By age 15, McKee was writing songs and performing in the Seattle area. A friend helped get her EP to Nic Harcourt, a popular disc jockey in Los Angeles and host of KCRW's "Morning Becomes Eclectic". He helped spark a major record label bidding war after playing the song "Somebody" on his radio program for several weeks. After signing a recording contract at age 16, she moved to Los Angeles to begin work on her debut album with producer Rob Cavallo. Trouble was commercially released on September 28, 2004.
After ending her recording contract, McKee spent many hours in the recording studio and was introduced to music producer Lukasz "Dr. Luke" Gottwald, by her manager. Gottwald had collaborated with McKee's longtime friend Katy Perry on her debut album One of the Boys. They (along with Max Martin and Benny Blanco) began writing songs together, ultimately producing the hits that would appear on Perry's second album, the worldwide multi-platinum, Teenage Dream. The singles "California Gurls," "Teenage Dream" and "Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)" each topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart and sold millions of copies around the world. Other successful collaborations between McKee, Gottwald and Martin include Britney Spears' "Hold It Against Me," Taio Cruz's "Dynamite," Rita Ora's "How We Do (Party)," and Katy Perry's singles from Teenage Dream: The Complete Confection, "Wide Awake" and "Part of Me."
McKee recently signed a recording contract as a solo artist with Epic Records, and is currently at work on her second studio album, to be released in summer 2013. The lead single will be "American Girl," which McKee described as a "summer banger". "American Girl" was released in July 2013.
Déjà Vu
Bonnie McKee Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I finally found you
And everything else goes dark
The music starts
But silence surrounds you
Can you feel it?
Where have you been?
You know I've been waiting
Now here you are
Here you are
Why do I feel like I've seen you before?
This is surreal but I know it's for sure
How do I know what your about to say
Where does it go?
I guess it must be faith
Ooh feeling like a deja vu with you
I'm feeling so in tune
Guess it's from the moonlight shining down on you
I think it's a sign
Written up in the sky
That I should be yours
And you should be mine
Ooh feeling like a deja vu with you
The song is sung
Your touching my shoulder
Something inside lights up
We are young but this is much older
Can't believe it
Reaching out
The planet is turning
Crossing my path with yours
Now here we are
Here we are
Why does it feel like I've been here before?
This heart made of steel is melting down to the core
How do I know that your going to see so deep in my soul
I guess it's meant to be
Ooh feeling like a deja vu with you
I'm feeling so in tune
Guess it's from the moonlight shining down on you
I think it's a sign
Written up in the sky
That I should be yours
And you should be mine
Ooh feeling like a deja vu with you
The colors are brighter now
Lay me down it's like I'm floating above the ground
It's like the numbers, I've been counting down
All my life for this moment here it is
Ooh feeling like a deja vu with you
I'm feeling so in tune
Guess it's from the moonlight shining down on you
I think it's a sign
Written up in the sky
That I should be yours
And you should be mine
Ooh feeling like a deja vu with you
The lyrics of Bonnie McKee's song Deja Vu narrate the intense experience of finally finding someone who completes you. The song opens with the singer expressing her excitement at finally finding the one and how everything else fades away in the face of their presence. The music starts, but there's only silence that surrounds them, indicating the depth of their connection. The singer expresses her wonderment about the familiarity of the person and the surreal feeling that indicates she has seen him before. The chorus reinforces this sensation of familiarity, describing it as a deja vu feeling that the singer experiences with the person, implying that their companionship is in tune.
Line by Line Meaning
There you are
Addressing the subject of the song, expressing joy upon finally finding them
I finally found you
Acknowledging the search for this person
And everything else goes dark
Focusing solely on the present moment with the subject of the song
The music starts
Commenting on the sound environment
But silence surrounds you
Noticing the presence of the subject without them speaking
Can you feel it?
Asking if the subject is experiencing the same emotions as the singer
Where have you been?
Questioning why the subject has not been present until now
You know I've been waiting
Implying that the singer has been longing for this reunion
Making the bed for you
Metaphorically preparing for the subject's arrival
Now here you are
Expressing surprise and gratitude that the subject has finally arrived
Why do I feel like I've seen you before?
Wondering about the familiarity of the moment
This is surreal but I know it's for sure
Acknowledging the strangeness of the moment, but accepting it as real
How do I know what your about to say
Sensing an intuitive connection with the subject
Where does it go?
Questioning the origin and nature of their connection
I guess it must be faith
Accepting the inexplicable nature of their connection as fate
Ooh feeling like a deja vu with you
Describing the familiar sensation the singer experiences with the subject
I'm feeling so in tune
Expressing a deep emotional connection with the subject
Guess it's from the moonlight shining down on you
Using a romantic image to explain the source of their connection
I think it's a sign
Interpreting their connection as a positive omen
Written up in the sky
Using the sky as a symbol of the divine source of their connection
That I should be yours
Expressing the desire to be with the subject
And you should be mine
Expressing the belief that the subject desires the same connection
The song is sung
Observing the present situation
Your touching my shoulder
Noticing physical contact with the subject
Something inside lights up
Feeling an intense emotional response to the subject's touch
We are young but this is much older
Noting the youth of both the singer and the subject, while acknowledging a deep, timeless connection
Can't believe it
Expressing surprise at the depth of their connection
Reaching out
Taking initiative to connect with the subject
The planet is turning
Noting the passage of time and change
Crossing my path with yours
Reflecting on their shared history and paths leading to this moment
Now here we are
Emphasizing the importance of the present moment
Why does it feel like I've been here before?
Reiterating the sense of familiarity and connection with the subject
This heart made of steel is melting down to the core
Expressing the depth of the emotional connection with the subject
How do I know that your going to see so deep in my soul
Anticipating that the subject will understand the singer on a deep level
I guess it's meant to be
Accepting the intensity and inevitability of their connection
The colors are brighter now
Observing the heightened intensity of sensory experience in the moment
Lay me down it's like I'm floating above the ground
Describing a physical sensation of being weightless and euphoric
It's like the numbers, I've been counting down
Using numerical imagery to describe the anticipation leading up to this moment
All my life for this moment here it is
Reflecting on the significance of this moment after a lifetime of waiting
Contributed by Zachary Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@joyfulmornings
She’s so talented I love her ❤️
@skylarfilbanks9726
Thank You For Preserving Very Important Things
@diliosegundo9408
i sing to it everyday lol
@clevelandrixiii3415
More melancholy, more soul-full-ness !!! How much more could anyone ask for ?
@FRDKNG
cool song.
@knaxor
She sounds like a literal mix of Kesha and Katy Perry
@knaxor
***** She didn't at all though? They were all song writers that became singers. They co-write on songs, not just Bonnie.