bad 4 u
The Dead Presidents Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Took shots
Charge em' to a
Black card
Threw up in the
Back yard
They told you to run
Red Flags
All around you
Won't stop
Only say I
Want you
When you say you're done
We stole a brand new Phantom
Drove out into the Hampton's
Hooked up inside the mansions
I'm bad for you
My drug habit is daily
So good you need to pay me
In love with how you change me
I'm bad for you
We stole a brand new Phantom
Drove out into the Hampton's
Hooked up inside the mansions
I'm bad for you
My drug habit is daily
So good you need to pay me
In love with how you change me
I'm bad for you
I'm bad for you
Black cars
All around the they
Burndown
Everything we
Own now
Loaded the gun
Get the
Low down
Make these bodies
Go down
Everybody
Knows now
We're on the run
We stole a brand new Phantom
Drove out to the Hampton's
Hooked up inside the mansions
I'm bad for you
My drug habit is daily
So good you need to pay me
In love with how you change me
I'm bad for you
We stole a brand new Phantom
I got it bad for you, bad for you
Every night it drives me mad for you, mad for you
Didn't know what I had for you, had for you
But now you know I'm bad for you, bad for you
We stole a brand new Phantom
Drove out into the Hampton's
Hooked up inside the mansions
I'm bad for you
My drug habit is daily
So good you need to pay me
In love with how you change me
I'm bad for you
We stole a brand new Phantom
We stole a brand new Phantom
Drove out into the Hampton's
Hooked up inside the mansions
I'm bad for you
My drug habit is daily
So good you need to pay me
In love with how you change me




I'm bad for you
I'm bad for you

Overall Meaning

In "Bad 4 U," The Dead Presidents describe being in a tumultuous, dangerous relationship. The singer is clearly warning his partner that he is bad for her, yet he is unable to resist her and is addicted to her love. The song opens with the singer talking about taking shots and charging them to his black credit card. He then mentions throwing up in the back yard and people telling him to run, which implies that his behavior is reckless and dangerous. There are red flags all around him, yet he only voices his desire for his partner when she says she is done.


The second verse describes the couple stealing a brand new Phantom and driving it out to the Hamptons. They end up in one of the mansions and hook up there. The singer talks about how everyday he has a drug habit and how his partner is so good that she needs to pay him. He is in love with how she changes him, although he acknowledges that he is bad for her. In the chorus, there is a repetition of the phrase "we stole a brand new Phantom" along with a description of how the singer is bad for his partner, but he is addicted to her.


Overall, "Bad 4 U" is a passionate but toxic song about a relationship that is on the brink of violence and destruction. The song portrays the singer as a flawed character who is self-destructive but deeply in love. He knows that he is troubling and potentially dangerous for his partner, yet he is unable to resist her charm.


Line by Line Meaning

Took shots
Drank alcohol excessively


Charge em' to a
Put the cost of the shots on someone's credit card


Black card
A credit card with a high credit line and exclusive benefits


Threw up in the
The excessive drinking caused the artist to vomit


Back yard
The area behind the house


They told you to run
Someone warned the listener to get away from the singer


Red Flags
Warning signs or indicators of danger


All around you
The listener is surrounded by danger


Won't stop
The dangerous behavior continues despite the warnings


Only say I
The artist only expresses their feelings under certain conditions


Want you
Desire the listener


When you say you're done
The listener only hears the artist's desire when they are about to leave


We stole a brand new Phantom
The singer and their accomplices committed grand theft auto


Drove out into the Hampton's
The singer left their usual environment and entered a more affluent area


Hooked up inside the mansions
The singer engaged in sexual activity inside the mansions they stole the car to get to


I'm bad for you
The artist is a negative influence on the listener


My drug habit is daily
The artist has a daily drug addiction


So good you need to pay me
The singer is so skilled in their negative behavior that the listener must compensate them


In love with how you change me
The listener's impact on the singer is positive and helps them change


Black cars
Luxury vehicles associated with the wealthy and powerful


All around the they
The artist and their associates are surrounded by these luxury cars


Burndown
Intentionally destroyed through fire


Everything we
The singer and their associates lost all their possessions


Own now
The artist and their associates are left with nothing


Loaded the gun
The singer and their associates are armed


Get the
Obtain


Low down
Inside information or scoop


Make these bodies
Commit murder on these people


Go down
Kill


Everybody
Everyone knows about the singer's actions


Knows now
The singer and their associates are now exposed


I got it bad for you, bad for you
The artist has strong feelings of desire for the listener even though they know it's not good for them


Every night it drives me mad for you, mad for you
The artist's desire for the listener is so strong it becomes an obsession


Didn't know what I had for you, had for you
The artist didn't realize the depth of their feelings for the listener until now


But now you know I'm bad for you, bad for you
The singer admits that they are a negative influence on the listener


We stole a brand new Phantom
The artist and their associates committed grand theft auto


I'm bad for you
The singer is a negative influence on the listener


I'm bad for you
The singer is a negative influence on the listener




Lyrics ยฉ DistroKid
Written by: Alex Nerney, Dale McManus

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found

More Versions