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.
Trouble
Bonnie McKee Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
How hard I tried avoiding your spell
It was a cold October night
It was a far from sober night
And I was taken at first sight
And this was much to your delight
I heard that you were looking for prey
But you were so sly in coming in
I wouldn't fight, I let you win
Although the blood upon your chin
Told me exactly where you'd been
Trouble, trouble
(Troublemaker)
Who would've thought I'd ever let somebody get to me?
Who would've thought I'd ever give a damn?
(Troublemaker)
I gave to you the one thing that I can never retrieve
And now you're leaving my heart bleeding in my hands
You told me all about your dreams (troublemaker)
You were so "deep", or so it seemed (troublemaker)
Although I'm young, I'm not naive (aah)
I am not easy to deceive
I see the danger that lies behind your eyes
And I want to scream when you're rubbin' on my thighs
Ooh, I know I should, but I can't say no!
Oh, troublemaker gotta let you go
Trouble, trouble
(Troublemaker)
Who would've thought I'd ever let somebody get to me?
Who would've thought I'd ever give a damn?
(Troublemaker)
I gave to you the one thing that I can never retrieve
And now you're leaving my heart bleeding in my hands
And here I thought I knew you well (troublemaker)
I thought you'd catch me if I fell (troublemaker)
But when I fell, you never came (aah)
That's when I knew this was a game
I thought because I'd knew, that I'd won
But honey, that's easier said than done
Cause I lose my breath
When you're kissing on my neck
Boy, you got me in check
But I haven't lost yet!
Trouble, trouble
Trouble
Troublemaker, troublemaker
Don't you bring it 'round, don't you bring it 'round
Don't you bring it 'round here, no, no
Trouble, trouble
Trouble
The song “Trouble” by Bonnie McKee is about a woman who gets involved with a man who is a known troublemaker. The first verse sets the scene of how they met. The singer reminisces about the night they met, and how she was initially attracted to the troublemaker. He had a charm that made her fall for him, even though she knew he was bad news. The second verse is about their relationship. The singer reveals that the troublemaker was looking for someone new every day, but she still let him in. She describes him as “sly” and admits that she wasn’t naive. She could see the danger behind his eyes but still couldn’t say no. The chorus emphasizes the fact that she can’t control herself around him and that he’s causing her trouble.
The bridge of the song reveals a moment of doubt about their relationship. The singer thought she knew him well and trusted that he would be there for her if she fell. However, when she did fall, he wasn’t there for her. It was then that she realized that their relationship was just a game for him. The final verse is about the singer standing up for herself. She acknowledges that he has her in check, but she hasn’t lost yet. The song ends with a repeated chorus, emphasizing the singer’s ongoing struggle with the troublemaker.
Line by Line Meaning
Ah yes, I remember too well
I remember the night I fell for you very distinctly
How hard I tried avoiding your spell
I did my best not to fall for your charm
It was a cold October night
The night I first met you was in October and chilly
It was a far from sober night
I wasn't completely sober when I met you
And I was taken at first sight
I was drawn to you from the very beginning
And this was much to your delight
You were pleased that I was interested in you
I heard that you were looking for prey
I was told that you were always looking for a new girl
Hungry for a different girl everyday
You had a reputation of being a player
But you were so sly in coming in
You were sneaky in your approach
I wouldn't fight, I let you win
I didn't resist and allowed you to pursue me
Although the blood upon your chin
The blood on your chin gave away your true intentions
Told me exactly where you'd been
It made me realize what kind of person you really were
Who would've thought I'd ever let somebody get to me?
I never expected to fall for someone like you
Who would've thought I'd ever give a damn?
I didn't think I'd care about someone like you
I gave to you the one thing that I can never retrieve
I gave you my heart and can never get it back
And now you're leaving my heart bleeding in my hands
You hurt me deeply and I'm left heartbroken
You told me all about your dreams (troublemaker)
You talked about your aspirations and goals
You were so 'deep', or so it seemed (troublemaker)
You appeared to be very thoughtful and intellectual
Although I'm young, I'm not naive (aah)
Even though I'm young, I'm not gullible
I am not easy to deceive
I am not easily fooled or swayed
I see the danger that lies behind your eyes
I recognize the potential danger in being with you
And I want to scream when you're rubbin' on my thighs
I feel uncomfortable when you touch me inappropriately
Ooh, I know I should, but I can't say no!
I feel like I should resist you, but I can't help myself
Oh, troublemaker gotta let you go
I know I need to end things with you
And here I thought I knew you well (troublemaker)
I thought I had a good understanding of who you were
I thought you'd catch me if I fell (troublemaker)
I believed you would be there for me when I needed you
But when I fell, you never came (aah)
You weren't there to support me when I needed you
That's when I knew this was a game
I realized that you weren't serious about me
I thought because I'd knew, that I'd won
I thought I had the upper hand in the situation
But honey, that's easier said than done
It's much harder to actually win than it is to just think you have
Cause I lose my breath
You take my breath away
When you're kissing on my neck
I feel overwhelmed with emotion when you kiss me
Boy, you got me in check
You have control over me
But I haven't lost yet!
I still have the power to end things with you
Troublemaker, troublemaker
You are someone who causes problems and chaos
Don't you bring it 'round, don't you bring it 'round
Don't involve me in your trouble
Don't you bring it 'round here, no, no
I want nothing to do with your problems
Trouble, trouble
The chaos and problems that you bring
Troublemaker
You are the one causing trouble and making problems
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: BONNIE LEIGH MCKEE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind