages on October 5th, 2012, lighting up the beginning of Brennan's music career.
The song was inspired by 'Do the Bartman' a song released by the producers and creators of The Simpsons and performed by the voice of Bart Simpson, Nancy Cartwright, and it was also inspired by 'Too Cool For School' a song performed by British actor, Theo Stevenson (Horrid Henry) from Horrid Henry: The Movie (2011) a live action 3D kids movie based on the Horrid Henry books written by Francesca Simon and illustrated by Tony Ross. The song also samples Michael Jackson's 'Billie Jean' and the song also features Michael Jackson references, particularly towards Jackson's song 'Bad', the song features the catchphrases: "Who's Bad?!" and "I'm Bad!" and also the classic MJ noise: "Ow". The part of the song where Mean Mikey's father (whose voice is done by Croft) is constantly shouting at him to turn the music off is inspired by a similar voice role from 'Black or White'. The lyric, "If you're bad, dance like Michael Jackson!" from the song was inspired by a similar lyric from 'Do The Bartman': "If you can do the Bart, you're bad like Michael Jackson". Other inspirations were based upon R&B, Rap, Hip Hop and Pop melodies and elements, genres of which Brennan was massively into at the time.
The song features other references too, the lyric, "Hey, turn up the music my iPod's stuck on replay, hey!" is a reference to Iyaz' song 'Replay' (2009), which features the lyric, "my iPod's stuck on replay" as well. The lyric, "I'm a changed man now, Chris Brown" was taken from Dappy's song 'No Regrets' (2011) and the lyric, "Never be anything but a singer-songwriter" was taken from Ed Sheeran's song 'You Need Me, I Don't Need You' (2011).
lyrics
Yo
Hey, what's up mate?
Who the hell are you?
I'm Mean Mikey, yes I am!
Welcome to my world, you can come in if you're not a girl!
Ever since I was ten, I was just stuck in my room again
So long they had to bring up my tea
Yummy, yummy, yummy, scrummy beans!
No time for homework
I'm too busy being me
Listening to music on my CD
Someday I'm gonna be a rockstar
Just wait and see
M.E.A.N
M.I.K.E.Y
Yeah, I'm Mean Mikey
Mean Mikey
You wanna' be like me?
Mean Mikey
Hey, that's me
Mean Mikey
That's my name
Mean Mikey
You can say it again
Mean Mikey
Yeah
It was just last week, take a peek
After school it wasn't cool
I got in trouble again
Yeah, I'm telling
Dad was yelling (Mikey!)
Mum was too
Because I filled the bath with green slimy goo
I got put to my doom
Grounded again
And punishment time in the air flies through
Sitting by myself alone in my room
But when I get kicked out of the house I'll be outside freezing cold
What's worse, without you to hold till I'm grey and old
All alone and there's nothing to do
Turn on the music and get to the groove, let's move
Mean Mikey, you rock man
Oh, yeah baby
Dance, Mean Mikey
You're never get me down
If you got the chance Mean Mikey, you're the best
I'm a changed man now, Chris Brown, Kieran
Mean Mikey
Mikey, Mikey, Mikey
Mean Mikey
If you're bad dance like Michael Jackson
Mean Mikey
You wanna' be like me?
Mean Mikey
Hey, that's me
Mean Mikey
That's my name
Mean Mikey
You can say it again
Mean Mikey
Yeah, that's me
Who's bad?
Now turn it up louder
Mikey, turn that down!
It's bedtime, go to bed!
Get a job!
Do your homework now!
Brush your hair!
Turn the TV off, right now!
Go to your room and stay there forever!
Go to school!
No pocket money for a week!
A month!
A year!
Stop that Mikey, you mean child!
Turn it down!
Mikey!
I can't hear the TV Mikey, it's almost nine o' clock
If you want to listen to music, use your headphones
Eat this
Owwwww
Kieran put that Xbox away!
I can't take this...
I didn't do it!
Now after school I always come home in a bad mood
Another mean day
I go upstairs and slam the door
Stuck in my room till tea time
Looking at the clock
Peace and quiet
Until Kieran keeps playing that loud damn Xbox
Wish I had one, but I don't have enough money
Because mum and dad stopped it for ten whole days
But still I'm feeling good, so that's okay
Homework; English, Science, Maths
I hate them all, it's not fair
But nobody cares
I don't have any friends except those little animals
Joey, Phil, Bear and Michael
But they make my life even worse
Stuck with three bears and a monkey, and they can talk
Eggy Emma the bogey brain bugs me everyday
I'm up in my room, singing a song
Listening to Michael Jackson and Justin Bieber all night long
At the end of the day, I'm tucked up in my bed
Dreaming in my head
Safe from girly girls
Boys with girls
And bogey teachers
Get out of my world
Life's not fair for me, but I'll win for someday
But before that day, may I say?
I made mistakes but it's not the end of me
But I can't go back to the past, life goes fast
Back to the future to see what's ahead
You're know I'll go far miss, because my name is
Mean Mikey
You wanna be like me?
I'm your hero
Mean Mikey
Hey, that's me, I'll be king one day
Mean Mikey
I'll get the crown
You'll all stay in my dungeon, I'll lock you down
Mean Mikey
That's my name, soon it'll be in lighters
But still, I'll never be anything but a singer-songwriter
Mean Mikey
Hey, turn up the music
My iPod's stuck on replay
Hey
Mean Mikey
I hate homework
Mean Mikey
You ain't seen the best of me
Mean Mikey
Yeah
Na, Na, Nan, Na, Na!
credits
from Mean Mikey,
released October 5, 2012
Written by Michael Mikey Brennan and (Mr.) Andy Croft
Produced by Michael Mikey Brennan and (Mr.) Andy Croft
Edited and mastered by (Mr.) Andy Croft
Vocals by Michael Mikey Brennan
Additional vocals by (Mr.) Andy Croft
Music by: (Mr.) Andy Croft
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