My Bad Lyrics

February 6, 2015

Howdy folks, I've been gone a while, but feeling pretty good between chemo sessions so I thought I'd post this rough one & see if anybody wanted to collab on the lyrics or

maybe even musicate it if it tickles you fancy many thanks in advance..............Gus

Vs1
You say I’m, givin’ you the business
Runnin’ your name down
Lettin’ folks know, what u done
Everywhere round town

Vs2
Well, I can’t deny it
Cuz every word is true
Seems it was, My Bad
When I hooked up with you

Chorus
My Bad, I wouldn’t listen
When folks told me about you
My Bad, I didn’t watch
When they showed me what you’d do

Vs3
From when I first saw you
A standout in the crowd
Didn’t care what it took
I wanted you around

Vs4
You had the advantage
I wasn’t thinking with my brain
I was tipping off the edge
Circling round the drain

Chorus
My Bad, I wouldn’t listen
When folks told me about you
My Bad, I didn’t watch
When they showed me what you’d do

My Bad I never questioned
Where you were those times
My Bad I didn’t press you
As you were givin’ me those eyes

Carl B

February 6, 2015

steve rieck said...

Howdy folks, I've been gone a while, but feeling pretty good between chemo sessions so I thought I'd post this rough one & see if anybody wanted to collab on the lyrics or

maybe even musicate it if it tickles you fancy many thanks in advance..............Gus

Vs1
You say I’m, givin’ you the business First thought - She's a hooker.
Runnin’ your name down
Lettin’ folks know, what u done
Everywhere round town

Vs2
Well, I can’t deny it
Cuz every word is true
Seems it was, My Bad
When I hooked up with you

Chorus
My Bad, I wouldn’t listen
When folks told me about you
My Bad, I didn’t watch
When they showed me what you’d do If she's a hooker then why would folks need to show the singer what she does? It's implied in the opening line when the singer says "You say I'm givin' you the business", that the singer had some idea of what she does.

Vs3
From when I first saw you
A standout in the crowd
Didn’t care what it took
I wanted you around

Vs4
You had the advantage
I wasn’t thinking with my brain
I was tipping off the edge
Circling round the drain

Chorus
My Bad, I wouldn’t listen
When folks told me about you
My Bad, I didn’t watch
When they showed me what you’d do

My Bad I never questioned
Where you were those times
My Bad I didn’t press you
As you were givin’ me those eyes

Hey, Steve

Good to see you posting and happy to hear you feel better. I could be completely off on this one but the individual being talked about by the singer in the lyric sounds like a prostitute. If I'm wrong perhaps a bridge that sheds a little more light on what's going on? Also the meter seems a little off between verses.

Keep posting, keep fighting!

Carl

Ott Lukk

February 6, 2015

I didn't get "prostitute" out of this at all. Just a lady indiscriminate about who she has fun with.

I will disagree with the last two lines of the chorus: "my bad, I didn't watch/when they showed me what you'd do". WHAT? Were the townspeople actually imitating the actions of the young lady to show what she's really like? If you "didn't watch", how are you to know what they "showed you"? The location of this town, please! I think "my bad, I didn't listen/when they told me what you'd do" works better.

Other than that, I think it's a good lyric. Ott

1 liked

Gary Orphey likes this.

steve rieck

February 7, 2015

Thanks Carl & Ott. Sure appreciate you both taking a gander & giving me great input. The hooker concept never even came close to crossing my mind. The Giving of the business, is meant to mean working someone over. My ex used to "give me the business" all the time. Sometimes it was hard to sit down afterwards(ass chewing).... This is supposed to be better version of the old song where everyone warned

him she was bad news, and would break his heart cuz she was always unfaithful etc. (I can't remember the name) As far as showing him what she'd do, I meant all his friends etc, would show him all the other guys whose heart she'd broken & how messed up they were since.

.......At least that was where my head was at. Does that change either of you guys thoughts about what I got so far?.........Gus

1 liked

Gary Orphey likes this.

Gary Orphey

February 7, 2015

Glad to have you feeling well enough to post again Steve!

I think Ott has a point there with the lanuage construct. He has saved my tail several times with a close read. Thanks Ott! The only thing that bugs me that is left (and it is probaly only me) is the term, "My Bad" which is really a heavily used cliche and kind of clunky. If you have to use a cliche in the chorus I would go back about fifty years or so and pick up something that only old dudes and dudettes will remember that is no longer a cliche like Maxwell Smarts, "Would you believe" i also would not use "My Bad" in the verse too.

Chorus
Would you believe I wouldn’t listen
When folks told me about you
Would you believe I didn’t listen
When they told me what you’d do

(just a guy trying to help)

steve rieck

February 7, 2015

Well, it appears we have arrived at the crux of the biscuit nice and quick! It's nice when it works like this! My hook is weak , clunky, cliche, and heavily used....... Many thanks for saving me a bunch of time trying to save a dead one....I'll move onto something new!...Thankyou Gus

Carl B

February 7, 2015

Hi, Steve

I figured the hooker aspect was a far cry (lol) but I wasn't certain at first where this one was coming from with some of the language choices you used. Got it. Come to think of it I think you could use a better title and word choice than 'My Bad".

Good to see you back!

steve rieck

February 7, 2015

Thankyou kindly, Gary & Carl! I've got lots more, and hopefully better, hooks to fool with. Your open honesty saves me from wasting time other than for excersize, & practice, trying to make something good out of something weak............Once again Thankyou.......Gus

Gary Orphey

February 7, 2015

Hi Steve, okay now you'll think I'm crazy and that's okay. I can prove it if necessary . LOL Sometimes a cliche is so catchy andf so humorous that one can get away with it's use. If your a celebrity star apparently you can use them all you want. On Katy Perry's new album 'Prism' she uses 226 of them according to Rich Juzwiak of Gawker.com.. Sometimes we just have to use them but it's better not and if you do put a turn or twist on them if you can. Remember Mae West's famous line. "I'm so good, I'm bad." So here's a whacko idea for ya that woke me up in the middle of the night. (yes, writing does that, a lot." ) The title and hook for ya ..."Doh, I did it again!" : )

All kidding aside cliches are part of everday speech and we all use them. But when they are part of an original song and/or overused...well, they just don't show much imagination and I have some old songs I wrote that prove it!

So for fun, (and to make all of us out there in songwriting land feel better about the cliches we sometimes use; Ricks list..I guess he has 'to much time on his hands. Ooops, another cliche. Some of these, at least in the part of the country I live in (TEXAS) are not cliches, LOL

Bite my tongue
Hold my breath
Rock the boat
The breaking point
I stood for nothing, so I fell for everything
Brushing off the dust
The eye of the tiger
Floating like a butterfly, stinging like a bee
I earned my stripes
I went from zero to [my own] hero
Under a silver moon
You are my destiny
Looking through my third eye
Take me down to the river
Keep my heart beating like a drum
Legendary lovers
Go down in history
Nothing’s going right
The clock is ticking
Running out of time
We should party all night
Cover your eyes I have a surprise
Healthy appetite
I’ll give you a taste
You can have your cake
Make a wish
Hot and heavy
Spinning like a disco ball
Living the life
Doing it right
Birthday suit
I’m walking on air
Just when I think I can’t take anymore
Angels cry
Raining down
From up above
What’s really on the inside
Dirty laundry
Never made me blink
I will love you unconditionally
There is no fear
Let go
Just be free
Come just as you are
You are worthy
I’ll take your bad days with your good
Walk through the storm
Open up your heart
Acceptance is the key
Will you do the same for me?
You better choose carefully
I’m capable of anything
Anything and everything
Your one and only
Don’t make me your enemy
You wanna play with magic?
You should know what you’re falling for
Do you dare to do this?
Dark horse
A perfect storm
Once you’re mine there’s no going back
Mark my words
Like a bird without a cage
Down to earth
Don’t walk away
In the palm of your hand
It’s a yes or no?
Just be sure
Before you give it up to me
Fresh as a daisy
Everything’s on me
It’s no big deal
This is how we do
Laid back
Straight stunting
Getting our nails did
Day drinking
This one goes out to the ladies
I see you
Shout out
Bring the beat back
That’s right
Everybody stares
It’s like she walked right out of your dreams
She’s with the band
That girl’s a trip
A one-way ticket
Catch her if you can
She’s so in demand
She’s got that je ne sais quoi
Tres chic
So fancy free
She’s the muse and the artist
A trail of stardust
Fasten your seatbelts
We are now approaching the runway
Get ready for takeoff
It’s like the wind changed your mind
We were best friends
We were building a life
Every promise of forever
Disappeared in front of my eyes
When I look back
You could be so cold
Now I see clearly
My vision’s 20/20
I see through you
I have made up my mind
I’ll be all right
Rest in peace
I’ll see you on the other side
I lost myself
You picked me for me
Get the best of me
Love myself the way I want you to love me
Second guessing
No more questioning
Changing seasonally
I’m gonna love myself the way I want you to love me
Who I am is who I’m meant to be
Take a backseat
No more standing in my won way
Let’s get deeper, let’s get closer
I want you to love me
Who called the race?
Can anyone stay in one place?
When you get to the finish line
Wish for more time
You just can’t push rewind
All we have is this moment
Yesterday is history
We’re just chasing our tails
Life is one big fast treadmill
Be here with me now
Our future is right now
Right in front of you
Don’t blink and miss
One of a kind
Once in a lifetime
One man’s trash is another man’s treasure
You speak to me, even in my dreams
Gonna keep you forever
I understand you
We see eye to eye
Wherever you go, so will I
Hard to find
To the bottom of the sea, I'd go to find you / Climb the highest peak to be right beside you
Every step I take, I’m keeping you in mind
My return to Saturn
Full of secrets
Running on empty
Out of gas
Thought I wasn’t enough
Found I wasn’t so tough
Laying on the bathroom floor
We were living on a fault line
The fault was all mine
Couldn’t take it anymore
By the grace of God
There was no other way
I picked myself back up
I knew I had to stay
I put one foot in front of the other and I
Looked in the mirror and decided to stay
Wasn’t gonna let love take me out that way
Keeping my head above the water
Swallowing sand
I can finally see myself again
I know I am enough
I have to rise above
Call the bluff
The truth will set you free
In the name of love
I am not giving up
Lay me down at your altar
I’m a slave
Deep down in my soul
You make me bloom
All of your charms
I would surrender myself
Holy hell and heaven high
You have opened my eyes
I’m finally here
Under your spell
The way you make me feel
High as a kite
Lost in sweet ecstasy
Found a nirvana
Is Mercury in retrograde?
I can only blame myself
Throw you under the bus
Filling my cup
I only hurt myself
I can only take responsibility for me
It takes two
Two sides to every story
I’m not that innocent
I face my demons
I paid my dues
I had to grow up
I wanted to save you
I can only save myself
I can only be the change I want to see
I point my finger
I look in the mirror and it tells me the truth
Learned the hard way
Is it too late to change?
Hurt locker
Walking on a wire
Don’t know when you’ll blow
I tiptoe through your triggered mine
I’m on your side
All I really need is a little peace
I just wanna be your lover
This is not a competition
Last one standing
Choose your battles, babe, then you win the war
Digging your own grave
There’s so much to live for
I’m not fighting anymore
Red flags
Dancing on broken glass
Mind games
You somehow get me on my knees
If you wanna go then go
If you wanna stay then stay