Bad News
Morgan Whitey & The 78's Lyrics
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Good news travel slow
They all call me wild fire
Everybody knows
Hell I'm bad news
Everywhere I go
Always gettin' in trouble
The late tried to hang me in okla
Then they did in Francisco
But I wouldn't choke him no I broke that rope
They had to let me go
So I'm bad news everywhere I go
Always gettin' in trouble
Leaving little girls that hate to see me go
Well from north of south Venice to west
The story is all the same
One state to another
I had to change my name
Well I'm bad news
Everywhere I go
Always gettin' in trouble
Leaving them girls that hate to see me go
The song "Bad News" by Morgan Whitey & The 78's is a classic country song about a notorious outlaw who has a reputation for causing trouble wherever he goes. The song begins with the lyrics "Bad news travels like wildfire, good news travels slow," emphasizing the idea that the outlaw's reputation precedes him. The following lyrics, "They all call me wildfire, everybody knows, hell, I'm bad news everywhere I go," further highlight the notion that the outlaw is infamous and feared by those around him. The phrase "wildfire" is fitting, as wildfires are out of control and difficult to contain, much like the outlaw's behavior.
The rest of the verses detail some of the trouble the outlaw has gotten into, including almost being hanged in Oklahoma and then succeeding in breaking free. Despite his misdeeds, the outlaw seems to revel in his notoriety and embraces his "bad news" persona. The character seems to have little regard for the consequences of his actions and even less concern for the people he leaves behind.
Overall, the song "Bad News" is a classic country tune that tells the story of a wild and lawless outlaw. The lyrics are simple but effective in conveying the character's bad behavior and reputation.
Line by Line Meaning
Bad news travels like wild fire
Negative information spreads quickly and easily
Good news travel slow
Positive information is not spread as quickly
They all call me wild fire
The singer is notorious and his reputation precedes him
Everybody knows
The singer's reputation is well-known
Hell I'm bad news
The singer is a troublemaker
Everywhere I go
The singer causes problems everywhere he goes
Always gettin' in trouble
The singer has a history of causing problems
Leaving them girls that hate to see me go
The singer has a tendency to leave disappointed women behind
The late tried to hang me in okla
The singer was almost executed in Oklahoma
Then they did in Francisco
The singer was finally executed in San Francisco
But I wouldn't choke him no I broke that rope
The singer narrowly escaped execution by breaking free from the rope
They had to let me go
The singer was released from custody
Well from north of south Venice to west
The singer's reputation extends across various regions
The story is all the same
The circumstances surrounding the singer are consistent
One state to another
The same problems occur regardless of where the singer is
I had to change my name
The singer had to change his identity to avoid his troubled past
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JOHN LOUDERMILK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind