Berlin, who was Jewish, was one of the few Tin Pan Alley/Broadway songwriters who wrote both lyrics and music for his songs. Although he never learned to read music beyond a rudimentary level, he composed over 3,000 songs. Many of his songs, including "God Bless America", "White Christmas", "Alexander's Ragtime Band", and "There's No Business Like Show Business," left an indelible mark on American music and culture. He produced 17 film scores and 21 Broadway scores, in addition to his individual songs.
I'm a Bad Bad Man
Irving Berlin Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
This greeting really mattered
This welcome is grand but I'm really concerned
I like your attention
But this I have to mention
You're playing with fire and you're apt to get burned
There's a girl in Tennessee
Can't go back to Tennessee
I'm a bad, bad man
There's a girl in Omaha
But I ran faster than her pa
Can't go back to Omaha
I'm a bad, bad man
There's a girl in Wyoming
And they're combing Wyoming
To find the man in white
Who was out with her that night
There's a girl in Arkansas
The sheriff is her brother-in-law
Can't go back to Arkansas
I'm a bad, bad man
You're making too much fuss
For we don't give a tinker's cuss
We've been out, yes, each of us
With a bad, bad man
We've been chasing up and down
That other show has just left town
And the one who played the clown
Was a bad, bad man
You may love us and leave us
But the parting won't grieve us
We'll turn the other cheek
When the minstrels come next week
When the show folks come to call
A girl may slip but she won't fall
We'll give some but won't give all
To a bad, bad man
For years I have yearned to
Play towns I could return to
And "this may be it" from the way that you speak
I'm glad you're not frightened
The atmosphere has brightened
And now let's make plans for a wonderful week
Monday when my show is done
I'll teach you how to shoot a gun
You may find it lots of fun
With a bad, bad man
Tuesday there's no matinee
But I'll be in my tent all day
You can come around and play
With a bad, bad man
Send your mothers on Wednesday
Because Wednesday's old hens' day
But Thursday is sublime
I'll have lots of open time
Friday night will be the test
If Saturday you're still my guest
Sunday you can come and rest
With a bad, bad man
I'm enlightened but frightened
Tho' my interest you've heightened
It might turn out to be
That you're much too much for me
So I'll go back to my tent
And someday when you're old and bent
Think of hours you might have spent
With a bad, bad man
The song I'm a Bad Bad Man by Irving Berlin is a comical and tongue-in-cheek tune about a womanizing performer who is wanted in several states for his misdeeds. The song is set as if it is addressed to the audience or a specific person, expressing gratitude for the welcome, and then quickly warning them about the dangers of getting involved with the singer. The line "I'm honored, I'm flattered, This greeting really mattered" is the only sincere lyric in the song, as the rest of the song is a series of witty and humorous tales about his escapades.
The story tells of several different women in different states who have fallen victim to the charms of the bad bad man. In Tennessee, a girl regrets her encounter with him, in Wyoming, they are searching for him, and in Arkansas, the sheriff is the girl's brother-in-law. Despite these misadventures, the singer is unrepentant, claiming that "We've been out, yes, each of us, With a bad, bad man." The singer goes on to outline his plans for the week, including teaching his new companion to shoot a gun and plans for a day when he will have lots of open time, Thursday.
Overall, the lyrics to I'm a Bad Bad Man are a lighthearted poke at the womanizing showman trope, with Irving Berlin's signature wit and catchy melody. The song's humor is in the contrast between the performer's bad reputation and the audience's adoration of him.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm honored, I'm flattered
I appreciate your greeting and feel complimented
This greeting really mattered
I am thankful for your welcome
This welcome is grand but I'm really concerned
I am worried about the attention I'm receiving
I like your attention
I appreciate being noticed
But this I have to mention
However, there's something you should know
You're playing with fire and you're apt to get burned
Being associated with me can be dangerous, and could lead to trouble
There's a girl in Tennessee
I've caused trouble with a girl in Tennessee
Who's sorry she met up with me
She regrets having ever met me
Can't go back to Tennessee
I'm no longer welcome in Tennessee
I'm a bad, bad man
I have a reputation for being a troublemaker
There's a girl in Omaha
I've caused trouble with a girl in Omaha
But I ran faster than her pa
I managed to avoid getting caught by her father
Can't go back to Omaha
I'm no longer welcome in Omaha
There's a girl in Wyoming
I've caused trouble with a girl in Wyoming
And they're combing Wyoming
The authorities are searching for me in Wyoming
To find the man in white
They're searching for me based on my appearance
Who was out with her that night
I was with her the night that caused trouble
There's a girl in Arkansas
I've caused trouble with a girl in Arkansas
The sheriff is her brother-in-law
Her brother-in-law is a law enforcement officer
Can't go back to Arkansas
I'm no longer welcome in Arkansas
You're making too much fuss
You're being too loud and excited
For we don't give a tinker's cuss
We couldn't care less about your attitude
We've been out, yes, each of us
We've all caused trouble in the past
We've been chasing up and down
We've been moving around a lot lately
That other show has just left town
A different group of performers was recently in this town
And the one who played the clown
The one who was acting foolishly
Was a bad, bad man
Had a reputation for being a troublemaker
You may love us and leave us
You're free to enjoy our company but can leave whenever you want
But the parting won't grieve us
We won't be upset when you leave
We'll turn the other cheek
We'll forgive any wrong you do to us
When the minstrels come next week
When the next group of performers arrives
When the show folks come to call
When other performers visit us
A girl may slip but she won't fall
A girl may make mistakes, but we won't let her get hurt
We'll give some but won't give all
We'll help as much as we can, but we have limits
To a bad, bad man
To someone with a reputation for causing trouble
For years I have yearned to
I've been wanting to
Play towns I could return to
Perform in towns where I'm welcome to come back
And "this may be it" from the way that you speak
It seems like this could finally be the town I've been looking for
I'm glad you're not frightened
I'm happy you're not scared of me
The atmosphere has brightened
Things are looking up
And now let's make plans for a wonderful week
Let's enjoy our time together here
Monday when my show is done
After my performance on Monday
I'll teach you how to shoot a gun
We can practice shooting together
You may find it lots of fun
You might enjoy it
With a bad, bad man
With someone who has a reputation for causing trouble
Tuesday there's no matinee
There's no performance on Tuesday afternoon
But I'll be in my tent all day
I'll be around all day, but not performing
You can come around and play
We can hang out and have fun
With a bad, bad man
With someone with a reputation for causing trouble
Send your mothers on Wednesday
Invite your mothers to come visit on Wednesday
Because Wednesday's old hens' day
Wednesday is a good day for older women to visit
But Thursday is sublime
Thursday will be great
I'll have lots of open time
I'll have plenty of free time to spend with you
Friday night will be the test
Friday will be a challenge
If Saturday you're still my guest
If you're still here on Saturday
Sunday you can come and rest
Relax and rest on Sunday
With a bad, bad man
With someone with a reputation for causing trouble
I'm enlightened but frightened
I'm curious but scared
Tho' my interest you've heightened
Even though I'm intrigued by you
It might turn out to be
The outcome could be
That you're much too much for me
You might be more trouble than I can handle
So I'll go back to my tent
I'll leave and go back to my own space
And someday when you're old and bent
In the future when you're old and frail
Think of hours you might have spent
Remember the time we spent together
With a bad, bad man
With someone with a reputation for causing trouble
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: IRVING BERLIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind