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".

Talking About Business
Eek-a-Mouse Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Oh noose tied myself in, tied myself too tight
Looking kind of anxious in your cross armed stance
Like a bad tempered prom queen at a homecoming dance
And I claim I'm not excited with my life any more
So I blame this town, this job, these friends
The truth is it's myself
And I'm trying to understand myself
And pinpoint where I am

By the time I get things figured out
I've change the whole damn plan
Oh noose tied myself in, tied myself too tight
Talking shit about a pretty sunset
Blanketing opinions that I'll probably regret soon

I've changed my mind so much I can't even trust it
My mind changed me so much I can't even trust myself

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Eek-a-Mouse's song "Talking About the Business" are a commentary on the struggles of self-identity and the search for purpose. The opening line of “Oh noose tied myself in, tied myself too tight” immediately sets a tone of anxiety and confinement. The second line describes a defensive and closed-off attitude which is likened to “a bad-tempered prom queen at a homecoming dance.” This highlights how people can end up projecting their inner turmoil onto their external surroundings instead of taking ownership of their emotions.

The third line introduces the concept of blaming one's surroundings or environment for a lack of fulfillment in life. However, the fourth line contradicts this claim by acknowledging that the issue lies within the individual. Eek-a-Mouse then describes the difficulty of understanding oneself and discovering where one belongs in life. This difficulty is emphasized in the line, “By the time I get things figured out I’ve changed the whole damn plan.”

The following lines highlight the inner conflict and indecision that comes with the search for self. The line about “blanketing opinions that I’ll probably regret soon” suggests that even when individuals try to vocalize and articulate their feelings, they are not always sure of what they want. The final line of the verse, “My mind changed me so much I can’t even trust myself” reaffirms the struggle of trying to find oneself in a constantly changing and unpredictable world.

Line by Line Meaning

Oh noose tied myself in, tied myself too tight
I feel trapped and paralyzed, overwhelmed by my own limitations

Looking kind of anxious in your cross armed stance
I see the judgment in your body language which heightens my anxiety and insecurity

Like a bad tempered prom queen at a homecoming dance
I feel like an outcast, misunderstood and angry at myself and others

And I claim I'm not excited with my life any more
I deny the reality of my own unhappiness, pretending that everything is fine when it is not

So I blame this town, this job, these friends
I externalize and project my own issues onto people and things outside of myself, refusing to take responsibility for my own life

The truth is it's myself
I must acknowledge that I am the problem, not anyone or anything else

And I'm trying to understand myself
I am searching for self-awareness and insight into my own psyche to find meaning and direction

And pinpoint where I am
I need to know my location in life, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually

By the time I get things figured out
Just when I think I'm getting somewhere, everything changes, and I'm back to square one

I've change the whole damn plan
My perspective and priorities shift so often that I can't make a concrete plan or stick to it

Talking shit about a pretty sunset
I am cynical and negative, unable to appreciate beauty or positivity in life

Blanketing opinions that I'll probably regret soon
My judgments and criticisms are hasty and uninformed, and I may regret them in the future

I've changed my mind so much I can't even trust it
My thoughts and beliefs are so inconsistent and unstable that I cannot rely on them to guide me

My mind changed me so much I can't even trust myself
My own thoughts and emotions control me to the point where I no longer feel in control of my life

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Eric Judy, Isaac Brock, Jeremiah Green

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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