"Trouble Me" is a song by the American

alternative rock Alternative rock, or alt-rock, is a category of rock music that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1970s and became widely popular in the 1990s. "Alternative" refers to the genre's distinction from Popular culture, mainstre ...

group

10,000 Maniacs 10,000 Maniacs is an American alternative rock band that was founded in 1981. They have released nine studio albums, six EPs, and five live albums. They achieved their most significant success between 1987 and 1993, when they released four album ...

and the first single from their 1989

album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early ...

Blind Man's Zoo ''Blind Man's Zoo'' is the fourth studio album by American alternative rock band 10,000 Maniacs. It was released on May 4, 1989, by Elektra Records. The album contains songs addressing social issues and current events, which occurred during and b ...

''. The single was co-written by the band's then-lead singer,

Natalie Merchant Natalie Anne Merchant (born October 26, 1963) is an American alternative rock singer-songwriter. She joined the band 10,000 Maniacs in 1981 and was lead vocalist and primary lyricist for the group. She remained with the group for their first se ...

, as dedication to her father, Anthony Merchant. "Trouble Me" charted in both the United States and the United Kingdom, becoming a hit for the band. A live version with lead vocalist

Mary Ramsey Mary Ramsey (born December 24, 1963) is a member of folk rock duo John & Mary and lead singer and violinist for the American alternative rock band 10,000 Maniacs. Ramsey has also worked with other well-known artists such as Jackson Browne, Goo Go ...

was also included on their 2016 album ''

Playing Favorites ''Playing Favorites'' is the twenty-third album by American singer-songwriter Michael Martin Murphey. Released August 21, 2001, the album features completely new recordings of eleven of the artist's country, cowboy, and popular crossover classics, ...

''.

Background and production

"Trouble Me", composed by Dennis Drew and lyricized by

, was the first released single of the album. The song was written for Merchant's father, Anthony, who was hospitalized at the time.''Contemporary Musicians: Profiles of the People in Music''
edited by Michael LaBlanc. Vol. 3. Gospel singer

Jevetta Steele Jevetta Steele (born November 11, 1963) is an American R&B and gospel music singer. Early years Born and raised in Gary, Indiana, Steele eventually migrated to Minneapolis, Minnesota to become a criminal lawyer. Steele later embarked upon a sol ...

provided the background vocals for the song. Merchant said in late 1980s, "The most uplifting song is 'Trouble Me', which seems like the antidote for all the rest of 'Blind Man's Zoo''"

Music video

A music video for "Trouble Me" was produced, containing outdoor scenes. Merchant caught a

common cold The common cold or the cold is a viral infectious disease of the upper respiratory tract that primarily affects the respiratory mucosa of the nose, throat, sinuses, and larynx. Signs and symptoms may appear fewer than two days after exposu ...

during the filming. It is included in the VHS release ''10,000 Maniacs: Time Capsule, Filmed 1982–1990'', later re-released on DVD as ''10,000 Maniacs: Time Capsule, Filmed 1982–1993''. In the music video, while she performs the song in various scenes, Merchant takes an elderly woman on the bicycle to the place where her friends surprise her and then do activities. In the end, Merchant and the elderly woman ride on the bicycle to a shoreline.

Reception

Music critic Anthony DeCurtis wrote, "''Blind Man's Zoo'', hich includes the song is a starkly pessimistic statement." Chris Willman of ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...

'' reviewed the band's song performance at the 1989

Santa Barbara Bowl The Santa Barbara Bowl is a 4,562-seat amphitheater, located in Santa Barbara, California. The amphitheater is open for concerts from approximately April through approximately October with an average of about 27 concerts per season. Booked exclu ...

concert, calling it "honey in the soothing." Joseph Pryweller of Virginia's '' Daily Press'' reviewed the band's song performance at a 1989

Colonial Williamsburg Colonial Williamsburg is a living-history museum and private foundation presenting a part of the historic district in the city of Williamsburg, Virginia, United States. The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation has 7300 employees at this location and ...

concert, saying that the performance resembled songs from the band's previous album, '' In My Tribe'', and "lacked special character."

Charts

In the ''Billboard'' charts, "Trouble Me" reached number 20 in the

Mainstream Rock chart Mainstream Rock is a music chart in '' Billboard'' magazine that ranks the most-played songs on mainstream rock radio stations in the United States, a category that combines the formats of active rock and heritage rock. The chart was launched i ...

on the week ending July 8, 1989; number three in the Modern Rock Tracks chart on the week ending June 10; number 44 in the Hot 100 chart on the week ending August 12; and number seven in the

Adult Contemporary chart The Adult Contemporary chart is published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine and lists the most popular songs on adult contemporary radio stations in the United States. The chart is compiled based on airplay data submitted to ''Billboard'' by sta ...

on the week ending August 19, 1989. "Trouble Me" reached number 77 in the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

for the week ending June 17, 1989.

In popular culture

The song is featured in the '' Dead of Summer'' episode, "Barney Rubble Eyes" (season 1, episode 2). ''Billboard'' reviewer Chuck Taylor said that the " dtempo pacing" of

James Blunt James Blunt (born James Hillier Blount; 22 February 1974) is an English singer, songwriter and musician. A former reconnaissance officer in the Life Guards regiment of the British Army, he served under NATO during the 1999 Kosovo War. After l ...

's song "

1973 Events January * January 1 - The United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and Denmark enter the European Economic Community, which later becomes the European Union. * January 15 – Vietnam War: Citing progress in peace negotiations, U.S. ...

" would resemble 10,000 Maniacs' song.

References

{{10,000 Maniacs 1989 singles 1989 songs 10,000 Maniacs songs Songs written by Natalie Merchant Songs written by Dennis Drew Song recordings produced by Peter Asher Elektra Records singles