Eek-a-Mouse is since 1979 the stage name for the Jamaican dancehall deejay … Read Full Bio ↴Eek-a-Mouse is since 1979 the stage name for the Jamaican dancehall deejay artist, songwriter and music producer Ripton Hylton (⋆ 19 Nov 1957 in Kingston, Jamaica). He is one of Jamaica's premier dancehall stars known for songs as Ganja Smuggling and The Freak and is also seen as a good reggae artist. He advanced the sub-genre singjaying, created by early toasters like Big Youth. Eek-A-Mouse had his most successful years 1979-1992. His debute studio album Bubble Up Yu Hip was released 1980 and his latest with new material Eekziled 2011. His carrier stopped 2008 when was arrested on charges of rape and narcotic possession, fled to USA and later to Paraguay. In July 2013 he was released after a plea agreement, having pleaded "no contest" to misdemeanor charges for assault on a female and attempted crime against nature, with his time already spent in prison covering his sentence. He now performs again.
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Born in Kingston, Jamaica as Ripton Hylton, Eek-a-Mouse began his foray into reggae music when he was in college, but did not begin to garner a substantial audience until 1979 with his hit "Once a Virgin". This same year, he changed his singing name to "Eek-a-Mouse", the name of the racehorse he always bet on. In 1981, he cheered up the Reggae Sunsplash Festival, which was still mourning over the death of reggae icon Bob Marley. After this, his fame continued increasing through the year 1982 until 1988, when he released "Eek-A-Nomics", his last full-length CD until 1996.

Eek-a-Mouse is a regular at the Jamaican music festival Reggae Sunsplash and often teams up with reggae duo Michigan and Smiley. He has also been featured on Christian rock group P.O.D.'s (Payable on Death) album Satellite, lending his vocals to the rock-reggae track "Ridiculous".

Joey Joey
Eek-a-Mouse Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Joey Joey Joey Joey
Why you wanna take my girl from me
Joey Joey Joey Joey
Please don't try to take her cause you can
I know you are a superstar lots of
Money and expensive cars and I cannot compete
Private jets and I'm in debts my house
About to reprocess and I cannot compete

Joey Joey Joey Joey
Why you wanna take my girl from me
Joey Joey Joey Joey
Please don't try to take her you know you can't
You got so much money to buy the world then
Why you want my girl and I can never compete
Last night as I try to sleep I hear you
Call her name in my sleep and I cannot compete
You know we tried to make ends meet and I can't
Afford to buy you lots of rings and I cannot compete
Joey Joey Joey Joey
Why you wanna take my girl from me
Joey Joey Joey Joey
Why you wanna take her you know you can't
I know you are a superstar lots of
Money and expensive cars and I cannot compete
Private jets while I'm in debts my
House about to reprocess and I cannot compete
Joey Joey Joey Joey
Why you try to take my girl from me

Joey Joey Joey Joey
Please don't try to take her you know you can't

Overall Meaning

The song "Joey Joey" by Eek-a-Mouse is a plea to a famous and wealthy man named Joey not to steal the singer's girlfriend away. The singer describes Joey's wealth and fame, including his expensive cars and private jets, which he cannot compete with. He asks Joey why he wants his girlfriend when he can have anyone he wants, and claims that he hears Joey calling her name in his sleep. The song is a reflection on the pressures of competing with wealth and fame in romantic relationships, and the insecurity that can arise in such situations.

Line by Line Meaning

Joey Joey Joey Joey
The repetition of the name emphasizes the subject of the song, who is Joey

Why you wanna take my girl from me
The singer is questioning why Joey is trying to steal his girl

Please don't try to take her cause you can
The singer is asking Joey to refrain from taking his girl since he knows Joey can afford anyone he wants

I know you are a superstar lots of
The artist acknowledges that Joey is a superstar with a lot of wealth

Money and expensive cars and I cannot compete
The artist admits that he can't compete with Joey in terms of wealth and the material things he can offer

Private jets and I'm in debts my house
The singer further emphasizes his financial struggles and inability to match Joey's lavish lifestyle

About to reprocess and I cannot compete
The singer's financial situation has become so bad that his house is about to be repossessed

You got so much money to buy the world then
The artist sarcastically points out that Joey has enough money to have anything he wants

Why you want my girl and I can never compete
The artist can't understand why Joey would want his girl when he can't offer her the same financial security that Joey can

Last night as I try to sleep I hear you
The artist is haunted by thoughts of Joey and his girl in bed together

Call her name in my sleep and I cannot compete
The singer is so insecure that he imagines Joey and his girl together even in his sleep

You know we tried to make ends meet and I can't
The artist tried to make things work with his girl despite his financial struggles

Afford to buy you lots of rings and I cannot compete
The singer can't even afford to buy his girl expensive jewelry, something that Joey can easily do

Why you try to take my girl from me
The singer is still wondering why Joey is trying to take his girl

Please don't try to take her you know you can't
The singer is pleading with Joey to leave his girl alone because he knows that Joey can't provide her with the emotional connection and love that he does

Writer(s): Ripton Hylton, Burnett Martin

Contributed by Madison B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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