TOY BOY - Lyrics Discussion

[sariflor]

So I'm kinda coming in late to this discussion, but I figured I'd babble on anyhow.

 

First, some observations:

 

1) The lyrics and melody to this are genius.

 

2) The media are likley going to have a field day with this one. Another Mika album, another song with gay overtones.

 

3) Mika knows this. He's putting this out there to playfully f*ck with everyone, I think. Just look at his expressions when singing it.

 

4) I can't imagine it'll ever be a single. I don't want it to ever be a single.

Sure, the music journalists will analyze it to death, but I just don't think the unwashed masses will "get" it.

 

5) I hope the studio version doesn't sound overproduced. Greg is usually really good about that, but this song seems to be one where the rawness aspect of just Mika on keys adds to its shine. We'll see.

 

6) I love, love, love when he goes into the lower part of his range. I'm still a card-carrying fan of his falsetto, for sure, but those lower notes are just so pure and creamy and rich that it makes me feel like my ears are drinking a cool, delicious milkshake. Made with the finest Belgian chocolate.

 

Oh - and did anyone else notice that whatever instrument making the music-boxy pinging sounds makes a "ping" right on the word "didn't" in "didn't want you sleeping"...? And Mika moves his eyes all the way up, right on beat. It's a cool visual effect, like the act of opening his eyes wide caused the "ping" sound. It's at 1:26 in Sivan's vid:

 

 

Anyhow, onto my english-class-esque lyrical overanalyzation. I could be totally, 100% waaaay off: this is just, as they say, My Interpretation.

 

*takes a deep breath...*

 

------------------------------------------

 

 

This verse is painting the Toy Boy's character: that he's a wind up toy, so that's the visual there. "I've a heart of gold" seeks to paint the Toy Boy as being a positive character, rather than a negative character, in order to invoke sympathy for him. And as soon as you're told he's got a heart of gold, Toy Boy furthers this by making the sympathy-drawing comment about being left in the dark.

 

 

This verse brings the Toy Boy to life. More than an illustration - and more than a toy - he's three dimensional and capable of interaction and communication. And in tandem with that, he's still wonderful to have and to play with.

 

This is talking about who Toy Boy is, his character. He's saying that it's an unfortunate aspect of his personality, that if someone gets too close he'll "pull your hair" - a metaphor for being needy, getting attached, and thus hurting their love object. Then "hold me in your arms, I'm just a boy like you" serves to again reaffirm Toy Boy as an insecure, lonely soul whose heart is in the right place.

 

This is pretty straightforward - his love object's mother didn't approve of her son's relationship with another male. "It's a serious thing in a grownup world" implies that Toy Boy is at a point in his maturity where he accepts his sexuality, and that it's a serious choice - and that he's disappointed that his love object is letting his mother interfere with his choices. That's where the line about a Barbie girl comes in - Toy Boy is saying, fine, if you're not at a point where you can make your own choices, you might as well go find some blond, substance-less bimbo who will please your mother just because she's a female.

 

Unless "you left me in Georgia" is some kind of idiom I'm not familiar with, I think that line is filler. The point of those first two lines is just to convey that the love object decides to leave Toy Boy. The second last line is Toy Boy trying to convince himself that he shouldn't feel deeply toward his former love object, since he's just a toy. "How could I be for rental" serves to reaffirm that Toy Boy felt discarded.

 

This is the part that I've not figured out. Who is the "she" in this verse? By use of the term "hag" Mika is painting a picture of a woman at least a generation older than Toy Boy and his love object. I'm thinking maybe "she" is about the love object's mother. But that doesn't make sense in light of the next verse, unless Toy Boy ended up having some twisted relationship with his ex's mother. Or maybe after being discarded, Toy Boy gets into a relationship with a girl who hurts him. And the use of the word "hag" is meant to be more of a general derogatory term than one used to indicate the age of said woman. Either way, this woman hurt him in untold ways - "pulled out my insides with an old safety pin" means Toy Boy was hurt by her very, very deeply.

 

The "she" in question spent some time putting Toy Boy into a mould, making him out to be her love object. But then she got bored when the novelty wore off, and tossed him aside. By "she stuck her voodoo pins where my eyes used to be", Toy Boy is saying that she brainwashed him into thinking what she wanted him to think, thus preventing him from having his own clear thoughts. Hence why he can no longer see "the light of day".

 

Toy Boy continues to refer to the immense emotional fallout suffered at the hands of this "hag". "Black magic" again refers to the same thing as the "voodoo pins" line from the verse before - about how she brainwashed him before he even knew what was happening. Now he's been so scarred and burned by the experience with the "hag" that he's a black and blue, battered version of his former self. And the boy who once loved him - the love object from a few verses back - can't deal with the fact that Toy Boy is even more fragile than ever, so he avoids him.

 

 

Toy Boy is looking back on his relationship with the love object from the first part of the song, and wonders if he'll ever remember him in the future. And maybe if he'll regret his choice to leave Toy Boy. The love object went on to have a son of his own, and Toy Boy is thinking of that son. He's suggesting that when the love object's son is faced with a question of identity (of any sort, not just sexually), that maybe the love object should keep Toy Boy in mind - as an example about how someone forced to make the wrong choices on the path to true "self" can become very scarred from the fallout.

 

I just had to quote this post, because I totally agree with what you said, and also your analysis is absolutely spot on (in my humble opinion )

 

Good job.

 

I am utterly in love with this song. I don't tire of listening to it, watching his expressions, the way he emphasizes some things...I just find that it's genius. What you said about the masses potentially not getting it, I sadly also agree on. The example was that, when he played it at the gig, we were standing there mesmerised and drinking his every word, while many people towards the back were just chatting away. That says it all .

 

Mika's voice here is just so beautiful and pure, and as you said, creamy. It has this thick, delicious consistency that I adore. This is an example of why I think that he should lay off the falsetto for a bit and focus more on showing off his amazing lower range. Oh and the way he goes up and down with such ease, during the same verse even. LOVE IT.

[xlindee]

Depending on what you mean I can act like this:

Or say that I also have similar thoughts on my mind, let me tell yu why...

 

About 20 years ago or so I created my ’Best Songs Ever’ list and although there have been several changes in the top 10, the No1 has never changed (Bo Rhap, of course).

 

Over this weekend, however, I started to wonder for the first time if TB is ever going to replace it on MY list...

I personally think that it is almost impossible to ever write anything better that Bohemian Rhapsody as it is such a musical extravaganza : different genres, changing tempos, beautiful harmonies, sweet melodies and the first&best crescendo ever in a pop-song... Built to perfection..

 

However, whilst anyone with a good ear for music realises that Bo Rhap is a masterpiece, for Toy Boy, you probably have to understand English and feel it with your heart to appreciate it as much as the song mentioned before.

Actually, in my mind now these two songs now share No1 position. For me, Toy Boy is a song where music and lyrics are perfected to a level where you start feeling the music with pictures in your head and each time a different one, a new interpretation .. It never happened to me before. ( )

 

So, my overall opinion is that to the ’general public’, TB will never become as big as BoRhap but Mika is still young and has many more years to write his own Bo Rhap (mind you, Freddie was 28 when he wrote his masterpiece)

 

You haven't even heard the studio version. Or did you mean the acoustic one?

[suzie]

After reading your Roxy review I knew I had to take time to read this one through as well.. So far have not had time to read the lyrics analysis, but wanted to react to some of the points already:

 

2) The media are likley going to have a field day with this one. Another Mika album, another song with gay overtones.

 

... only if released as a single as most of the media wouldn't bother to listen to the whole album, anyway. And album reviews are mainly read by fans.

 

4) I can't imagine it'll ever be a single. I don't want it to ever be a single.

Sure, the music journalists will analyze it to death, but I just don't think the unwashed masses will "get" it.

 

IT HAS TO BE A SINGLE

I do not mean that I expect it would top the sales of Grace Kelly but 'the masses' need to listen to this song mainly because of the beauty of this song and also because those who might have been refusing to listen to his music because of his image (yes, there are people who judge people by appearance and refuse to take seriously a guy in red trousers..etc)..

 

5) I hope the studio version doesn't sound overproduced. Greg is usually really good about that, but this song seems to be one where the rawness aspect of just Mika on keys adds to its shine. We'll see.

 

He can release studio version with the violins as a single (and a video without him in it, only cartoons / string puppets...etc)

and the live (Roxy) version of it as a B side and also on videoclip for all the music channels to play it..

and it should be released for Xmas..

 

6) I love, love, love when he goes into the lower part of his range. I'm still a card-carrying fan of his falsetto, for sure, but those lower notes are just so pure and creamy and rich that it makes me feel like my ears are drinking a cool, delicious milkshake. Made with the finest Belgian chocolate.

I fully agree.... yummy yummy

[hotdlp]

I only just realised you can hear a bit of the lyrics in the last vlog he did But it does sound good with the music. So I've no doubt it'll sound amazing on the album

[suzie]

You haven't even heard the studio version. Or did you mean the acoustic one?

 

Yes, I haven't heard the studio version, only the bit with the orchestra and the 'fairy wings' and what is really strange is that the live version of a song, without all the effects can create so much impact on most of us...It shows that the song itself is very strong and there can be a lot of ways to do the instrumentation.

I agree with Mana, I hope it won't be over-produced. (To tell you the truth, Any Other World is a bit overproduced to my taste )

Anyway, the live version Blame it on the Girls, for example, did not have a cathartic feeling, but in my head I put it together with the 'Clap Clap song' on the vlog, so I can 'hear' it will be a huge hit.

ToyBoy, however, is written in a way that works even without any musical instruments... He is even decorating his singing .. . ... Ok, I must stop now, I am already melting and I am not a snowman. (Get back to work, Suzie)

[sienna]

Yes, I haven't heard the studio version, only the bit with the orchestra and the 'fairy wings' and what is really strange is that the live version of a song, without all the effects can create so much impact on most of us...It shows that the song itself is very strong and there can be a lot of ways to do the instrumentation.

I agree with Mana, I hope it won't be over-produced. (To tell you the truth, Any Other World is a bit overproduced to my taste )

Anyway, the live version Blame it on the Girls, for example, did not have a cathartic feeling, but in my head I put it together with the 'Clap Clap song' on the vlog, so I can 'hear' it will be a huge hit.

ToyBoy, however, is written in a way that works even without any musical instruments... He is even decorating his singing .. . ... Ok, I must stop now, I am already melting and I am not a snowman. (Get back to work, Suzie)

 

I know how you feel!

 

We could talk about this song forever!

[xlindee]

Yes, I haven't heard the studio version, only the bit with the orchestra and the 'fairy wings' and what is really strange is that the live version of a song, without all the effects can create so much impact on most of us...It shows that the song itself is very strong and there can be a lot of ways to do the instrumentation.

I agree with Mana, I hope it won't be over-produced. (To tell you the truth, Any Other World is a bit overproduced to my taste )

Anyway, the live version Blame it on the Girls, for example, did not have a cathartic feeling, but in my head I put it together with the 'Clap Clap song' on the vlog, so I can 'hear' it will be a huge hit.

ToyBoy, however, is written in a way that works even without any musical instruments... He is even decorating his singing .. . ... Ok, I must stop now, I am already melting and I am not a snowman. (Get back to work, Suzie)

 

Yeah, I like it too.

 

I agree as well. And I also agree on Any Other World being over produced. Well, I liked the music, but the way they put the voice on it..It sounds so much better live.

[Marilyn Mastin]

As people have said, Mika needs to use his lower voice more. I love his falsetto, but was so fed up in 2007, of the media calling him Mika the Squeaker. Because he doesn't squeak, but it was a way for them to rhyme his name with something insulting.

But his lower voice on Toy Boy is outstanding. The way he acts out the song is wonderful. I would love for more people to hear Mika sing this song, and other lower ones, then they would have to eat their words.

[Gatagordinha]

Yes, I haven't heard the studio version, only the bit with the orchestra and the 'fairy wings' and what is really strange is that the live version of a song, without all the effects can create so much impact on most of us...It shows that the song itself is very strong and there can be a lot of ways to do the instrumentation.

I agree with Mana, I hope it won't be over-produced. (To tell you the truth, Any Other World is a bit overproduced to my taste )

Anyway, the live version Blame it on the Girls, for example, did not have a cathartic feeling, but in my head I put it together with the 'Clap Clap song' on the vlog, so I can 'hear' it will be a huge hit.

ToyBoy, however, is written in a way that works even without any musical instruments... He is even decorating his singing .. . ... Ok, I must stop now, I am already melting and I am not a snowman. (Get back to work, Suzie)

 

I agree with every single word of this (ok maybe not the melting part )

 

As people have said, Mika needs to use his lower voice more. I love his falsetto, but was so fed up in 2007, of the media calling him Mika the Squeaker. Because he doesn't squeak, but it was a way for them to rhyme his name with something insulting.

But his lower voice on Toy Boy is outstanding. The way he acts out the song is wonderful. I would love for more people to hear Mika sing this song, and other lower ones, then they would have to eat their words.

 

Again, I agree. We all know Mika's voice is so much more than just a startling falsetto but in the public consciousness he is still 'that one who sings like a girl or like the Bee Gees'. His lovely low register will, I hope, come as a pleasant surprise to a lot of people, although I still think the Mika Squeaker tag will stick for a long time to come..unfortunately!

[suzie]

As people have said, Mika needs to use his lower voice more. I love his falsetto, but was so fed up in 2007, of the media calling him Mika the Squeaker. .

 

When he sings in lower register he sounds so much like .........

 

But his lower voice on Toy Boy is outstanding. The way he acts out the song is wonderful. I would love for more people to hear Mika sing this song, and other lower ones, then they would have to eat their words.

 

Actually, I think this is the song with the lowest range he ever sang (except when he sang Paulo Conti while making pizza)

 

and I just love when he sings "Come a little close I’m going to pull your hair":wub2:

Edited April 23, 2009 by suzie

[lily]

and I just love when he sings "Come a little close I’m going to pull your hair"

 

hehe, me too . . . : )))

[suzie]

So, back to the lyrics again...

 

I really do not want to spoil anyone’s own interpretation but early in the song there comes a point where ’the Boy’ and Toy Boy become interchangeable.

To put it in more ’classy’ words, Toy Boy coming to life is the metaphor of the boy’s coming of age.

Also, though it was clearly the mum’s influence on the boy that made him supress his real self and choose the ’normal’ life, it is not clear if it is him realising this later on or toy boy reflecting on the relationship.

 

I have many other thougths but I think enough has been said already.

I want to keep changing my interpretations every time I listen to it: it’s fun and very touching at the same time.

 

have to go to work now

[Kata]

Thank you so bloody much suzie, I was just right now ranting on MSN that noone else seemed to have anywhere near the same interpretation as I have, but now you came a bit closer

 

I don't dare to post my full analysis though, as it's bound to piss people off

[Fmbm]

Thank you so bloody much suzie, I was just right now ranting on MSN that noone else seemed to have anywhere near the same interpretation as I have, but now you came a bit closer

 

I don't dare to post my full analysis though, as it's bound to piss people off

 

I wanna know

It's probably the same as mine.

[Soaring Simpson]

Thank you so bloody much suzie, I was just right now ranting on MSN that noone else seemed to have anywhere near the same interpretation as I have, but now you came a bit closer

 

I don't dare to post my full analysis though, as it's bound to piss people off

 

Oh go on... at least we'd be ranting about Mika and not lady gaga

 

Can't say my interpretation's the same, by the sound of it, but it's not fully worked out

[Kata]

Well I have a little language problem For my idea to work, a "wind-up toy" needs to have double meaning as something that winds people up and I don't know if that is possible

[Fmbm]

Well I have a little language problem For my idea to work, a "wind-up toy" needs to have double meaning as something that winds people up and I don't know if that is possible

 

Well wind-up toys can wind people up in the sense that they can entertain people....*shrug*

 

I'm no help, am I?

[Kata]

Well wind-up toys can wind people up in the sense that they can entertain people....*shrug*

 

I'm no help, am I?

 

Not really I don't want this to be a toy at all, I want it to be a part of his personality

[Fmbm]

Not really I don't want this to be a toy at all, I want it to be a part of his personality

 

Oh ok, well....good luck with that

[Soaring Simpson]

Well I have a little language problem For my idea to work, a "wind-up toy" needs to have double meaning as something that winds people up and I don't know if that is possible

 

I'd say that was a reasonable interpretation

[silver]

The thought occurs that we are trying to interpret these words, but we are dealing with Mr Forget the Lyrics here

 

Suppose, for example, it's not "left me in Georgia" but "left me with Georgia". This would make better sense of the toys for rental idea - not owned, but passed from one person to another.

 

And it would make Georgia the hag, in the sense of witch or fag hag, depending on which level you are looking at the words.

Edited April 24, 2009 by silver

[lollipop_monkey]

Not really I don't want this to be a toy at all, I want it to be a part of his personality

 

Iiiinteresting.

 

Come on, girl, elaborate for us! I'd love to hear your interpretation. After all, we're all just grasping at straws and coming up with whatever sounds remotely plausible.

 

And bear in mind, we'll likely never know what was really in Mika's mind when he wrote this.

 

After all, he once went on about how "Happy Ending sounds like a traditional breakup song, but really it's more about losing...things." I just can't see that, considering the lyrics. "Can't get no love without sacrifice." "No hope or love or glory, happy ending's gone forevermore." Sounds like pretty clear breakup song, IMHO.

[Louiza]

And bear in mind, we'll likely never know what was really in Mika's mind when he wrote this.

 

After all, he once went on about how "Happy Ending sounds like a traditional breakup song, but really it's more about losing...things." I just can't see that, considering the lyrics. "Can't get no love without sacrifice." "No hope or love or glory, happy ending's gone forevermore." Sounds like pretty clear breakup song, IMHO.

 

thats what i've been thinking about too! we'll never know what this song or any of the songs are about unless he tells us.

 

it's exaclty like you said! how could we have ever guessed that happy ending would be about losing things and not a break up song. or who could predict that lollipop would be a message to his sister about not having sex (sorry chicken ) too soon after listening to its lyrics. i think he said in the LICM dvd that he tried to make lollipop sound as dirty as possible.

 

when i read the lyrics of toy boy i can see that they tell the story of a toy that was hurt by a couple of people. to find out if there's a deeper meaning i guess we'll have to wait for mika to tell us:wink2:

it's a brilliant song anyway...

[racinghorse83]

OK! I thought it would be a bit too much to post my evaluation on the whole song in one go, (especially as there’s nine verses, and I’ve written at least this much for each verse) and I haven’t exactly finished honing down my words on the last few verses yet.

 

I completely realise its highly likely that I’m reading a lot into this song, but I think that’s what Mika wanted us to do with this and its worth just throwing the opinions out there for people to toy with.

 

I’ve put each line in bold, and then written my current opinion on what it is saying in normal font underneath. WARNING; my opinion is subject to change. Easily. ;D

 

OK. Here we go. Hold onto your hats and don’t get too confused.

 

v1.

 

I’m a wind-up toy in an up down world

If you leave me all alone, I’ll make a mess for sure

I’ve a heart of gold and the smartest styles

(I’ve a heart of gold in the smallest size)

Leave me in the dark, you’ll never hear me cry

 

 

I’m a wind-up toy in an up down world

 

At first, I thought the first line simply sets the scene for the whole song.

The most prominent and obvious meaning is that toy boy is a excitable, happy-go-lucky wind up toy in a world that is up, down and all over the show.

Looking at it closer, though, perhaps I’m picking holes but I see this;

‘wind-up in up-down’. This could be a different way of hinting toy boy is gay (for example up = gay, down = straight, up-down = bi) if I’m making sense.

So its saying; the world is up-down; it is full of all these different types of people with different sexualities. I, personally, am wind-up (gay.)

 

 

If you leave me all alone, I’ll make a mess for sure

 

Toy boy needs someone to feel whole. Left alone he is lost, confused and he makes a mess. ‘i’ll make a mess for sure’ is confirmation that he needs to feel loved in order to operate correctly and he has been neglected in the past and made a mistake(s), or ‘mess’ as a result of that.

 

 

I’ve a heart of gold and the smartest styles

(I’ve a heart of gold in the smallest size)

 

People have quoted these lines as saying both versions, so I thought I would write my opinion on each.

The first interpretation; heart of gold and the smartest styles; has a completely different meaning to the second interpretation. For this one the meaning is basically what is said with no double meanings; toy boy is very sweet with childish, unconditional love. He isn’t going to hurt you, instead he is caring, sweet, and (in toy boys opinion) he is even stylish, which is a bonus.

 

The second interpretation ‘I’ve a heart of gold in the smallest size’ is much darker. ‘Heart of Gold’ once was a common term for a prostitute, but over time was remodelled into slang which eventually came to loosely mean ‘one who commonly associates with/is comfortable being around people who are more ‘slutty.’’ So ‘a heart of gold in the smallest size’ could be meaning that toy boy is into that kind of scene, but not in a hugely significant kind of way; rather he holds a small interest in such things.

 

The second obvious meaning for the second interpretation of the line is that toy boy is sweet in a miniscule type of way; but I personally believe it is the latter because it is much more typical of mika to word it that way.

 

 

Leave me in the dark, you’ll never hear me cry

 

Double meanings again. First meaning; here toy boy states he is brave. He needs to be loved in order to function correctly, but he can handle being left alone.

Second meaning; being ‘left in the dark’ is a common metaphor for being left in the dark on a situation. This could be toy boy stating that he is OK not knowing secrets and he will not protest if there are things going on behind his back that he’s better off not knowing about. ‘you’ll never hear me cry.’ To reword that into one sentence, ‘Leave me in the dark about what’s happening and I won’t protest (cry) and want to know.’

[suzie]

Thank you so bloody much suzie, I was just right now ranting on MSN that noone else seemed to have anywhere near the same interpretation as I have, but now you came a bit closer

 

I don't dare to post my full analysis though, as it's bound to piss people off

 

I think in the beginning (perhaps not on this thread, though Suzy tried to collect the most important ones, so it might be listed here, too) there were all types of interpretations. I remember I posted one with no mum as 'the hag', but then came the younger generation and I realised I shouldn't go into more in-depth analysis here...

I'm interested in what you'd say, though so perhaps you can start a new thread like Kata's thoughts or something (marking it 18+ ) where we can follow you