Bad Boys
Great White Lyrics


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Young boy. A hard, gin, ride. On the loose again
"Live fast to play both sides. I'm out to win
I'm no loser. I have nothing to lose
My life ain't easy, but it's mine to use
Raised on the streets I know
To get what you want you gotta take control"
I'm on the run, bad boys
I'm on the loose, bad boys
I'm on my way. I've paid my dues
Pull of the trigger, time starts to crawl
Two lives have ended when the hammer falls
Raised on the streets I know
To get what you want you gotta take control

The lost years were long each night was cold
The way I felt? Feel the snow
I've done my time, paid what I owed
Don't want those walls of steel and stone

I put myself behind the wall




Now that I'm back
Ain't gonna fall

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Great White's song Bad Boys talk about a young boy who loves the fast life and seeks to win both sides of life. The boy is out to win and has nothing to lose. He understands that getting what one wants requires taking control, and he has been raised on the streets, so he knows how to take control. He's a bad boy, always on the run and on the loose. He has paid his dues and knows that pulling the trigger can be a life-altering experience.


The lyrics imply that this boy has been through a lot and has had to survive rough street life to make it to where he is. He has been behind walls of steel and stone but has made it out and is not going to fall. Perhaps he has been in prison or has been through some tough times that caused him to be a bad boy. His experiences have toughened him up, and he is ready to take on whatever life throws at him.


The song's message is about survival and taking control. It talks about the importance of being strong and not giving up. People who have been through tough times can relate to the lyrics and find solace in knowing that they are not alone. The song's driving melody and powerful lyrics make it a classic rock anthem that has stood the test of time.


Line by Line Meaning

Young boy. A hard, gin, ride. On the loose again
I'm young and wild, living life on the edge. I enjoy taking risks and I'm back to my old ways


Live fast to play both sides. I'm out to win
I believe that one should live an exciting and risky life because it brings out the best in you. I'm determined to be successful and will stop at nothing to achieve it


I'm no loser. I have nothing to lose
I'm not someone who backs down or fails. I don't have anything to lose, so I'm going all-in


My life ain't easy, but it's mine to use
I know that my life is not simple, but I have control over it and I will live it the way I want to


Raised on the streets I know, To get what you want you gotta take control
I grew up on the tough streets and I learned early on that if you want something, you have to go after it and take charge


I'm on the run, bad boys, I'm on the loose, bad boys, I'm on my way. I've paid my dues
I'm a wanted man and I'm constantly on the move, but I don't care because I've worked hard and paid for my mistakes


Pull of the trigger, time starts to crawl, Two lives have ended when the hammer falls, Raised on the streets I know, To get what you want you gotta take control
I am not afraid to use violence to get what I want, but I know that there are consequences to my actions. I was raised to be tough and take charge


The lost years were long each night was cold, The way I felt? Feel the snow, I've done my time, paid what I owed, Don't want those walls of steel and stone
I've spent many years locked up in prison, enduring cold nights and feeling alone. I've paid for my past mistakes and have no desire to be locked up again


I put myself behind the wall, Now that I'm back, Ain't gonna fall
I'm the one who put myself in prison, but now that I'm out, I won't make the same mistakes again




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: MARK S. KENDALL, JACK RUSSELL, LORNE BLACK, GARY J. HOLLAND, ALAN NIVEN

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

Barry Hines

Rock n Roll Legends !! I grew up with these Bad Boys. Then I met them all backstage at Metro Center & talked to lead
singer Jack for awhile before they were up to jam. And jam they did!! Wow!! They will always be one of my top10!!

Rebelinparadise 71

This album and Icon's self-titled debut album were the two best albums. There were the mainstream bands like W.A.S.P. but those two were not out in the public eye much, though their music killed.

Mike Reese

Rebelinparadise 71 honstley the first great white might be one of the top 10 "metal up your abs" albums of all time. Don't mistake what I'm saying here. I'm talking real heavy metal albums not technically great, but metal

Mean Dean

This was when Great White was a BAD-ASS HEAVY METAL BAND, before they started wimping out later in the 80's.

No_Stick_Drummer

@Andrew Chase I actually think that this album is heavier than Def Leppard high and dry but as far as melodic rock goes I think Def Leppard wins that by far

Andrew Chase

"before they started wimping out later in the 80's."

I'm guessing their producer and/or label put them up to wimping out, much like Def Leppard after "Pyromania".

FreakEating

Underrated song!

Brian Keightly

I've been rocking a long time , my first car was a Ford Gran Torino ,. I remember blasting this song, great white , there first album was a heavy record . Then they went bluesy

sheryl foreman

Favorite song from great white

brian keightly

this album kicked ass , then they went more bluesy .

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