Born Bad
The Gone Jackals Lyrics


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That's the way it begins -
You try to behave,
Yeah, you try to fit in.
But when you rise and stand
You find a lock-step march -
No room for jazz.
Born bad-
With a slight-o-hand
I go from jam to jam
With a crash, boom, bam.
Born bad -
I dodge a sucker punch
And drop a bomb, like Liston,
On an animal hunch.
I've been down.
Yeah, I've spent some time downtown.
I've covered sacred ground,
Soft and slow and round.
I gave up.
Yeah, I learned to give it up,
Thinkin' that's the final cut.
But it turns out I was wrong.
Born bad -
That's the way it began,
Stuffed a young pink lung
Down a rank glue bag.
Born bad -
This is where it all lands
For a bull headed, corner hangin'
Problem child man.
I grew hard.
Over time my scars toughed up.
When gettin' even just wasn't enough,
I had to choke my conscience off.
I've come far.
Yeah, I had to travel far.
Peel through layers sick and raw
Just to taste and touch once more.
Born bad -
Like a synchro-mesh shift
That's stuck in third
Just smokes and burns.
Born bad -
With a cig-hangin' lip.




A talk-back baby on a
Star-crossed ship.

Overall Meaning

The Gone Jackals’s song “Born Bad” is a track about someone who has always been the outsider, regardless of how hard they try to fit in or behave. The song starts by talking about how the singer has attempted to blend in with society, but is met with a lock-step march where individuality is not accepted. Society has no room for jazz, and individual thinking is frowned upon. The singer describes themselves as “Born bad.” The lyrics describe how they are comfortable with who they are, that their nature was always there from the beginning.


The song continues to describe how the singer goes from jam to jam, dropping bombs like Liston, who was a heavyweight champion boxer known for his powerful punches. The singer also talks about spending time in jail, covering sacred ground, and learning to give up. They ultimately realize they were wrong to try and fit in to society because they were always born bad. The singer mentions how they grew hard over time as their scars toughened up, and they had to choke their conscience off just to get even. The singer has had to travel far and peel through layers sick and raw just so they could taste and touch once more.


Overall, “Born Bad” is a story of a person's journey of self-acceptance. They understand their nature and who they are, and have learned to embrace it, even if it means being the outsider. The lyrics paint a picture of the singer's life, from their attempts to fit in, their time in jail, and the journey to self-discovery.


Line by Line Meaning

That's the way it begins -
The song begins with a statement about the start of a journey.


You try to behave,
One attempts to act well and follow societal norms.


Yeah, you try to fit in.
You attempt to belong and be accepted.


But when you rise and stand
After gaining a sense of self and confidence.


You find a lock-step march -
Discovering a lack of freedom and individuality.


No room for jazz.
There is no space for creativity or originality.


Born bad-
The chorus asserts that one is inherently flawed from the start.


With a slight-o-hand
Using deception or trickery to gain advantage.


I go from jam to jam
Traveling from one adventure to another.


With a crash, boom, bam.
Making a noise or impact that garners attention and excitement.


Born bad -
Reiterating the message that one is born with inherent faults.


I dodge a sucker punch
Avoiding a violent and unexpected attack.


And drop a bomb, like Liston,
Delivering a powerful and unexpected blow like a boxer.


On an animal hunch.
Choosing to follow intuition or instinct over logic or reason.


I've been down.
Having experienced tough times, difficulty or failure.


Yeah, I've spent some time downtown.
Being in a difficult or undesirable situation or circumstance.


I've covered sacred ground,
Having explored important or meaningful topics or places.


Soft and slow and round.
Indicating something gentle, easy going and pleasant.


I gave up.
Not being able or willing to continue something or hold on to something.


Yeah, I learned to give it up,
Becoming aware of own limitations and surrendering power or control.


Thinkin' that's the final cut.
Believing something to be the ultimate ending or resolution.


But it turns out I was wrong.
Finding out that previous beliefs or assumptions were incorrect or incomplete.


Born bad -
Reemphasizing the central theme of the song, that one is inherently flawed.


That's the way it began,
Similar to the beginning of the song, continuing to discuss the start of this journey.


Stuffed a young pink lung
Engaging in harmful and dangerous behavior from a young age.


Down a rank glue bag.
Using cheap and undesirable substances or engaging in self-destructive activities.


Born bad -
The central theme expressed one more time.


This is where it all lands
Describing the consequences and outcomes of those inherently bad actions and decisions.


For a bull headed, corner hangin'
Being stubborn and resistant to change, remaining in a corner or stuck position.


Problem child man.
A person with significant issues who never matured past infancy or childhood.


I grew hard.
Becoming jaded or tough from experiencing difficulty or hardship.


Over time my scars toughed up.
Becoming more resilient and equipped to handle challenges over time.


When gettin' even just wasn't enough,
Finding that revenge or retaliation does not fully satisfy or fix problems.


I had to choke my conscience off.
Forcing oneself to act without any moral or ethical consideration.


I've come far.
Looking back on personal growth and progress made over time.


Yeah, I had to travel far.
Going through significant changes and struggles to arrive at current state.


Peel through layers sick and raw
Getting through tough emotional and psychological barriers or wounds.


Just to taste and touch once more.
Longing for former experiences or pleasures and working hard to regain them.


Born bad -
Reiterating the idea that one is inherently flawed.


Like a synchro-mesh shift
Functioning like a component of a machine, without autonomy.


That's stuck in third
Being unable to progress or move forward beyond a certain point.


Just smokes and burns.
Consuming or wasting resources without any positive outcome or improvement.


Born bad -
The central theme presented one more time before the final line.


With a cig-hangin' lip.
Having a careless, bad-boy attitude and projecting a tough image with a cigarette hanging out of one's mouth.


A talk-back baby on a
Being rebellious and challenging authority, especially in a certain environment or situation.


Star-crossed ship.
Being destined for doom or complication due to a lack of control, guidance or fortune.




Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS

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