Mean What I Mean

Album: I Remember (2016)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This reggaeton-tinged track was written by AlunaGeorge's Aluna Francis with synth-punk singer-songwriter Amanda Warner, who records under the name of MNDR. Warner is best known for her collaboration with Mark Ronson, "Bang Bang Bang."
  • The song came from a real situation that Francis went through, where she was trying to fend off an intimidating person making advances. She explained to BBC Radio 1's Annie Mac that the guy wouldn't take no for an answer:

    "It's a very genuine place I'm singing from. I was in a situation, I said 'no'; and the person I was like, 'I know what you mean, and you mean yeah because you're just playing hard to get'. I freaked out. I was like, 'Oh My God, I've got to get out of here!'

    You go through these situations and, at the time, I personally don't think to myself 'oh, this is going to be great material'. I'm in the moment and I'm freaking out or I'm having trouble or whatever. Then you're in the studio and you've still got those feelings from that situation, that you didn't resolve quite as well as you'd like to have done. And that's where I really pull my lyrics from. Like, OK, if I went back to that situation, what would I have needed to handle it better? And that's where this song really comes from."
  • The track also features verses from Chicago singer and rapper Dreezy and Brooklyn MC Leikeli47.
  • Want another song with a similar theme of a girl fending off unwanted advances? How about Meghan Trainor's "No."
  • Francis told the BBC she wanted throw in the feel-good factor to enhance the song's power. She explained to the BBC: "That adds in the [idea that] I've already won. I live in 2016, so what I'm going to do is apply what I've learned to this situation and enjoy the results."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Joan Armatrading

Joan ArmatradingSongwriter Interviews

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

American Hits With Foreign Titles

American Hits With Foreign TitlesSong Writing

What are the biggest US hits with French, Spanish (not "Rico Suave"), Italian, Scottish, Greek, and Japanese titles?

Is That Song Public Domain?

Is That Song Public Domain?Fact or Fiction

Are classic songs like "Over The Rainbow" and "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" in the public domain?

Lita Ford

Lita FordSongwriter Interviews

Lita talks about how they wrote songs in The Runaways, and how she feels about her biggest hit being written by somebody else.

Best Band Logos

Best Band LogosSong Writing

Queen, Phish and The Stones are among our picks for the best band logos. Here are their histories and a design analysis from an expert.

Phone Booth Songs

Phone Booth SongsSong Writing

Phone booths are nearly extinct, but they provided storylines for some of the most profound songs of the pre-cell phone era.