In his guide book of 80’s albums, critic Robert Christgau has this comment:
“The only woman ever to offer to take it up the ass on top 40 radio (close your eyes and really concentrate on “Mickey” if you don’t believe me)…”
The specific lyric in question (previous lines you could read into it, maybe, this is the one that seems most blatant)-
So come on and give it to me anyway you can
Anyway you want to do it, I’ll take it like a man
Oh please baby, please don’t leave me in this jam Mickey.
I have never heard of this theory and was wondeing if this is a common belief among those who analyze Toni Basil lyrics?
Cause when you say you will, it always means you won’t
You’re givin’ me the chills, baby, please baby don’t
Every night you still leave me all alone, Mickey
If you read carefully, you will see that the singer is acknowledging multiple personality disorder by directly addressing one of her other personalities, named Mickey. Alternate personalities are known for being contrary to the “prime” or central personality, as expressed in the first line; when “Mickey” promises to engage in some behavior, this can be assumed to mean that he will either renege on the promise, or do the opposite. “You’re giving me the chills” refers to the well-known side effects of psychoactive medications commonly prescribed to control this condition; the singer blames the shivering sensations caused by the medication on Mickey’s presence. And, of course, whenever the singer sleeps, the other personalities, which are constructs of her conscious mind, fade into the background, leaving the prime personality isolated: Mickey “leaves her alone.”
So if you combine that piece of information with the knowledge that the singer wants Mickey to buttfuck her, well, obviously this is a much more complicated song than most people realize.
It seems pretty obvious that that’s exactly what she means. At least that’s what I assumed when I first heard the song back in the 80’s. “She Bop” is about masturbation, and “Mickey” is about anal sex.
I’ve always maintained that the female singer has a crush on Mickey, who is actually gay. It would explain why the singer wants Mickey but can’t have him. She calls him “pretty” which is an unusual term to apply to a boy. There are suggestions that there’s something different about Mickey (“It’s guys like you”) and that he’s oblivious to this girl who’s attracted to him (“what a pity you don’t understand”). And of course this would explain her offer to “take it like a man”.
Okay, in reality, I know the real truth is what Brad posted - the song had the genders changed from its original version.
She is also the hot redhead dancer the normal teens send to distract the teen giants in VILLAGE OF THE GIANTS- the finest movie to include her, Suzanne Somers, Beau Bridges, AND little Ronnie Howard in the cast.
I believe it. IIRC at the time she did much to hide the fact that she was almost 40 when Mickey was released- my one hit wonders book gives her birth year as 1950, which is almost impossible as she is credited with working on the TAMI Show in 1964.
I do recall her beding over in the “Mickey” video at least once, but not sure if it was while singing the verse in question.
Also the song was written by the legendary UK writing team of Chapman/Chinn, and orignally done by Racey as “Kitty” as noted above and the two songs sound pretty much the same.
IMDB says she appeared on SNL during the 1975 season- does anyone know under what context?
(bolding mine) “only” is saved by “offer,” since Debra Harry seems to have lamented doing so in “Heart of Glass,” omitting which party’s idea it had originally been.
(why should Robert Christgau be the only one who’s reach exceeds his grasp here?)
