Backyard Babies are a Swedish rock band originally from Nässjö and currentl… Read Full Bio ↴Backyard Babies are a Swedish rock band originally from Nässjö and currently based in Stockholm. The band was formed in 1989 and over the years they have released eight studio albums and won two Swedish Grammy Awards. They are largely attributed with popularizing sleaze rock in Scandinavia and Sweden. Their single "Minus Celsius" appears as a playable bonus track in Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock and "Degenerated" is available as a downloadable song for Guitar Hero World Tour.

History
Formed in 1987, Backyard Babies originally consisted of singer/bassist Tobbe (Tobias Fischer), guitarist Dregen, guitarist Johan Blomqvist, and drummer Peder Carlsson. They were then called Tyrant and played several live shows in their local area and recorded a rough demo. Tobbe was soon replaced by frontman Nicke Borg on vocals and guitar, and Blomqvist switched to bass. Fischer went on to be a professional photographer and web designer in Stockholm, continuing to work occasionally with his old bandmates.

In 1989, the band changed their name to Backyard Babies and recorded two more demos and did a national tour of Sweden. The band self-released a debut EP titled Something to Swallow. This got them signed in 1993 by Swedish label Megarock Records.

Backyard Babies released their debut album Diesel & Power in 1994. The music on it took influences from rock, punk, and blues. In addition to the album, the band also released the single "Electric Suzy" with a cover of "Taxi Driver" by Hanoi Rocks as the B-side. After touring with former Hanoi Rocks members in Demolition 23 and doing a short headline tour in late 1995, premiering new songs that remain unreleased, the band was put on hiatus, as guitarist Dregen formed the garage rock band The Hellacopters. Dregen appeared on two albums with the Hellacopters" Supershitty to the Max! (1996) and Payin' the Dues (1997).

The Backyard Babies reunited in 1997, with a new record contract with MVG Records. They recorded their most critically acclaimed album, Total 13. Critics compared the album favorably to the New York Dolls, Ramones, and The Damned. They toured the United Kingdom with good response. A single was released from the album, "Bombed (Out of My Mind)", with the B-side "Rocker" featuring a duet with Hanoi Rocks frontman Michael Monroe. Their next single was the self-released "Is It Still Alright to Smile?". The B-side of the single was a cover of the Faster Pussycat track "Babylon" featuring guest appearances from Ginger of the Wildhearts and Nicke Andersson who had played with Dregen in the Hellacopters. In 1998, the band toured the United Kingdom once more, this time in support of Alice Cooper.

After the collaboration on the song "Babylon", Dregen, Ginger, and Nicke Andersson formed the side project Supershit 666, which released a six-track EP in 1999. Dregen returned to the Backyard Babies soon after as the band took off for another tour of the United Kingdom, this time in support of AC/DC.

The Babies recorded a follow-up to Total 13, titled Making Enemies is Good which has been described by some critics as a more "controlled chaos" approach than their previous effort. Two of the singles from it were hits "The Clash" and "Brand New Hate", the latter of which was co-written with Ginger. They toured in support of the album with Motörhead.

On 15 October 2002, Backyard Babies guitarist Dregen was on the front pages of Swedish national newspapers. After returning home from a club where he was DJing, he and his friend were assaulted, robbed, and knocked unconscious. Dregen suffered a broken jaw but the band continued recording their next album; Stockholm Syndrome. The album, released in 2003, was viewed by some fans as a return towards a more energetic and raw sound. The album won them a Swedish Grammy. The album spawned three singles, "Minus Celsius", "A Song for the Outcast" and "Friends".

During 2005, the band toured the United States (with openers The Chelsea Smiles & Crash Kelly) and Europe alongside Social Distortion. The album People Like People Like People Like Us, produced by Nicke Andersson of The Hellacopters, was released in 2006. It spawned two singles: "The Mess Age (How Could I Be So Wrong)" and "Dysfunctional Professional". A self-titled album was released in August 2008. The first single was "Fuck Off and Die". The second single "Degenerated" is supported by an animated video clip. Their self-titled 2008 album reached number 1 on the Swedish albums chart.

The compilation album Them XX was released in 2009 to honor the band's 20th anniversary. The accompanying tour was rumored to be their last. After a hiatus, the band reconvened with an announcement in May 2014. Their 2015 album Four by Four reached number 2 on the Swedish albums chart. In September 2018 they played at the Hard Rock Hell Sleaze festival in Sheffield, England. The band released their eighth studio album, Sliver & Gold, in 2019. In 2022, in an interview with The Sound Lab, Dregen confirmed Backyard Babies were on hiatus due to commitments with The Hellacopters but there were plans to create more music in the future.

Discography
Diesel & Power (1994)
Total 13 (1998)
Making Enemies Is Good (2001)
Stockholm Syndrome (2003)
People Like People Like People Like Us (2006)
Backyard Babies (2008)
Four by Four (2015)
Sliver & Gold (2019)

Big Bad Wolf
Backyard Babies Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

What if they do
It’s not me or you
Fuck what they say!
Do it anyway

We were ready for the big bull-fight tonight
And I know it will make us feel alright
We’ve been waiting for you

That’s why there’s nothing else to do
Everybody on time alright!

But what if they do
It’s not me or you
Fuck what they say!
Do it anyway

We’re calling out the big, bad wolf tonight
Somebody bitter better be on sight
You’ve been takin’ on me
You know why there’s nothing left to lose
Everybody on line tonight

But what if they do
It’s not me or you
Fuck what they say!
Do it anyway

You gave me reasons
I’ll give you one
You give the order
But I gave out none
Until the fun begun

What if they do
It’s not me or you
Fuck what they say!

But what if they do
It’s not me or you

Fuck what they say!
Do it anyway

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Backyard Babies' song "Big Bad Wolf" present a message of rebellion and non-conformity. The band expresses a desire to do what they want and not care about what others may think or say. They emphasize this point by repeatedly stating "fuck what they say" and encouraging listeners to "do it anyway." This attitude is further emphasized by the lyrics "You gave me reasons, I'll give you one / You give the order, but I gave out none / Until the fun begun," which suggests that they won't follow anyone else's rules or directions.

The song goes on to describe a "big bull-fight" and a confrontation with the "big, bad wolf." This imagery seems to represent a challenge, possibly against an authority figure or societal norms. The lyrics "We've been waiting for you / That's why there's nothing else to do" suggest a sense of anticipation and readiness for whatever may come. The repetition of "what if they do / it's not me or you" reinforces the idea that they are not concerned with the consequences of their actions.

Overall, "Big Bad Wolf" is a statement of defiance and a call to action, encouraging listeners to stand up for themselves and do what they believe is right, regardless of what others may think or say.

Line by Line Meaning

What if they do
What if others disapprove of our actions

It’s not me or you
We should not care about what others think since it's not about us personally

Fuck what they say!
We should ignore what others are saying and stay true to ourselves

Do it anyway
We should continue with our plans despite any possible negative feedback

We were ready for the big bull-fight tonight
We were prepared for a challenge

And I know it will make us feel alright
We believe that the challenge will benefit us

We’ve been waiting for you
We have been anticipating this moment

That’s why there’s nothing else to do
We have no other plans since we are focused on this challenge

Everybody on time alright!
Everyone involved in the plan is expected to be punctual

We’re calling out the big, bad wolf tonight
We are facing a formidable opponent tonight

Somebody bitter better be on sight
We expect someone to show up and cause trouble