In the Bad Bad Old Days
The Foundations Lyrics


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All right

In those bad, bad old days
Before you loved me girl (loved me girl)
I was just a lonely man
In so many ways
'Till you loved me girl (loved me girl)
And I was your only man
You came into my life
And ended misery
In those bad, bad old days
That used to be

Everyday I say the fullest truth
But one day I'm gonna make it girl
Telling you
The sun goes down, every night
To see your smiling face
And hold you tight
I'm told that you'll be
Waiting there for me
But I can still recall
What used to be, yeah

In those bad, bad old days
Before you loved me girl (loved me girl)
I was just a lonely man
In so many ways
'Till you loved me girl (loved me girl)
And I was your only man
You came into my life
And ended misery
In those bad, bad old days
That used to be

I shake a living
Out of this old world
But I'll give you everything
Believe me girl
I'm gonna really make it
To the top
And nothing in this world
Is gonna make me stop
You sure put a magic spell on me
I'm nothing like the man
I used to be, yeah

I still remember (I still remember)
Just last September (last September)

In those bad, bad old days
Before you loved me girl (loved me girl)
I was just a lonely man
In so many ways
'Till you loved me girl
(Loved me girl)
And I was your only man
You came into my life
And ended misery
In those bad, bad old days
In those sad, sad old days
In those bad, bad old days
That used to be

In your bad, bad old days
Before you loved me girl (loved me girl)
In so many ways
'Till you loved me girl

Thank you baby, thank you baby, yeah
Thank you very much
I'll give you the world, yeah




Thank you honey
Thank you, thank you baby, yeah

Overall Meaning

The Foundations' song "In the Bad Bad Old Days" talks about the loneliness one man felt before meeting the woman he loves. The lyrics describe how the man was just an ordinary lonely man before the woman came into his life and ended his misery. The song tells how he now lives a happy life and finds comfort in her smile and embraces. He also remembers his past, and the woman remembers hers before they met.


The lyrics "Everyday I say the fullest truth, but one day I'm gonna make it, girl, telling you" express his desire to tell her what she means to him and how he intends to make her happy. He promises to her that he'll give her everything he can and make it to the top. He's confident that nothing will stop him to make her happy; the woman has put a magical spell on him, and he's become a better man since being with her.


This song speaks to how love has the power to transform one's life and bring happiness out of desperate times. The man was once lonely during the bad old days, but love saved him from his misery.


Line by Line Meaning

In those bad, bad old days
Referring to a time in the past which was full of misery and loneliness


Before you loved me girl (loved me girl)
Before the singer's love interest came into his life and loved him


I was just a lonely man
The singer was alone without any companionship


In so many ways
The loneliness affected the artist's entire life in many different ways


'Till you loved me girl (loved me girl)
Until the artist's love interest came into his life and loved him


And I was your only man
The singer's love interest was committed only to him


You came into my life
The singer's love interest entered his life


And ended misery
The artist's love interest brought an end to his previous life of loneliness and misery


That used to be
The past state of misery and loneliness that the artist is grateful to have left behind


Everyday I say the fullest truth
The artist is open and honest with his love interest every day


But one day I'm gonna make it girl
The singer is determined to be successful for his love interest


Telling you
The artist will share his success with his love interest one day


The sun goes down, every night
Nights bring closure to each day


To see your smiling face
The singer looks forward to seeing his love interest's happy expression


And hold you tight
The singer desires to embrace his love interest closely


I'm told that you'll be
There is a belief that the artist's love interest will be waiting for him


Waiting there for me
The artist's love interest will wait for his return


But I can still recall
The singer remembers his past life of loneliness and misery


What used to be, yeah
The state of misery and loneliness that the singer overcame


I shake a living
The artist makes a living through hard work


Out of this old world
The artist makes a living in a world that is not always favorable


But I'll give you everything
The artist will provide his love interest with all that he can offer


Believe me, girl
The singer's love interest can trust and have faith in him


I'm gonna really make it
The artist is determined to achieve success


To the top
The singer's goal is to reach the highest level of success


And nothing in this world
No obstacle or challenge will prevent the singer from achieving his goal


Is gonna make me stop
The singer's determination is unwavering


You sure put a magic spell on me
The artist's love interest has a powerful effect on him


I'm nothing like the man
The artist has changed significantly since meeting his love interest


I used to be, yeah
The person the singer was before meeting his love interest is vastly different from the person he is now


I still remember (I still remember)
The singer vividly recalls his life before meeting his love interest


Just last September (last September)
The artist particularly remembers something from the past that happened in September


Thank you baby, thank you baby, yeah
The artist is expressing gratitude to his love interest


Thank you very much
The artist is extremely thankful


I'll give you the world, yeah
The singer will provide everything and anything for his love interest


Thank you honey
The artist expresses appreciation to his love interest


Thank you, thank you baby, yeah
The singer is thankful for his love interest's presence in his life




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: John Andrew Macleod, Tony Macaulay

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

비정한세상

Ha, hah
Alright

In those bad, bad old days
Before you loved me girl (loved me girl)
I was just a lonely man
In so many ways
Till you loved me girl (loved me girl)
And I was your only man

You came into my life And ended misery
In those bad, bad old days That used to be

Everyday I slave to pull us through
But one day I'm gonna make it girl I'm telling you
The sun goes down around home every night
To see your smiling face and hold you tight

I know that you'll be waitin' there for me
But I can still recall what used to be, yeah

In those bad, bad old days
Before you loved me girl (loved me girl)
I was just a lonely man In so many ways
Till you loved me girl (loved me girl)
And I was your only man

I shake a living out of this old world
But I'll give you everything, believe me girl
I'm gonna really make it, to the top
And nothing in this world is gonna, make me stop

You sure put a magic spell on me
I'm nothing like the man I used to be, yeah

I still remember (still remember)
Just last September (last September)

In those bad, bad old days
Before you loved me girl (loved me girl)
I was just a lonely man
In so many ways
Till you loved me girl (loved me girl)
And I was your only man

In those bad bad old days
(Thank you baby, thank you, baby, yeah)
Before you loved me girl, loved me girl
(Thank you very much)
I was just a lonely man
(I'll give you the world, yeah)
In so many ways till you loved me girl
(Thank you honey)
(Thank you, thank you baby, yeah, now)
La, la, la, la....



All comments from YouTube:

Julia Mateljan

THIS is better than Buttercup. I have never seen a picture of these people before. And this gives me MORE JOY, NOW!!!!!(first heard the song 50+ years ago!) Oh!!! Lead singer, you are TOTALLY GORGEOUS(and I hope you have had a wonderful creative life!) A WOW ARTIST!!!

Teddy Sears

Totally agree, its a better song than BUILD ME UP BUTTERCUP!! TOO PRETTY

Benny Adler

I thought I'd recognized the composition, never knew it was Tony McCaulay until now, now surprising as his compositions had that "3 minute story" everyone learned to and appreciate. The lyrics are genius, another masterpiece.

Julie Anne

Great sound, love how they had a horn section playing live..the lead singer is so Hot 🔥 🥵 😍 i remember this song and always loved it, that classic 60s sound! Kool ❤️

Annarita Ranalli

Gorgeous singing voices and good musicians

jeffcher10

Classic 60s pop/soul - Excellent !

Box person

Still an amazing song

Vilmar Moura

Tony McCauley ( vocals ) and The Foundations.
An underrated Rock/ R&B singer but one of the best at that time.

Joyne Freedom

Lead singer was Clem Curtis. Tony McCauley was their songwriter and record producer.

Mario

The singer for this one is Colin Young

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colin_Young

He provided lead vocals for this song and "Build Me Up Buttercup"

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