Ray Edward Cochran was born in Albert Lea, Minnesota; however, as his parents were from Oklahoma, he considered himself an Oklahoman, and introduced himself as such in interviews. He took music lessons in school, but eventually quit the band to play drums. Rather than take piano lessons, Cochran began learning guitar, playing the country music he heard on the radio. As time went on, Cochran moved to Los Angeles, California in 1953. Together with Hank Cochran, Eddie formed The Cochran Brothers, though the two shared no relation.
Around the same time, Cochran worked as a session musician, but aspired to be a songwriter and artist in his own right, and recorded a demo with songwriting partner and future manager, Jerry Capeheart. Cochran's first notable foray into the public eye was as one of the many performing artists featured in the musical comedy film The Girl Can't Help It starring Jayne Mansfield, eventually resulting in a recording contract with Liberty. He would follow up on this appearance by appearing in several films of the same genre. He also performed as a support act for such stars as Gene Vincent and Little Richard, who were among Cochran's co-stars in the aforementioned film.
For his recordings, Cochran often used experimental techniques that would later become part and parcel for other recording artists, notably recording numerous overdubs in order to create the rich, distinctive guitar sound for "Summertime Blues" and "C'mon Everybody". "Twenty Flight Rock", the song Cochran performed in The Girl Can't Help It, was the very first song a young Paul McCartney played for John Lennon as his audition for Lennon's group, The Quarrymen, which would later metamorphose into The Beatles.
Cochran was killed in an automobile accident in Chippenham, Wiltshire, England during a tour of Britain with Gene Vincent. Vincent and Cochran's fiancee, who were both in the car, survived the crash. Scholars have noted that, somewhat eerily, Cochran's last single release in his lifetime was "Three Steps to Heaven", although the song's lyrical context has nothing to do with death. Cochran's death occurred little over a year after the plane crash that killed Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson, to whom he paid tribute in his recording of the song "Three Stars", which remained unreleased until 1966.
A majority of Cochran's recorded legacy would be released posthumously; in his lifetime, only one album, Singin' to My Baby (1957), was ever released. Perhaps owing to the brevity of his career, Cochran never attained the same star status as other rockers of the era; however, his lyrical themes of teenage desires and rebellion, being somewhat more morose and raucous than his contemporaries, had a profound influence on many of the greatest artists of the '60s and '70s, such as The Beatles, The Who, and The Rolling Stones.
Mean When I'm Mad
Eddie Cochran Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But don't defy me, a-baby
Cause I'm mighty, mighty mean when I'm mad
You tantalize me, a-baby, you hypnotize me, a-baby
But don't surprise me, a-baby
Cause I'm mighty, mighty mean when I'm mad
Don't want my lovin' from another girl
Cause you mean more to me than this whole wide world
Watch out a-baby if you make me mad
So hug and kiss a-me, a-baby
Act like you missed me, a-baby
But don't resist me, a-baby
Cause I'm mighty, mighty mean when I'm mad
In Eddie Cochran's song "Mean When I'm Mad," the lyrics depict a sense of possessiveness and jealousy in a romantic relationship. The singer speaks to their lover with a mix of fear and intense attraction, explaining that they may appear to be gentle when they are not angry, but when push comes to shove, they can become incredibly mean. The lyrics imply a warning to their lover, a subtle threat that they should be careful about how they treat the singer.
The lyrics "Don't want my lovin' from another girl, cause you mean more to me than this whole wide world" show the possessiveness the singer feels towards their lover. They need their lover's love and attention, and they make it known that they do not want them to seek it from anyone else. The warning in the song's lyrics, "Watch out a-baby if you make me mad," suggests that the singer's love can become dangerous if their emotions are not handled correctly.
The song depicts an intense and complex relationship dynamic. The mixture of fear, love, and possessiveness is intense and captivating, creating a sense of urgency in the song. Overall, the lyrics show the darker side of love, where possessiveness and fear go hand in hand with the intense feelings of love.
Line by Line Meaning
You petrify me, a-baby, ooh, satisfy me, a-baby
You scare me and excite me at the same time.
But don't defy me, a-baby
Do not disobey me, it will not end well.
Cause I'm mighty, mighty mean when I'm mad
I become extremely vicious and unpleasant when angry.
You tantalize me, a-baby, you hypnotize me, a-baby
You mesmerize me and seduce me irresistibly.
But don't surprise me, a-baby
Do not shock me, it will upset me.
Cause I'm mighty, mighty mean when I'm mad
I turn into a very nasty person when upset.
Don't want my lovin' from another girl
I do not want to love anyone else but you.
Cause you mean more to me than this whole wide world
You are more important to me than anything else in the world.
I need your lovin' and I need it bad
I crave your affection very much.
Watch out a-baby if you make me mad
Be careful of angering me because I can be dangerous.
So hug and kiss a-me, a-baby
Embrace and kiss me passionately.
Act like you missed me, a-baby
Pretend like you have been yearning for me.
But don't resist me, a-baby
Do not challenge or reject me.
Cause I'm mighty, mighty mean when I'm mad
I become incredibly unpleasant when angry.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind