Alexandra Slate is an independent pop-rock musician from Toronto, Canada. H… Read Full Bio ↴Alexandra Slate is an independent pop-rock musician from Toronto, Canada. Her debut album, "Edge of the Girl" was recorded for Hollywood Records, but she was later dropped from the label due to creative differences and it was never properly released. The song "Bad Girl", set to be the album's lead single, was featured in the film "Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life" and has since become her most known song.

Bad Girl
Alexandra Slate Lyrics

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So I picked one up the other day
does that mean I'm a bad girl?
And if i take of all my clothes?
Well that makes me a bad girl

What if life itself goes to shit?
now that I've been pushed around
Well tell me something I don't know

'Cause I've held off way too long now

And its not the way you hold me,
hold me responsible
I'm not who you think I am
Have I fooled the whole world?
Nobody knows
I'm a very, very bad girl
(Yeah I'm a bad girl)

So I wrote this song for sanity
And it tells me I'm naive
But if he heard this melody
He'd see all over me

And it's not the way you hold me
Hold me responsible
I'm not who you think I am
Have I fooled the whole world?
Nobody knows (no oh) nobody knows
I'm a very, very bad girl
(Oh I'm a bad girl)

And its not the way you hold me,
Hold me responsible
I'm not who you think I am
Have I fooled the whole world?
Nobody knows, (no oh) nobody knows

Well there's no point in you believing,
I'm a saint when I'm deceiving
Everybody thinks I'm someone else

I'm a very, very bad girl
Oh I'm a bad girl

I'm a bad girl
I'm a very, very bad girl

Overall Meaning

The song "Bad Girl" by Alexandra Slate is a reflection on the struggles of self-identity and self-acceptance in the face of societal expectations. In the lyrics, the singer questions whether her actions and desires make her a "bad girl" and whether she has fooled the world into thinking she is someone she is not. The first verse contemplates whether simply buying a cigarette case makes her a bad girl, and whether taking off her clothes would be considered even worse. The second verse reckons with the inevitability of life's hardships, wondering if enduring them makes her a bad person.

The chorus reinforces the idea that the singer is not who people think she is, that she is holding herself accountable for her own actions, and that she may be judged harshly for them. The bridge offers a moment of clarity as the singer admits to her own deceit and the facade she presents to the world. The repetition of the phrase "I'm a bad girl" serves as both a confession and a declaration that the singer is claiming this identity, regardless of its negative connotations.

Overall, "Bad Girl" is a vulnerable, introspective exploration of what it means to be true to oneself in a world that demands conformity. The lyrics acknowledge the fear and shame that can accompany straying from the norm, but ultimately affirm the power of self-acceptance and self-ownership.

Line by Line Meaning

So I picked one up the other day
I recently acquired something

does that mean I'm a bad girl?
Am I judged for this action?

And if i take of all my clothes?
What if I were to undress?

Well that makes me a bad girl
Does this action define me as a bad person?

What if life itself goes to shit?
What if my life becomes terrible?

now that I've been pushed around
Since I have faced adversity

Well tell me something I don't know
Share something new with me

'Cause I've held off way too long now
I have restrained myself for too long

And its not the way you hold me,
Don't take me responsible for this

hold me responsible
Blaming me doesn't make sense

I'm not who you think I am
I am not the person you perceive me to be