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.
Head On
Bonnie McKee Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Just trying to get to my destination
Kept my heart in a safe
To avoid any complications
Thought that I was okay
But objects may be closer than they appear
So I thought I was in the clear
Didn't see it coming but now we're standing face to face
You hit me head on
In a dead on collision
Feelings so strong
You made me lose my vision
Cause I thought that I could hear the brakes slam
Spinning out and it's too late
You hit me head on
In a dead on collision
With you
I was running the light
Trying to avoid the glances
I was ignoring the signs
Never wanting to take my chances
But something about the way you said my name
I came crashing into your lane
Now I will never be the same
Didn't see it coming
But, now we're standing face to face
You hit me head on
In a dead on collision
Feelings so strong
You made me lose my vision
Cause I thought that I could hear the brakes slam
Spinning out and it's to late
You hit me head on
In a dead on collision
With you
So I'll take my hands, right off the wheel
See where this thing goes
Cuz I kind of like the way it feels
Driving right off the road
This happy accident with you has let me open up and just let go and lose control
You hit me
In a dead on collision
Feelings so strong
You made me lose my vision
Cause I thought that I could hear the brakes slam
Spinning it out and it's to late
You hit me head on
In a dead on collision
With you
The song "Head On" by Bonnie McKee is about a sudden and unexpected romantic encounter with someone who hits the singer "head on" like a car collision. She was just trying to get to her destination and keeping her heart safe, avoiding any possible complications. However, she didn't see him coming and now they are looking at each other face to face. The collision symbolizes the force of the attraction between them.
The lyrics also suggest that the singer has always been cautious and fearful when it comes to love. She was running the light and ignoring the signs. But this collision with the stranger changes everything. He said her name in a way that made her crash into his lane, leaving her irreversibly changed. The accident has made her lose control and take risks. She is thankful for the chance to experience something new and powerful, even if it was unexpected.
Overall, the song expresses the essence of a sudden and powerful attraction, which is embodied in the metaphor of a car accident. Despite the fear and uncertainty that comes with new situations, the singer is willing to explore and take a chance on love.
Line by Line Meaning
I was already late
I was running out of time.
Just trying to get to my destination
I was focused on reaching my goal.
Kept my heart in a safe
I guarded my emotions.
To avoid any complications
To prevent any problems.
Thought that I was okay
I believed that everything was fine.
But objects may be closer than they appear
But sometimes things are closer than they seem.
So I thought I was in the clear
So I thought I was out of danger.
Didn't see it coming but now we're standing face to face
I didn't anticipate it, but now we're confronting each other.
You hit me head on
You crashed into me directly.
In a dead on collision
In a severe accident.
Feelings so strong
Emotions so powerful.
You made me lose my vision
You made me lose my focus.
Cause I thought that I could hear the brakes slam
Because I believed that I could stop in time.
Spinning out and it's too late
Losing control and it's too late to avoid the crash.
With you
Because of you.
I was running the light
I was ignoring the signals.
Trying to avoid the glances
Trying to avoid eye contact.
I was ignoring the signs
I was disregarding the warnings.
Never wanting to take my chances
Afraid to take risks.
But something about the way you said my name
But the way you said my name caught my attention.
I came crashing into your lane
I collided with you.
Now I will never be the same
Now I am forever changed by the experience.
So I'll take my hands, right off the wheel
So I will let go of control.
See where this thing goes
To see what happens next.
Cuz I kind of like the way it feels
Because I am enjoying the experience.
Driving right off the road
Going off track.
This happy accident with you has let me open up and just let go and lose control
This happy coincidence with you helped me to be more open and to lose control.
Spinning it out and it's too late
Losing control and it's too late to prevent it.
You hit me head on
You crashed into me directly.
In a dead on collision
In a severe accident.
With you
Because of you.
Contributed by Alyssa S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
FollowTheFireflies
I LOVE this era of her music so much. ; _ ; It makes me so sad that Lea Michelle got to do To Find You. She did a good job though, but Bonnie's will always be my favorite.
for00bidden
she`s great:)