Summer Days
Bad Lieutenant Lyrics

Summer days on holiday
Narrating the events of summer days while on vacation

Drunken youths are on the street
Describing the scene where young drunk individuals are outside

Falling out of whisky bars
People stumbling out of bars after consuming alcohol

Making love and crashing cars
Indicating that people are engaging in reckless behavior like having sex and driving while intoxicated

Getting into hopeless fights
People involved in fights with no likely positive outcome

With crazy girls that just weren't right
Men in the song meet women who are unstable and not suitable for relationships

This was 1983
The events being described occurred in the year 1983

The Sun was burning bright for me
The sun in this context symbolizes happiness and energy. The sun was shining for the singer

So shine on me
The singer is asking for a continuous flow of positive energy from a mystical being.

My lord, my lord
The mystical being mentioned above is being referred to as 'my lord'.

I stumbled on a chance remark
The singer is recounting a moment where he randomly heard a statement that caught his attention

Drinking in a late-night club
The singer was consuming alcohol in a club that was open late into the night

It must have been in Quadrant Park
The singer is unsure of where the club was located. He is guessing it was Quadrant Park

Almost got eaten by a thug
The singer almost got mugged by a criminal

But Summer days were sunny days
Despite the problems faced, Summer days were still considered bright, happy days

For dodgy guys with wayward ways
These types of people enjoyed the rebellious and risky behaviors that were happening on those summer days

And this was 1993
The artist is now referring to the events that happened in the year 1993

It was a special time for me
The events happening at that specific moment in time were significant to the singer

But then a wind of change blew in
The singer is now switching to a different time frame, where a change was happening

Bed of roses laced with gin
Referring to a situation that was thought to be easy and enjoyable, but it ended up being hazardous in reality

I didn't know what the Hell he meant
The artist indicates confusion about a statement that he heard

Shaking the establishment
Someone is challenging the norm and stirring up trouble

Two, zero, oh, dear, me
The numbers correspond to the year 2000, which was significant for the singer

This guy was off his tree
The artist is describing someone who is acting irrational or crazy

So shine on me (Summer days on holiday)

on me (drunken youths are on the street)
The singer wants to keep receiving positive energy despite the chaos happening around in the real world

My lord (Summer days were sunny days)
As earlier mentioned, the singer is requesting positive energy from a mystical being.

my lord, (it was a special time for me)
The artist concludes by expressing gratitude for receiving such positive energy during that memorable time.