He's Messed Up

Album: Me (2014)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Jo Dee Messina originally penned this tune with Pink in mind. "I wanted to co-write it with her while she was in town, but it ended up that she had a crazy schedule," she said … so I was like, 'I'm going to finish this song anyway.'"
  • The song was inspired by a real person. "Maybe this is too much behind the song, but it's about a guy in the industry who's, like, Joe Cool," she divulged. "He just thinks he's, like, the Cat's Meow, and I had seen him backstage, and all these little girls are hanging on him."

    "He's not an artist. He's not a singer. But he's just some guy that thinks he's, like, the coolest thing, and he plays that off, and girls buy into it," Messina added. "I remember seeing him backstage, with girls all around him, and I'm like, 'Dude.'"

    "I was like, 'Oh, young girl. Walk away,'" she continued. "He is messed up, you know? This guy is never going to change. He's a dog. He always will be a dog. And so, that's where literally the idea came up."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Justin Timberlake

Justin TimberlakeFact or Fiction

Was Justin the first to be Punk'd by Ashton Kutcher? Did Britney really blame him for her meltdown? Did his bandmates think he was gay?

The Truth Is Out There: A History of Alien Songs

The Truth Is Out There: A History of Alien SongsSong Writing

The trail runs from flying saucer songs in the '50s, through Bowie, blink-182 and Katy Perry.

Second Wind Songs

Second Wind SongsSong Writing

Some songs get a second life when they find a new audience through a movie, commercial, TV show, or even the Internet.

Jon Oliva of Trans-Siberian Orchestra

Jon Oliva of Trans-Siberian OrchestraSongwriter Interviews

Writing great prog metal isn't easy, especially when it's for 60 musicians.

Colbie Caillat

Colbie CaillatSongwriter Interviews

Since emerging from MySpace with her hit "Bubbly," Colbie has become a top songwriter, even crafting a hit with Taylor Swift.

Chris Rea

Chris ReaSongwriter Interviews

It took him seven years to recover from his American hit "Fool (If You Think It's Over)," but Chris Rea became one of the top singer-songwriters in his native UK.