Toy Boy
by Mika

Album: The Boy Who Knew Too Much (2009)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Mika felt under pressure writing a follow up to his highly successful debut album so he took advice from The Who's Pete Townshend. He explained to The Sun September 11, 2009: "I was really nervous about going back into the studio and Pete Townshend said to me, 'You need to think like a craftsman then the art will come.' I was round his house having dinner and to be told that by such a legend made me think carefully. I had to be disciplined and found that's the trick. So I started to imagine I was writing songs for an imaginary film."
  • Mika added to The Sun that this is his favorite track on the album: "I think it's really clever. It's almost like a punk Disney soundtrack. I try to use multiple voices so it's like you're being spoken to by different characters in a movie."
  • Mika told Q magazine June 2009 that many of his lyrics on The Boy Who Knew Too Much are "dark and emotional" He added that this song, for instance, is about a "toy that gets used and abused by different owners. I guess these songs are the antidote to my first album."
  • Mika said to Q: "This has a full orchestra, like a Disney soundtrack, but the lyrics are intense and dark. Toy Boy is full of twiddling flutes and lush strings, but the melody is very mechanical, like a music box."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

George Harrison

George HarrisonFact or Fiction

Did Eric Clapton really steal George's wife? What's the George Harrison-Monty Python connection? Set the record straight with our Fact or Fiction quiz.

Andrew Farriss of INXS

Andrew Farriss of INXSSongwriter Interviews

Andrew Farriss on writing with Michael Hutchence, the stories behind "Mystify" and other INXS hits, and his country-flavored debut solo album.

Melanie

MelanieSongwriter Interviews

The singer-songwriter Melanie talks about her spiritual awakening at Woodstock, "Brand New Key," and why songwriting is an art, not a craft.

Chris Robinson of The Black Crowes

Chris Robinson of The Black CrowesSongwriter Interviews

"Great songwriters don't necessarily have hit songs," says Chris. He's written a bunch, but his fans are more interested in the intricate jams.

Commercials

CommercialsFact or Fiction

Was "Ring Of Fire" really used to sell hemorrhoid cream?

AC/DC

AC/DCFact or Fiction

Does Angus really drink himself silly? Did their name come from a sewing machine? See if you can spot the real stories about AC/DC.