Armed with a voice that touches on all the elements of the great soul singers, modern rock and acoustic balladry, Sam possesses the unique ability to craft songs and deliver a performance that speaks to fans of all kinds of music.
Growing up in the working class town of Worcester, Massachusetts, Sam began performing at coffeehouses at the ripe old age of 15. It was here that he developed his vocal style, began learning the art of songwriting, and started honing his skills as an artist. After earning his dues on the road and gaining a sense of maturity in his music, Sam started slowly working his way into the Boston and New York music scenes. As word spread of his talent, Sam was given the opportunity to open and perform alongside such established artists as Third Eye Blind, Robert Randolph, Ingram Hill, Collective Soul, John Popper, Rusted Root, and the legendary Chuck Berry. With the experience of these gigs in his back pocket, Sam began getting calls to headline his own shows at prestigious events like ‘Rock The Gridiron’ (Super Bowl XLI, Miami, FL), the Vice-Presidential Inaugural Ball (Washington, D.C.), South by Southwest Music Festival, and a USO TOUR w/Ingram Hill (Cuba, Honduras, Curacao), and now Sam is excited to be reaching millions of new listeners, with the goal of making fans out of all of them!
Already hard at work with his band in the studio and on stage, Sam is primed to bring his music to a new fan base. Tune in to Season 3 of “The Voice” to watch Sam compete in the Battle Rounds, download his “The Voice” singles on iTunes, check the “Shows” page for upcoming performances, become a friend on Facebook and follow Sam on Twitter, and check back for updates, downloads and new music!
You Give Love a Bad Name
Sam James Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And you're to blame
Darlin'
You give love a bad name
An angel's smile is what you sell
You promise me heaven, then put me through Hell
Chains of love got a hold on me
Oh, you're a loaded gun, yeah
Oh, there's nowhere to run
No one can save me
The damage is done
Shot through the heart
And you're to blame
You give love a bad name (bad name)
I play my part and you play your game
You give love a bad name (bad name)
You give love, a bad name
Paint your smile on your lips
Blood red nails on your fingertips
A school boy's dream, you act so shy
Your very first kiss was your first kiss goodbye
Oh, you're a loaded gun
Oh, there's nowhere to run
No one can save me
The damage is done
Shot through the heart
And you're to blame
You give love a bad name (bad name)
I play my part and you play your game
You give love a bad name (bad name)
You give love, oh!
Oh!
Shot through the heart
And you're to blame
You give love a bad name
I play my part and you play your game
You give love a bad name (bad name)
Shot through the heart
And you're to blame
You give love a bad name (bad name)
I play my part and you play your game
You give love a bad name (bad name)
You give love
You give love (bad name)
You give love
You give love (bad name)
You give love
You give love (bad name)
You give love
The lyrics of You Give Love A Bad Name by Sam James are about a relationship that has come to an end. The singer feels betrayed because the person they loved promised them heaven but instead brought them a living hell. The metaphorical language in the lyrics, like "Shot through the heart," conveys the pain and emotional damage the singer feels. The repeated phrase "You give love a bad name" suggests that this is not the first time the singer has been hurt in a relationship, and they feel that their trust has been misplaced.
The second verse gives us a glimpse into the persona of the person who broke the singer's heart, which creates a picture of a manipulative person who acts shy and innocent but is actually deceiving. The line "Your very first kiss was your first kiss goodbye" suggests that the person has a history of playing with people's emotions and breaking their hearts.
Overall, the song reflects the pain, anger, and disappointment that comes with a relationship that has gone sour. The lyrics, infused with vivid metaphors and imagery, create a powerful and bitter narrative. The song's catchy melody and hard-rocking instrumentation add to its overall appeal, making it a classic anthem of heartbreak.
Line by Line Meaning
Shot through the heart
You caused me intense emotional pain
And you're to blame
You are responsible for causing me this pain
Darlin'
Addressing the person who is responsible for causing the said pain
You give love a bad name
Through your actions, you make people believe that love is a negative thing
An angel's smile is what you sell
You present a sweet and innocent façade
You promise me heaven, then put me through Hell
You offered me something wonderful, but then made my life miserable
Chains of love got a hold on me
I am trapped in an unhealthy relationship
When passions a prison, you can't break free
I am unable to escape the emotional turmoil that I am experiencing
Oh, you're a loaded gun, yeah
You are a dangerous and unpredictable person
Oh, there's nowhere to run
I am cornered and unable to escape from the situation
No one can save me
I am alone and unable to rely on anyone else for help
The damage is done
My emotional state has been negatively impacted irreversibly
I play my part and you play your game
I am just one of your many victims
Paint your smile on your lips
You try to hide your true intentions
Blood red nails on your fingertips
You leave a trail of destruction and pain wherever you go
A school boy's dream, you act so shy
You present yourself as innocent and inexperienced
Your very first kiss was your first kiss goodbye
You deceive people and cause them emotional pain
You give love, oh!
You take advantage of people's vulnerability and manipulate them
You give love
Your actions negatively affect people's view of love
You give love (bad name)
You cause love to be associated with negative experiences
You give love
Your behavior is harmful to those who love you
You give love (bad name)
You make it difficult for people to trust and love again
You give love
You use love as a tool to manipulate and hurt people
You give love (bad name)
You damage people's emotional well-being through your actions
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Richard Sambora, Desmond Child, Jon Bon Jovi
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Juliet Beneke
Benji screams are amazing! He needs to be in a rock band I'd buy his albums
Fals3Agent
I love the grit that Benji is able to control in his voice....very few people can do that
Alexandra Brown
One of my favorite Voice battles. I personally would've picked Sam but I gotta give props to Benji for his cool voice. Especially that part at 1:38 where his voice pretty much does something that an electric guitar would do.
Lizmara
this is the BEST cover with Benji, i still can't beleive no one stole him he had to win this battle smh
ml890324
benji's family was like "HELLLLL YEAH" after that scream.
damn benji took this hands down
emerson pacheco
Still,the best battle in the Voice history!-September ,2020
jonsambora8
I have never seen anyone that can cover Bon Jovi songs well. Jon Bon Jovi’s voice is the only one.
Jwah Fallaria
jonsambora8 you're absolutely right
Bboy Fyzz
And now that Matthias Nebel exists, you're absolutely wrong, give it a shot !
Right N Wrong
Sam was pretty good but WTF!!!???? Benji should have gotten the win.