Bad Boy
The Beatles Lyrics


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A bad little kid moved into my neighborhood
He won't do nothing right just sitting down and look so good
He don't want to go to school and learn to read and write
Just sits around the house and plays the rock and roll music all night
Well, he put some tacks on teachers chair
Puts chewing gum in little girl's hair
Man, junior, behave yourself
Buy every rock and roll book on the magazine stand
Every dime that he get is lost to the jukebox man
Well, he worries his teacher till at night she's ready to poop
From rocking and a-rolling spinning in a hula hoop
Well, this rock and roll has got to stop
Junior's head is hard as rock
Now junior, behave yourself

Going tell your mama you better do what she said
Get to the barber shop and get that hair cut off your head
He took your canary and he fed it to the neighbors cat
He gave the cocker spaniel a bath in mother's laundromat
Well, mama's head has got to stop




Junior's head is hard as rock
Now junior, behave yourself

Overall Meaning

The Beatles' song Bad Boy is a satirical representation of a delinquent and rebellious kid who moves into the singer's neighborhood. The lyrics describe his mischief and irresponsible behavior, which includes avoiding school to play rock and roll music all night, sabotaging his teacher's seat and gumming little girls' hair. The boy's obsession with rock and roll music leads him to spend all his money on the jukebox, and he eventually becomes a nuisance to his teacher, who gets tired of watching him spin in a hula hoop. The singer urges the bad boy to behave himself and stop creating chaos in his surroundings.


The song's sing-along appeal belies its true meaning in the lyrics, which are a commentary on the rock and roll culture of the 1950s and '60s. During this period, teenagers and youths were seen as reckless and naive, with their love for rock and roll music being frowned upon by the older generation. The Beatles, who were themselves known for their rock and roll sound, poke fun at the labels attached to youngsters and the moral panic generated around their behavior.


Line by Line Meaning

A bad little kid moved into my neighborhood
There's a troublesome kid now living in my area


He won't do nothing right just sitting down and look so good
This kid's always lounging around but has a charming demeanor


He don't want to go to school and learn to read and write
He refuses to attend school and learn the basics


Just sits around the house and plays the rock and roll music all night
He spends all his time at home listening to rock and roll


Well, he put some tacks on teachers chair
He played a prank on his teacher by putting tacks on their chair


Puts chewing gum in little girl's hair
He puts gum in a girl's hair just to be trouble


Man, junior, behave yourself
Someone is telling this kid to behave


Buy every rock and roll book on the magazine stand
He spends all his money buying books about rock and roll


Every dime that he get is lost to the jukebox man
All of his money goes to playing songs on the jukebox


Well, he worries his teacher till at night she's ready to poop
His teacher is so stressed out by him that she's up all night


From rocking and a-rolling spinning in a hula hoop
He's even causing trouble with a hula hoop


Well, this rock and roll has got to stop
Someone believes that rock and roll is to blame for this kid's behavior


Junior's head is hard as rock
This kid is stubborn and won't listen


Now junior, behave yourself
Someone is again telling this kid to behave


Going tell your mama you better do what she said
Advice to this kid to listen to his mother


Get to the barber shop and get that hair cut off your head
Someone wants him to get his hair cut as a sign of obedience


He took your canary and he fed it to the neighbors cat
This kid is cruel to animals and feeds a bird to a cat


He gave the cocker spaniel a bath in mother's laundromat
He even washes a dog (inappropriately) in a public laundry facility


Well, mama's head has got to stop
This kid is driving his mother crazy


Junior's head is hard as rock
Someone is still lamenting this kid's lack of obedience


Now junior, behave yourself
A final plea to this kid to start behaving




Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Larry Williams

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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