Deep, Deep Trouble
Encyclopedia
"Deep, Deep Trouble" is a rap song from the 1990 Simpsons
album The Simpsons Sing the Blues
. It is sung by the fictional character Bart Simpson
(Nancy Cartwright
) and is about his trouble-making antics. The song was written by Matt Groening
and DJ Jazzy Jeff
. "Deep, Deep Trouble" was released as the second single from the album in early 1991 and an accompanying music video was released on March 7, 1991. It charted in several countries, including the top ten in New Zealand and the United Kingdom. Critics have given the song positive reviews, praising it for its humorous lyrics.
that features songs sung by the characters from the American animated television series The Simpsons
. The song was written by The Simpsons creator Matt Groening
and DJ Jazzy Jeff
, and produced by Jazzy Jeff and John Boylan. Jazzy Jeff provided the drum programming, keyboards, and scratches on "Deep, Deep Trouble".
The song is a rap performed by the character Bart Simpson
about his trouble-making antics. The Simpsons cast member Nancy Cartwright
provided the voice of Bart. The characters Homer Simpson
and Maggie Simpson
are also featured, with Homer ranting at Bart and Maggie sucking on her pacifier to the beat of the song. Groening has described the song as "the tragic story of Bart Simpson, a bad youth gone worse." "Deep, Deep Trouble" was released in early 1991 as the second single from The Simpsons Sing the Blues, after "Do the Bartman
".
" of the show's second season. On March 6, Joanne Ostrow wrote: "Not nearly as clever as the cartoon, the musical spinoff has 'promotional gimmick' written all over it. Then again, I never thought the video of the dance rap 'Do the Bartman' would be a ratings hit when it aired in December. So what do I know?" The video features both original animation and old animation from the series and the Simpsons shorts that aired on The Tracey Ullman Show
before they were spun-off into The Simpsons in 1989. Gregg Vanzo
directed the music video, which according to him features quicker character poses than in episodes of the show to match the hip-hop beat. The music video was later included on the 2002 DVD boxset The Simpsons: The Complete Second Season, with audio commentary
from the producers.
commented that "after listening to [The Simpsons Sing the Blues] once, no one will forget 'Deep, Deep Trouble' [...] It would be hard not to crack a smile while listening closely to the lyrics, as they are very creative and humorous." Thor Christensen of The Milwaukee Journal wrote that Bart "gets in a few good yuks" in the song, and Walt Belcher of The Tampa Tribune
commented that Bart "raps out an amusing story about his misadventures while mowing the lawn". The Orange County Register
s Cary Darling noted that "Bart turning his life into a hip-hop autobiography on 'Deep, Deep Trouble' is an absolute joy." Cartwright's rapping was praised by Tom Hopkins of Dayton Daily News
.
CD promo single
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
album The Simpsons Sing the Blues
The Simpsons Sing the Blues
The Simpsons Sing the Blues is the first album released as an offshoot of The Simpsons. The album contains originally recorded music not featured in the series save for the first verse of the track "Moaning Lisa Blues" which was first featured in the episode "Moaning Lisa", aired February 11, 1990...
. It is sung by the fictional character Bart Simpson
Bart Simpson
Bartholomew JoJo "Bart" Simpson is a fictional main character in the animated television series The Simpsons and part of the Simpson family. He is voiced by actress Nancy Cartwright and first appeared on television in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...
(Nancy Cartwright
Nancy Cartwright
Nancy Campbell Cartwright is an American film and television actress, comedian and voice artist. She is best known for her long-running role as Bart Simpson on the animated television series The Simpsons...
) and is about his trouble-making antics. The song was written by Matt Groening
Matt Groening
Matthew Abram "Matt" Groening is an American cartoonist, screenwriter, and producer. He is the creator of the comic strip Life in Hell as well as two successful television series, The Simpsons and Futurama....
and DJ Jazzy Jeff
DJ Jazzy Jeff
Jeffrey Allen Townes , also known as DJ Jazzy Jeff or simply Jazz, is an American hip hop, R&B record producer, turntablist and actor. He is best known for his early career with Will Smith as DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince...
. "Deep, Deep Trouble" was released as the second single from the album in early 1991 and an accompanying music video was released on March 7, 1991. It charted in several countries, including the top ten in New Zealand and the United Kingdom. Critics have given the song positive reviews, praising it for its humorous lyrics.
Background
"Deep, Deep Trouble" appeared on the successful 1990 album The Simpsons Sing the BluesThe Simpsons Sing the Blues
The Simpsons Sing the Blues is the first album released as an offshoot of The Simpsons. The album contains originally recorded music not featured in the series save for the first verse of the track "Moaning Lisa Blues" which was first featured in the episode "Moaning Lisa", aired February 11, 1990...
that features songs sung by the characters from the American animated television series The Simpsons
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
. The song was written by The Simpsons creator Matt Groening
Matt Groening
Matthew Abram "Matt" Groening is an American cartoonist, screenwriter, and producer. He is the creator of the comic strip Life in Hell as well as two successful television series, The Simpsons and Futurama....
and DJ Jazzy Jeff
DJ Jazzy Jeff
Jeffrey Allen Townes , also known as DJ Jazzy Jeff or simply Jazz, is an American hip hop, R&B record producer, turntablist and actor. He is best known for his early career with Will Smith as DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince...
, and produced by Jazzy Jeff and John Boylan. Jazzy Jeff provided the drum programming, keyboards, and scratches on "Deep, Deep Trouble".
The song is a rap performed by the character Bart Simpson
Bart Simpson
Bartholomew JoJo "Bart" Simpson is a fictional main character in the animated television series The Simpsons and part of the Simpson family. He is voiced by actress Nancy Cartwright and first appeared on television in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...
about his trouble-making antics. The Simpsons cast member Nancy Cartwright
Nancy Cartwright
Nancy Campbell Cartwright is an American film and television actress, comedian and voice artist. She is best known for her long-running role as Bart Simpson on the animated television series The Simpsons...
provided the voice of Bart. The characters Homer Simpson
Homer Simpson
Homer Jay Simpson is a fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons and the patriarch of the eponymous family. He is voiced by Dan Castellaneta and first appeared on television, along with the rest of his family, in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...
and Maggie Simpson
Maggie Simpson
Margaret "Maggie" Simpson is a fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons. She first appeared on television in the Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987. Maggie was created and designed by cartoonist Matt Groening while he was waiting in the lobby of James...
are also featured, with Homer ranting at Bart and Maggie sucking on her pacifier to the beat of the song. Groening has described the song as "the tragic story of Bart Simpson, a bad youth gone worse." "Deep, Deep Trouble" was released in early 1991 as the second single from The Simpsons Sing the Blues, after "Do the Bartman
Do the Bartman
"Do the Bartman" is a pop rap song from the 1990 Simpsons album The Simpsons Sing the Blues. It was performed by The Simpsons cast member Nancy Cartwright and was released as a promotional single from the album on November 20, 1990. The song was written and produced by American recording artist...
".
Music video
The music video for the single premiered on the Fox network in the United States on March 7, 1991 together with the episode "Bart's Dog Gets an FBart's Dog Gets an F
"Bart's Dog Gets an F" is the sixteenth episode of The Simpsons second season. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on March 7, 1991. In this episode, the Simpson family's dog, Santa's Little Helper, manages to infuriate the entire family by destroying Homer's new shoes,...
" of the show's second season. On March 6, Joanne Ostrow wrote: "Not nearly as clever as the cartoon, the musical spinoff has 'promotional gimmick' written all over it. Then again, I never thought the video of the dance rap 'Do the Bartman' would be a ratings hit when it aired in December. So what do I know?" The video features both original animation and old animation from the series and the Simpsons shorts that aired on The Tracey Ullman Show
The Tracey Ullman Show
The Tracey Ullman Show was an American television variety show, hosted by British comedian and onetime pop singer Tracey Ullman. It debuted on April 5, 1987 as the Fox network's second primetime series after Married... with Children, and ran until May 26, 1990. The show blended sketch comedy shorts...
before they were spun-off into The Simpsons in 1989. Gregg Vanzo
Gregg Vanzo
Gregg Vanzo is an American animator. He has worked on several shows, including The Simpsons and Futurama. He is also the founder of Rough Draft Studios.- Career in television :...
directed the music video, which according to him features quicker character poses than in episodes of the show to match the hip-hop beat. The music video was later included on the 2002 DVD boxset The Simpsons: The Complete Second Season, with audio commentary
Audio commentary
On disc-based video formats, an audio commentary is an additional audio track consisting of a lecture or comments by one or more speakers, that plays in real time with video...
from the producers.
Critical reception
The song has received positive response from critics. Sommer Swindell of the Observer-ReporterObserver-Reporter
The Observer-Reporter is a daily newspaper covering Washington and Greene counties in Pennsylvania, with some overlap into the South Hills of Pittsburgh in Allegheny County. The newspaper is published by the Observer Publishing Company in Washington, Pennsylvania....
commented that "after listening to [The Simpsons Sing the Blues] once, no one will forget 'Deep, Deep Trouble' [...] It would be hard not to crack a smile while listening closely to the lyrics, as they are very creative and humorous." Thor Christensen of The Milwaukee Journal wrote that Bart "gets in a few good yuks" in the song, and Walt Belcher of The Tampa Tribune
The Tampa Tribune
The Tampa Tribune, published in Tampa, Florida, is one of two major newspapers published in the Tampa Bay area, second in circulation and readership to the St. Petersburg Times. The paper's tagline is "Life...
commented that Bart "raps out an amusing story about his misadventures while mowing the lawn". The Orange County Register
The Orange County Register
The Orange County Register is a daily newspaper published in Santa Ana, California. The Register is the flagship publication of Freedom Communications, Inc., which publishes 28 daily newspapers, 23 weekly newspapers, Coast magazine, and several related Internet sites.The Register is notable for its...
s Cary Darling noted that "Bart turning his life into a hip-hop autobiography on 'Deep, Deep Trouble' is an absolute joy." Cartwright's rapping was praised by Tom Hopkins of Dayton Daily News
Dayton Daily News
The Dayton Daily News is a daily newspaper published in Dayton, Ohio. It is owned by Cox Enterprises. In the 2010 Associated Press Society of Ohio newspaper competition that takes place every year, DaytonDailyNews.com was named "the best large-newspaper web site in Ohio".-History:On August 15,...
.
Chart performance
The single was a commercial success, charting in the top ten in New Zealand and the United Kingdom, and outside the top ten in Australia, the Netherlands, Sweden, and the United States.| Chart (1991) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... ) |
35 |
| Netherlands (Nationale Top 100) | 37 |
| New Zealand (RIANZ Recording Industry Association of New Zealand The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand... ) |
10 |
| Sweden (Sverigetopplistan Sverigetopplistan Sverigetopplistan, earlier known as Topplistan and Hitlistan and other names, is since October 2007 the Swedish national record chart, based on sales data from Swedish Recording Industry Association .... ) |
13 |
| UK Singles (The Official Charts Company UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... ) |
7 |
| US Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
69 |
Track listing
CD single- "Deep, Deep Trouble" (LP Version)
- "Deep, Deep Trouble" (Dance Mix edit)
- "Deep, Deep Trouble" (Full Dance Mix)
- "Springfield Soul Stew" (LP Version)
CD promo single
- "Deep, Deep Trouble" (LP edit)
- "Deep, Deep Trouble" (Dance Mix edit)
- "Deep, Deep Trouble" (LP Version)
- "Deep, Deep Trouble" (Full Dance Mix)