The band's first, self-titled album was released in 1988, and it met with a great fan response as well as gave the band two hit singles in the United States: "When I See You Smile" and "Price of Love". Positive reviews followed by massive tours built up immense expectations about the songwriting talent of the band in their future endeavors. However, on their second album, entitled 'Backlash', the one and only single failed to enter the U.S. Top 40, peaking instead at only number 42. Critical views were also mixed on the release.
Soon after the band recorded their second album 'Backlash', in 1991, the group disbanded. Members went their separate ways even before the album could be mixed. In a later interview, frontman John Waite said that, while he enjoyed playing to stadium-sized audiences again, he wasn't happy with the somewhat 'corporate rock' image that the Bad English had been tagged as having. He has since had a solo career focused more on mellower singer-songwriter music.
So This Is Eden
Bad English Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
(Na na nanana nana, na na nanana nana na) - Yeah
Too far gone to turn around
As I make it into town
I said driver take my suitcase
Where's that good time goin' down
Hit the freeway to the skyline
Need some faster ecstasy
If she's got a prize
Then I've got the money
She said for you the first one's free
And I thought I saw Jesus
in the hotel room
As we made love on the balcony
With a drink in my hand
Like they said it would be yeah
So this is Eden
So this is Eden
And baby I knew it
That you'd lead me to it
I don't want to get out
(Na na nanana nana,
na na nanana nana na)
Eden
Feel the pressure
rise in the elevator
Make our way down to the street
Soul sister sing a song for me
Drunks and junkies shuffle their feet
It's a three ring circus
Downtown Babylon
We're crashing and burning
For twenty-four hours the party goes on yeah
So this is Eden
So this is Eden
And baby I knew it
That you'd lead me to it
Nobody gets out
(Na na nanana nana, na na nanana nana na)
Eden nobody gets out
(Na na nanana nana, na na nanana nana na)
of Eden no no
Breathe in
Breathe out
Check in
Check out
It's a wild weekend
Ghost train ride to the other side
It's a funhouse suicide
It's making me feel more dead than alive yeah
So this is Eden
So this is Eden
And baby I knew it
That you'd lead me to it yeah
(Na na nanana nana, na na nanana nana na)
Eden, nobody gets out
(Na na nanana nana, na na nanana nana na)
Of Eden no no no no...
(Na na nanana nana, na na nanana nana na)
(Na na nanana nana, na na nanana nana na)
Check in
You won't check out
The lyrics to Bad English's "So This Is Eden" tell the story of a wild and hedonistic night in the city, where the singer is seeking excitement and thrills. They are too far gone to turn back and want to experience everything that the city has to offer. They start off looking for a good time and hit the freeway heading to the skyline, seeking faster and more intense experiences. They find what they're looking for in the form of a woman who offers them a free prize, and the night escalates from there. As they make love on the balcony of their hotel room, the singer sees Jesus and reflects on how this is what they were promised, what they were looking for, but they had to face their demons to get there. They realize that this is their version of paradise, and even though it may be fleeting, they aren't quite ready to leave yet.
The song's structure is a reflection of the singer's state of mind, with repeated phrases and refrains, creating a sense of hypnotic urgency. The repeated "na na nanana" sections are symbolic of the singer's carefree, hedonistic mindset, while the chorus of "So this is Eden" acts as a moment of self-awareness and reflection. The lyrics paint a picture of a city that is both alluring and dangerous, a place where people come to escape, party and forget their problems, but where there is always the possibility of getting lost and never coming back.
Line by Line Meaning
(Na na nanana nana, na na nanana nana na) - Eden
The song is titled 'So This Is Eden'
(Na na nanana nana, na na nanana nana na) - Yeah
The upbeat line confirms that the song has started
Too far gone to turn around
I am too deep into this experience to back out now
As I make it into town
As I arrive in this new, unknown place
I said driver take my suitcase
I instructed the driver to take my luggage
Where's that good time goin' down
Where can I find excitement and fun in this city?
Hit the freeway to the skyline
I drove on the highway towards the city's center
Need some faster ecstasy
I am looking for an intense, exciting experience
If she's got a prize
If someone has something to offer
Then I've got the money
I have the means to pay for that something
She said for you the first one's free
The offer is available for free for first-timers like me
And I thought I saw Jesus
My experience was so amazing, I thought I saw a divine figure in my hotel room
in the hotel room
Perhaps brought on by the effects of drugs or alcohol
As we made love on the balcony
As we engaged in a passionate and risky act that could be seen by others
With a drink in my hand
While holding a beverage, maybe alcohol
Like they said it would be yeah
My expectations of having a wild, hedonistic time were met
So this is Eden
I realize that this place is like paradise, for better or worse
And baby I knew it
I had a feeling that this experience would be unforgettable
That you'd lead me to it
It was you who brought me to this incredible and dangerous place
I don't want to get out
I don't want this time to end, even if it's not entirely safe or healthy
(Na na nanana nana, na na nanana nana na) - Eden
The chorus repeats the title of the song
Feel the pressure
I am starting to feel the effects of the intense experience
rise in the elevator
As I ascend or descend the building, my nerves are getting more intense
Make our way down to the street
As we leave the building and head back to the city streets
Soul sister sing a song for me
A woman sings me a soulful tune
Drunks and junkies shuffle their feet
I see other people around the street who may not be sober or safe
It's a three ring circus
The city is a chaotic and crazy place with many things happening at once
Downtown Babylon
The city center seems like a sinful, hedonistic paradise or wasteland
We're crashing and burning
My experience is starting to become too much to handle
For twenty-four hours the party goes on yeah
The party never stops, even if it's dangerous or unhealthy
Nobody gets out
It seems like a trap, no one is able to leave this place unscathed
(Na na nanana nana, na na nanana nana na) - Eden nobody gets out
The chorus reaffirms that this place is dangerous and addictive
Breathe in
I am reminded to take a breath, perhaps to try to calm down
Breathe out
I exhale and try to release some of the tension and excitement
Check in
I arrive at another location, possibly another hotel
Check out
I will eventually have to leave this place, but I don't know when
It's a wild weekend
The experience is overwhelming and intense, like an entire wild weekend crammed into a short amount of time
Ghost train ride to the other side
It feels like I am on a crazy, unpredictable journey to another plane of existence
It's a funhouse suicide
The experience is like a thrilling, dangerous game, with possibly deadly consequences
It's making me feel more dead than alive yeah
Even though I'm having an exciting time, I'm starting to feel like it's becoming too much to handle
(Na na nanana nana, na na nanana nana na) - Eden, nobody gets out
The chorus once again emphasizes the inescapable, dangerous nature of this place
Of Eden no no no no...
The song ends with a repetition of the title, but with a negative spin
(Na na nanana nana, na na nanana nana na) - Check in
The song ends with a reminder that this experience will never truly end
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JONATHAN CAIN, JOHN CHARLES WAITE, RUSS BALLARD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind