His first album, Marshall Crenshaw, was acclaimed as a pop masterpiece upon release, proving Crenshaw a first-rate songwriter, singer and guitarist. His second album, Field Day, sported a somewhat heavier sound which displeased some listeners, but Field Day is regarded by many critics as Crenshaw's best album, and one of the classic power pop statements, although Crenshaw's work, like Alex Chilton's, transcends the genre. "Some of the stuff I've done you could call power pop," he told an interviewer. "But the term does have sort of a dodgy connotation."
Although Marshall Crenshaw has never sold enormous numbers of records, he enjoys a reputation as one of the finest songwriters of the era, with roots in classic soul music, British Invasion songcraft, Burt Bacharach and Buddy Holly -- to whom Crenshaw was often compared in the early days of his career, and whom he portrayed in the 1987 film La Bamba. In 1989 he compiled a collection of Capitol Records country performers of the '50s and '60s called Hillbilly Music...Thank God, Vol. 1, which was extremely well-received. In 1993 he made an appearance in the cult TV show The Adventures of Pete and Pete, in the role of a guitar-playing meter reader. In 1994 he published a book, Hollywood Rock: A Guide to Rock 'n' Roll in the Movies. He continues to record, and in 1999 released the critically acclaimed #447.
Crenshaw has recently been playing guitar with the reunited members of the MC5.
Bad Luck
Marshall Crenshaw Lyrics
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You can pull them apart
But when lovers clash together
They get tangled heart to heart
And nothin', and no one
Can get them unstuck
Love can be some bad luck
Oh yeah
When glass breaks
You can sweep it away
But when lovers take a tumble
They keep breaking day by day
And nothin', and no one
Can get them unstuck
Love can be some bad luck
Love can be some bad luck
Oh yeah
Medicine won't cure the pain
But it doesn't pay to give the blame
You're still gonna feel the same
And next time you start to feel secure
At that moment you can be sure
That bad luck is at your door
And nothin', and no one
Can get them unstuck
Love can be some bad luck
Love can be some bad luck
Love can be some bad luck
The lyrics of Marshall Crenshaw’s song “Bad Luck” describe two different types of uncontrollable situations: a car crash and a relationship falling apart. The comparison he makes is between the aftermath of these situations: when two cars collide, first responders can pry them apart, tow them away, and clean up the wreckage. But when relationships fall apart, the two people involved become so intertwined that it’s impossible to separate them easily. Love can be just as destructive as a car crash, leaving heartbreak and emotional debris that can’t be swept away.
Crenshaw sings about the pain of heartbreak and how it can be so intense that it feels like nothing can help ease the suffering. He suggests that blaming others or turning to medicine won’t necessarily make things better. Even when you start to feel stable and secure again, bad luck can suddenly strike once more, leaving you just as broken and devastated as before. Ultimately, the song warns listeners that love, like life, isn’t always fair: it can throw us off balance, cause us pain, and leave us feeling unlucky and alone.
Line by Line Meaning
When two cars crash
When two cars collide
You can pull them apart
The damaged cars can be separated
But when lovers clash together
When people in love have a disagreement
They get tangled heart to heart
Their emotions become entangled and difficult to separate
And nothin', and no one
Nothing and nobody
Can get them unstuck
Cannot resolve the issue or separate them
Love can be some bad luck
Love can bring misfortune
Oh yeah
An expression of agreement or affirmation
When glass breaks
When glass shatters
You can sweep it away
The broken glass can be cleaned up
But when lovers take a tumble
When people in love experience a fall
They keep breaking day by day
Their relationship keeps deteriorating over time
Medicine won't cure the pain
Physical remedies cannot heal emotional wounds
But it doesn't pay to give the blame
Blaming each other won't solve the problem
You're still gonna feel the same
You will still feel the same emotional pain
And next time you start to feel secure
When you feel safe or content in the relationship
At that moment you can be sure
At that specific time, you can guarantee
That bad luck is at your door
That misfortune is lurking around the corner
Love can be some bad luck
Love can bring misfortune
Love can be some bad luck
Love can bring misfortune
Love can be some bad luck
Love can bring misfortune
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC , Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DINAH WASHINGTON, JUANITA HILL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind