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

Church Lyrics

Church LyricsMusic Quiz

Here is the church, here is the steeple - see if you can identify these lyrics that reference church.

Joan Armatrading

Joan ArmatradingSongwriter Interviews

The revered singer-songwriter talks inspiration and explains why she put a mahout in "Drop the Pilot."

Graham Bonnet (Alcatrazz, Rainbow)

Graham Bonnet (Alcatrazz, Rainbow)Songwriter Interviews

Yngwie Malmsteen and Steve Vai were two of Graham's co-writers for some '80s rock classics.

Vince Clarke

Vince ClarkeSongwriter Interviews

An original member of Depeche Mode, Vince went on to form Erasure and Yaz.

Allen Toussaint - "Southern Nights"

Allen Toussaint - "Southern Nights"They're Playing My Song

A song he wrote and recorded from "sheer spiritual inspiration," Allen's didn't think "Southern Nights" had hit potential until Glen Campbell took it to #1 two years later.

"Private Eyes" - The Story Behind the Song

"Private Eyes" - The Story Behind the SongSong Writing

How a goofy detective movie, a disenchanted director and an unlikely songwriter led to one of the biggest hits in pop history.