M.I.K.E. is Mike Dierickx (Dirk Dierickx before changing his first name off… Read Full Bio ↴M.I.K.E. is Mike Dierickx (Dirk Dierickx before changing his first name officially), a Belgian producer and DJ from the Antwerp area.

(Another M.I.K.E., known as Mike, is an Indonesian Singer who won the finals of Indonesian Idol. His songs are tagged on this page.)

Although mostly known for his productions under the aliases M.I.K.E., Push and Plastic Boy, Mike has released hundreds of records under more than eighty aliases and collaborations since 1992 in a wide variety of styles ranging from rave, techno, progressive house, trance, electro to even R&B, from accessible commercial anthems to minimalist underground sounds. He also produced tracks for Yves DeRuyter, Marco Bailey,Armin Van Buuren, Ian Van Dahl and Diabokua.

At the age of 18, Mike handed his first demo tape to the Antwerp record company USA Import Music and released his first record as Vision Act. In 1996 he signed with Lightning Records (the parent company of Bonzai Records) where he worked with most of its artists and achieved his major commercial breakthrough in 1998 with the trance anthem "Universal Nation" under his Push guise, one of the best selling dance vinyls of all time which even ended up in mainstream singles charts all over the world. This was followed up by two more chart hits, "Strange World" and "The Legacy".

As the list continued, creating such hits brought on major appeal by huge names like Moby, Ferry Corsten, Armin van Buuren, Gareth Emery and so much more - which of whom M.I.K.E produced impressive collaborations and remixes for.
As time passed and M.I.K.E.'s name spread, popular demand began to expand rapidly worldwide! From the UK, to cities all around Europe & straight across the Atlantic & into North America and down Latin America, Asia and Australia - Ministry of Sound, DanceValley, Tomorrowland, Trance Energy, Winter Music Conference - were some of the prestigious venues that till this day M.I.K.E. is noticed for as a top leading performer/DJ.
And we wonder, where does he find the time to make so many hit releases? Through the wave of fans, the touring, atmosphere and passion for music are what tell the stories behind each of his exceptional tracks labeled under monikers Push, Plastic boy, to his most widely used name - M.I.K.E.
And now teaming up with labels such as Sirup Music, High Contrast Records, Garuda Music, and Armada Music, he continues introducing fresh new sounds with edge & a twist of progressive and club house for a totally modish blend. You can grab a taste on his weekly radio show 'Club Elite Sessions', also heard on various stations worldwide including SiriusXM and Digitally Imported Radio .
Check out www.mike.be for more updates, news, releases, links and touring info for a chance to experience a majestic adventure!

A Better World
M.I.K.E. Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Step.
Step back, step away,
Kindly stay the fuck away from me,
What I am is what I am.

Let me live as I please, more than just a name,
Number, pawn, puppet, fuck it.
I'm a man, person, look, see, closer please, touch, feel,

Flesh, yes real, like you I bleed, I hurt, I touch, I fuck, I need.

I possess what you need, individuality, often heard of, rarely seen.
Let me come clean.
You can't take this away from me,
You can't take this away from me,

You can't take this away from me,
You can't take this away!
Step back, keep away, keep yourself to yourself
Your opinion on a shelf, your presence isn't welcome, but felt,

Never tasted life, just smelt. Folded rather than gamble,
Deal with what was dealt. Bitterness felt.
Sucked into a circle of fools and tools and rules.
Wanting all to conform to the norm and lose.

Submit to fit, fuck that, suck this.
Complacement like pigs in shit. Waist high and you still sit.
You can't take this away from me,
You can't take this away from me,

You can't take this away from me,
You can't take this away!
You!

You!
You!
You!
Wide awake, I'm a step ahead of all of you.

I cannot understand your narrow minded attitude.
Step beside me, stand beside me fool.
You'll always be a number,
Always be another tool.

Not me, not me, not me, not this boy.
Never gonna bend, never gonna comply.
Not me, not me, not me, not this boy.
Step right down to this.

Know, know that you are nobody, nobody, nothing to me.
Brother, my ass, not fit to be, and never will be.
Love thy sister, brother.
Respect for one another.

Nice dream, but where have you been?
Another planet it would seem.
Come back down to earth, let me show you what I've seen.
I hurt, I touch, I fuck, I need.

I possess what you need,
I possess what you need,
I possess what you need,
I possess what you need,

I possess what you need!
You can't take this away from me,
You can't take this away from me,
You can't take this away from me,

You can't take this away from me.
You can't take this away from me,
You can't take this away from me.
You can't take this away from me,

You can't take this away!

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of M.I.K.E. Vs Andrew Bennett's "A Better World" are a powerful statement about individuality and the rejection of conformity. The opening lines of "Step back, step away, Kindly stay the fuck away from me, What I am is what I am" set the tone for the entire song. The singer is asserting their right to be themselves and live their life on their terms. They reject the labels that society may want to put on them and instead identify as a person with feelings, desires, and needs.

The chorus "You can't take this away from me" is a rallying cry for anyone who has ever felt repressed or oppressed by society's norms. The singer acknowledges that they possess something unique and valuable – individuality – which should not be taken away from them. The verses contrast this attitude with the conformity demanded by society – "Wanting all to conform to the norm and lose. Submit to fit, fuck that, suck this." The singer refuses to take part in this game, asserting their independence and making it clear that they will not be brought down to the level of those who seek to conform and control.

The final lines of the song, "You can't take this away from me, You can't take this away!" are a powerful reminder that every person has the right to be who they are, express themselves freely, and pursue their own happiness. The song is a powerful anthem for non-conformity and individuality that encourages listeners to embrace their uniqueness and reject societal pressures to conform.

Line by Line Meaning

Step.
Take a step forward.

Step back, step away,
Stay away from me.

Kindly stay the fuck away from me,
Politely leave my presence.

What I am is what I am.
I am genuine and authentic.

Let me live as I please, more than just a name,
I want to live life on my own terms.

Number, pawn, puppet, fuck it.
I refuse to be controlled or manipulated.

I'm a man, person, look, see, closer please, touch, feel,
I am a human being, just like you.

Flesh, yes real, like you I bleed, I hurt, I touch, I fuck, I need.
I am a physical being, capable of love, pain, and desire.

I possess what you need, individuality, often heard of, rarely seen.
I have something unique that others desire: individuality.

Let me come clean.
I want to be honest and transparent.

You can't take this away from me,
No one can take my individuality from me.

You can't take this away from me,
I won't let anyone control or manipulate me.

Step back, keep away, keep yourself to yourself
Stay away from me, and keep your opinions to yourself.

Your opinion on a shelf, your presence isn't welcome, but felt,
I don't want you around, and I don't care what you think.

Never tasted life, just smelt. Folded rather than gamble,
You're a coward who hasn't taken risks in life.

Deal with what was dealt. Bitterness felt.
You're bitter about your situation in life.

Sucked into a circle of fools and tools and rules.
You're stuck in a group that doesn't value individuality.

Wanting all to conform to the norm and lose.
You want everyone to be just like you, and that's a losing battle.

Submit to fit, fuck that, suck this.
I won't conform to your narrow-minded standards.

Complacement like pigs in shit. Waist high and you still sit.
You're content to wallow in your own mediocrity.

You!
You specifically.

Wide awake, I'm a step ahead of all of you.
I'm more aware and perceptive than you are.

I cannot understand your narrow minded attitude.
I can't comprehend how you can be so close-minded.

Step beside me, stand beside me fool.
Join me, and we can be equals.

You'll always be a number,
You'll always be replaceable and insignificant to me.

Always be another tool.
You'll always be manipulated by someone.

Not me, not me, not me, not this boy.
I won't let myself be a tool or a number.

Never gonna bend, never gonna comply.
I won't conform to your expectations.

Step right down to this.
Follow my lead.

Know, know that you are nobody, nobody, nothing to me.
You mean nothing to me.

Brother, my ass, not fit to be, and never will be.
Don't call me 'brother,' because you're not my equal.

Love thy sister, brother.
We should love and respect each other.

Respect for one another.
Everyone deserves respect, regardless of who they are.

Nice dream, but where have you been?
Your ideas are unrealistic and impractical.

Another planet it would seem.
Your ideas are so different from mine that it's like we're from different worlds.

Come back down to earth, let me show you what I've seen.
Let me share my experiences with you.

You can't take this away from me,
No one can control or manipulate me.

You can't take this away from me,
I value my individuality too much to let anyone else take it from me.

You can't take this away from me,
I refuse to let anyone else dictate my life.

You can't take this away from me.
My individuality is mine to keep.

You can't take this away from me,
I won't let anyone control or manipulate me.

You can't take this away from me,
I value my individuality too much to let anyone else take it from me.

You can't take this away from me,
I refuse to let anyone else dictate my life.

You can't take this away!
I won't let anyone take my individuality from me.

Lyrics © DOMINO PUBLISHING COMPANY
Written by: BRIAN JOHN BARRY, CHRISTIAN IGNATIOU, EDWIN GEORGE DEEN STRATTON, GLEN MARIO DIANI

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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