In the mid-1960s Clapton left the Yardbirds to play with John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers. Immediately after leaving Mayall, Clapton formed the power trio Cream with drummer Ginger Baker and bassist Jack Bruce, in which Clapton played sustained blues improvisations and "arty, blues-based psychedelic pop". After Cream broke up, he formed blues rock band Blind Faith with Baker, Steve Winwood, and Ric Grech. Clapton's solo career began in the 1970s, where his work bore the influence of the mellow style of J. J. Cale and the reggae of Bob Marley. His version of Marley's "I Shot the Sheriff" helped reggae reach a mass market. Two of his most popular recordings were "Layla", recorded with Derek and the Dominos; and Robert Johnson's "Crossroads", recorded with Cream. Following the death of his son Conor in 1991, Clapton's grief was expressed in the song "Tears in Heaven", which was featured on his Unplugged album.
Clapton has been the recipient of 18 Grammy Awards, and the Brit Award for Outstanding Contribution to Music. In 2004 he was awarded a CBE at Buckingham Palace for services to music. He has received four Ivor Novello Awards from the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors, including the Lifetime Achievement Award. In his solo career, Clapton has sold more than 100 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling musicians of all time. In 1998, Clapton, a recovering alcoholic and drug addict, founded the Crossroads Centre on Antigua, a medical facility for recovering substance abusers.
Bad Man
Eric Clapton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Tells me I'm a mad man
Tells me I'm a wanted man
The one who makes me fall will be such a glad man
Five thousand dollars in his hand
Makes me such a hunted man
They left me with a Navy colt
Got to steal from the railroads, steal from the banks
Take it all back from the thieving Yanks
Just to keep alive
They only way I can survive
The newspapers call me desperado
A man who lives real low
Well, how the hell would they know
What it's like to come back and find
Your sweetheart dead
Your home destroyed and your family fled
All I want is to see blood shed
This war taught me how to kill
A man can only live by his will
Put a gun in your hand, mask on your face
Crawl through life, live in disgrace
Try to settle the score
Remember what I had before
Polly, forgive me
But you died at their hands
Goin' to make them pay
Take all that I can
Your dying eyes
Haunt my mind
Going' to make them bleed
They'll pay in time
They're damned unjust
With their twisted laws
They want to take my life
But they could've saved yours
Your dying eyes
Haunt my mind
The lyrics of Eric Clapton's song, Bad Man, are a first-person narrative from the perspective of a man whose life has been plagued with injustice and misfortune. He begins by recounting how a poster on the wall describes him as a bad man, a mad man, and a wanted man. He laments being hunted, with a bounty of $5,000 on his head, and feels bitter and brokenhearted. In order to survive, he has resorted to stealing from the railroads and banks.
The singer's lament continues as he recalls how the newspapers have labeled him a desperado because he lives low. He asserts that they could never know what it feels like to have lost everything: his sweetheart, his family, and his home. He only wants to make his enemies pay for their actions, to see blood shed, and to make them bleed.
The song delves into the psychological struggles of a character who has been driven to extreme measures by the tragedies of his life. He has become a killer and a thief, but one can't help but feel sympathy for him, given his circumstances.
Line by Line Meaning
The poster on the wall tells me I'm a bad man
I am a man who is infamous for my bad deeds, and this poster on the wall is confirming that.
Tells me I'm a mad man
The poster is declaring that I am insane and unpredictable.
Tells me I'm a wanted man
I am a man with a bounty on my head and authorities are searching for me.
The one who makes me fall will be such a glad man
My enemies would take great pleasure in seeing me fail and suffer.
Five thousand dollars in his hand
The reward for my capture is worth five thousand dollars.
Makes me such a hunted man
The bounty on my head is forcing me to live my life on the run as I'm being hunted down.
They left me with a Navy colt
Only a Navy colt and nothing more was what I was left with.
A heart that's bitter and a spirit that's broke
I am left with a shredded heart full of bitterness, and a downtrodden spirit that is shattered.
Got to steal from the railroads, steal from the banks
I have no choice but to turn towards stealing money, from banks and railway companies.
Take it all back from the thieving Yanks
I am exacting revenge on the Americans who I perceive as thieving.
Just to keep alive
I am doing all this only to keep myself alive.
They only way I can survive
Stealing and exacting revenge is the only way I can survive.
The newspapers call me desperado
My persona as a desperado is what the newspapers love to highlight.
A man who lives real low
I am a man who is living a life beneath society's norms.
Well, how the hell would they know
The newspapers don't know me and have no idea of the truth behind the reasons of my current life.
What it's like to come back and find
They cannot possibly understand what it feels like to come home to the horrors I have to face.
Your sweetheart dead
My sweetheart has been murdered.
Your home destroyed and your family fled
My home has been razed and my family has abandoned it.
All I want is to see blood shed
All I seek now is to see those who have wronged me pay a heavy price.
This war taught me how to kill
The war has taught me how to take lives of others.
A man can only live by his will
A man can carry on living, only if he chooses to.
Put a gun in your hand, mask on your face
I am now holding a gun, with a mask covering my face.
Crawl through life, live in disgrace
I am living my life in deep shame, feeling like a thief and outcast.
Try to settle the score
I am trying to settle the scores with those who have wronged me deeply.
Remember what I had before
I am constantly reminded of the life I once had, which has now been lost to me.
Polly, forgive me
Polly, my beloved partner, please forgive me.
But you died at their hands
You lost your life, to the ones who wronged us both.
Goin' to make them pay
I am going to make the ones who wronged us both pay a heavy price.
Take all that I can
I'll take everything that I can from them.
Your dying eyes
The sight of you dying, haunts me constantly.
Haunt my mind
I can never forget the memory of you dying.
Going' to make them bleed
I will not stop until blood has been spilled.
They'll pay in time
Those who wronged us will pay a heavy price in time.
They're damned unjust
The ones who wronged us are hellishly unfair.
With their twisted laws
The laws set by the powerful people are intentionally misleading and wrong.
They want to take my life
They wish to end my life and thereby end my quest for revenge.
But they could've saved yours
If they had let us live in peace, you could still have been alive.
Writer(s): Paul Kennerley
Contributed by Michael P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Hussain Tanvir
Oh what a feeling I get when I'm with you
You take my heart into everything you do
And it makes me sad for the lonely people
I walked that road for so long
Now I know that I'm one of the lucky people
Your love is making me strong
[Chorus:]
I've had enough bad love
I need something I can be proud of
I've had enough bad love
No more bad love
And now I see that my life has been so blue
With all the heartaches I had till I met you
But I'm glad to say now that's all behind me
With you here by my side
And there's no more memories to remind me
Your love will keep me alive
Marc Rubner
There's more talent on that stage than exists in he entire pop music business today.
CoasterMan13
There are a few modern pop singers who are good, like Olivia Rodrigo and The Weeknd. Clapton will always be better than these two though.
Stuart Kelly
Absolutely bang on mate 👍
Charles H
@Fish7382 first of all that's not true. Second of all, what's wrong with singing songs that were written for you ? Some people have performing talents and they give their voice to people who can write but can't perform. It's been like this forever, I really don't see the problem
Fish7382
@Charles H none of those people you named even right their own songs. It’s a corporate industry without real musicians they just play the part
John G.
Holy shit, U said It!
Perfect Spirit, Soul, AND
Feel! Had to use Caps!
gk10002000
this was an under rated song. It really is smooth, flawless, no notes missed. god it shows what a professional musician he is. thank you Mr Clapton for the decades of enjoyment
Roxy
it really is a very underrated song. it’s one of my favorite songs. journeyman is in my top 5 favorite albums. I was only 8 years old when journeyman came out. My dad rocked the house.
Leslie Jackson
When Clapton makes love to a guitar, even it needs a cigarette.
Eileen Chmielewski
Lmao