Bad – English Lyrics

• By: Michael Jackson
• Album: Bad

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into Michael Jackson's iconic hit "Bad" and explore the language of assertiveness and defiance! This song is a masterclass in conveying a strong message through direct, impactful lyrics and a powerful vocal performance. You'll encounter dynamic expressions of confidence and challenge, perfect for understanding how English can be used to project a bold persona. The vivid imagery in the lyrics and the song's energetic delivery make it an engaging way to grasp contemporary English slang and cultural nuances of the late 80s pop era. Get ready to feel 'bad' in the best possible way!

[English]

(suspenseful music)

(celebrating)

- Darryl

Listen, I want to say before you go, you know

You did a real good job this term.

I guess I'm just, I'm proud of you, you know?

I see how hard you're working.

- Thanks. Thank you.

- High five, my man.

Take care.

- Bye.

(celebrating)

- No! No! No!

(laughing)

(suspenseful music)

- [Announcer] This station is Grand Central Terminal.

Grand Central Terminal.

Final stop on this train.

Check around you for personal belongings.

Watch your step and have a good day.

Grand Central Terminal. Last stop.

(suspenseful music)

- How many guys proud of you?

- Three.

- Shoot. Four guys are proud of me.

Be the man.

- Be the man.

(slow music)

- Yo!

Yo blood.

Yo!

- Yo. The mack is back.

My man.

- What's up, man? What's up, Dobie Gillis?

What you ain't bring us no presents?

- What's up brother?

It's about time you rolled back to see the fellas.

You know what I'm saying?

- Yo, you coming down later, right?

- Yeah. I'll be down a little bit.

- All right. Don't worry about it, brother.

We'll be here.

- What? No school tomorrow?

- No, man, I'm home. No school tomorrow.

(laughing)

- All right!

- Looking sharp, man. Looking sharp.

- [Female Voice] Hi, Darryl.

Welcome home. I'm at work.

Sandwich in the fridge.

Be home at seven.

Love, Mom.

(suspenseful music)

- Yo, college. What's your major, man?

- This is high school. There ain't no majors.

- Then what's your minor?

(laughing)

- You guys are sick.

Sick!

(laughing)

- My man, Joe College.

- Joe! Joe! Joe! Joe!

- Check it out, like, homeboy's poor, right?

I mean, so like, he stole these,

but like he couldn't afford no glass.

- The reason I took out the glass, man

is that when the paparazzi start snapping

I didn't want the reflection of the flash

to get into my photo.

- Man, you be lying. You be lying.

I never seen nobody lie like you.

- Click!

Them rich boys up at Dunesbury, man.

They all wear gazelles?

- They don't wear that up there.

(laughing)

- Oh. Oh. What they wear?

They wear turtle shell glasses.

- That's tortoise shell.

- Excuse me, brother.

- I think we better go for a walk, man.

- What you want.

- Got two?

- Got two. Got the money?

- Yeah.

- Go ahead.

- All right.

- You looking for somebody?

- Let's break out.

- Yeah, man. Come on. Let's go.

- Hunt's up.

Yo hunt's up, homeboy.

I mean, you got victims out there waiting for us.

- What?

- What?

Homeboy ain't home.

Nah, see he up at Dunesbury

playing tennis with his turtle shells.

- Back off me, man. Back off.

- Yo, man. Foots still down.

- Get off of me, man. Stop it.

- Are you bad?

Or is that what they teach you

up at that little sissy school of yours?

How to forget who your friends are?

Well, let me tell you something.

I don't care what they teach you up there.

You either down or you ain't down.

So the question is, are you bad or what?

- Leave me alone.

- I said are you bad?

- Leave me alone. I'm tired of you messing with me.

Stop it!

- Are you bad?

- Stop it!

Leave me alone! Stop!

Get out of my way. Move.

You wanna see who's bad?

You wanna see who's bad?

Come on. Come on, let's do it.

Let's see who's bad, man.

Come on. Come on, let's go.

I'll show you who's bad. Come on.

Give me a quarter.

- No tengo chavo.

- No chavo.

- Move it! Run! Move! Run! Go!

- What are you doing? Huh?

You ain't down with us no more.

You ain't down.

You ain't bad.

You ain't bad.

- You ain't bad. You ain't nothing.

You ain't nothing.

(upbeat music)

(steam blowing)

- So, what's up?

(shushing)

♪ Your butt is mine ♪

♪ Gonna tell you right ♪

♪ Just show your face ♪

♪ In broad daylight ♪

♪ I'm telling you ♪

♪ On how I feel ♪

♪ Gonna hurt your mind ♪

♪ Don't shoot to kill ♪

♪ Shamone shamone, Get on me, All right ♪

♪ I'm giving you ♪

♪ On count of three ♪

♪ To show your stuff ♪

♪ Or let it be ♪

♪ I'm telling you ♪

♪ Just watch your mouth ♪

♪ I know your game ♪

♪ What you're about ♪

♪ Well, they say the sky's the limit ♪

♪ And to me that's really true ♪

♪ But my friend you have seen nothing ♪

♪ Just wait till I get through ♪

♪ Because I'm bad ♪

♪ I'm bad ♪

♪ Shamone ♪

♪ You know I'm bad ♪

♪ I'm bad ♪

♪ You know it ♪

♪ You know I'm bad ♪

♪ I'm bad ♪

♪ Shamone ♪

♪ You know ♪

♪ And the world has to answer right now ♪

♪ Just to tell you once again ♪

♪ Who's bad ♪

(clapping)

♪ The word is out ♪

♪ You're doing wrong ♪

♪ Gonna lock you up ♪

♪ Before too long ♪

♪ Your lying eyes ♪

♪ Gonna tell you right ♪

♪ So listen up ♪

♪ Don't make a fight ♪

♪ Your talk is cheap ♪

♪ You're not a man ♪

♪ You're throwing stones ♪

♪ To hide your hands ♪

♪ Well, they say the sky's the limit ♪

♪ And to me that's really true ♪

♪ But my friend you have seen nothing ♪

♪ Just wait till I get through ♪

♪ Because I'm bad ♪

♪ I'm bad ♪

♪ Shamone ♪

♪ You know I'm bad ♪

♪ I'm bad ♪

♪ You know it ♪

♪ You know I'm bad ♪

♪ I'm bad ♪

♪ You know it. You know ♪

♪ I'm bad I'm bad ♪

♪ You know it ♪

♪ You know I'm bad ♪

♪ I'm bad ♪

♪ You know it ♪

♪ You know I'm bad ♪

♪ You know ♪

♪ Woo ♪

♪ You know I'm bad ♪

♪ I'm bad ♪

♪ You know it ♪

♪ You know ♪

♪ And the whole world has to answer right now ♪

♪ Just to tell you once again ♪

♪ Who's bad ♪

♪ Because I'm bad ♪

♪ I'm bad ♪

♪ Shamone ♪

♪ You know I'm bad ♪

♪ I'm bad ♪

♪ You know it ♪

♪ You know I'm bad ♪

♪ I'm bad ♪

♪ You know it. You know ♪

♪ And the whole world has to answer right now ♪

♪ Just to tell you once again ♪

♪ You know I'm bad ♪

♪ I'm bad ♪

♪ Shamone ♪

♪ You know I'm bad ♪

♪ I'm bad ♪

♪ You know it. You know it ♪

♪ You know ♪

♪ You know ♪

♪ You know ♪

♪ Come on ♪

♪ And the whole world has to answer right now ♪

♪ Just to tell you once again ♪

♪ You know I'm smooth ♪

♪ I'm bad ♪

♪ You know it ♪

♪ You know I'm bad ♪

♪ I'm bad baby ♪

♪ You know ♪

♪ You know ♪

♪ You know it ♪

♪ Come on ♪

♪ And the whole world has to answer right now ♪

♪ Just to tell you once again ♪

♪ You know I'm bad ♪

♪ I'm bad ♪

♪ You know it ♪

♪ You know I'm bad ♪

♪ You know ♪

♪ Woo ♪

♪ You know I'm bad ♪

♪ I'm bad ♪

♪ You know it ♪

♪ You know ♪

♪ And the whole world has to answer right now ♪

♪ Just to tell you once again ♪

♪ Who's bad ♪

- [Others] Who's bad?

- Who's bad?

- [Others] Who's bad?

- Who's bad?

- [Others] Who's bad?

- Who's bad?

- [Others] Who's bad?

- Who's bad?

- [Others] Who's bad?

- Who's bad?

- [Others] Who's bad?

- Who's bad?

- [Others] Who's bad?

- Who's bad?

- [Others] Who's bad?

♪ You're telling me ♪

♪ You're telling me ♪

♪ You're doing wrong ♪

♪ You're doing wrong ♪

♪ Gonna lock you up ♪

♪ Gonna lock you up ♪

♪ Before too long ♪

♪ Before too long ♪

♪ You're doing wrong ♪

♪ You're doing wrong ♪

♪ You're doing wrong ♪

♪ You're doing wrong ♪

♪ You're doing wrong ♪

♪ You're doing wrong ♪

♪ You're doing wrong ♪

♪ You're doing wrong ♪

♪ Who's bad ♪

♪ Who's bad ♪

♪ Who's bad ♪

♪ Who's bad ♪

♪ Who's bad, bro ♪

♪ Who's bad ♪

♪ Who's bad ♪

♪ Who's bad ♪

♪ You know ♪

♪ You know ♪

♪ You know it ♪

♪ You know it ♪

♪ You know ♪

♪ You know ♪

♪ You know it ♪

♪ You know it ♪

♪ Woo ♪

♪ Woo ♪

♪ You're doing wrong ♪

♪ You're doing wrong ♪

♪ You're doing wrong ♪

♪ You're doing wrong ♪

♪ You're doing wrong ♪

♪ You're doing wrong ♪

♪ You're doing wrong ♪

♪ You're doing wrong ♪

♪ You know ♪

♪ You know ♪

♪ You know it ♪

♪ You know it ♪

♪ You know ♪

♪ You know ♪

♪ You know it ♪

♪ You know it ♪

♪ You're doing wrong ♪

♪ You're doing wrong ♪

♪ You're doing wrong ♪

♪ You're doing wrong ♪

♪ And watch your mouth boy ♪

♪ And watch your mouth boy ♪

♪ Just watch your mouth ♪

♪ Just watch your mouth ♪

♪ Your brother ♪

♪ Your brother ♪

♪ Ask your mother ♪

♪ Your mother ♪

♪ Ask your sister ♪

♪ Your sister ♪

♪ Ask me ♪

♪ Ask me ♪

♪ Cause you're doing wrong ♪

♪ You're dong wrong ♪

♪ You're doing wrong ♪

♪ You're doing wrong ♪

♪ You're doing wrong ♪

♪ You're doing wrong ♪

♪ You're doing wrong ♪

♪ You're doing wrong ♪

- So that's the way it goes down, huh?

(energetic music)

♪ You know it ♪

♪ Lay it on me ♪

♪ You know it ♪

♪ You know it ♪

♪ You know it ♪

♪ You know it ♪

♪ Lay it on me ♪

♪ You know it ♪

♪ I'm bad ♪

♪ I'm bad ♪

♪ I'm bad ♪

♪ You know it ♪

♪ You know it ♪

♪ Woo ♪

♪ Who's bad ♪

♪ Who's bad ♪

♪ Who's bad ♪

♪ You know it ♪

♪ Lay it on me ♪

♪ You know it ♪

♪ Come on ♪

♪ Shamone shamone ♪

♪ Shamone shamone ♪

♪ You know it ♪

♪ Lay it on me ♪

♪ Come on ♪

♪ Woo ♪

♪ Break it down ♪

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
proud /praʊd/ A2	adjective - feeling pleased and satisfied about something you have done or someone you know
working /ˈwɜːrkɪŋ/ A2	verb - doing work; putting in effort
man /mæn/ A1	noun - an adult male human
terminal /ˈtɜːrmɪnəl/ B2	noun - a building where trains, buses, or planes stop and passengers get on or off
belongings /bɪˈlɒŋɪŋz/ B1	noun - things that belong to someone
shoot /ʃuːt/ B1	verb - to fire a gun
sharp /ʃɑːrp/ B1	adjective - having a thin edge or point; neat and stylish
home /həʊm/ A1	noun - a place where someone lives
major /ˈmeɪdʒər/ B2	noun - the main subject studied at a college or university
sick /sɪk/ A2	adjective - unwell; crazy or foolish
lying /ˈlaɪɪŋ/ B1	verb - not telling the truth
reflection /rɪˈflekʃən/ B2	noun - an image or likeness of something in a mirror or other reflective surface
tortoise /ˈtɔːrtəs/ B2	noun - a slow-moving land animal with a large shell
victim /ˈvɪktɪm/ B2	noun - a person harmed or killed as a result of a crime or accident
break /breɪk/ A2	verb - to separate into pieces

Key Grammar Structures

• Are you bad? Or is that what they teach you up at that little sissy school of yours?

  ➔ Tag question & Indirect Question

  ➔ The sentence uses a **tag question** ('Are you bad?') to seek confirmation and an **indirect question** ('is that what they teach you...') to report a question. The use of 'little sissy' is colloquial and adds emotional weight.

• You either down or you ain't down.

  ➔ Correlative conjunctions (either/or)

  ➔ This sentence uses the **correlative conjunctions** 'either/or' to present two mutually exclusive options. The use of 'ain't' is non-standard English, adding to the colloquial tone. 'Down' here means loyal or committed.

• You wanna see who's bad?

  ➔ Embedded Question & Colloquial Contraction

  ➔ This is an **embedded question** functioning as a statement. 'Wanna' is a **colloquial contraction** of 'want to'. The question is rhetorical, challenging the listener.

• I'm telling you, on count of three, to show your stuff or let it be.

  ➔ Imperative Mood & Prepositional Phrase

  ➔ The phrase 'to show your stuff or let it be' is in the **imperative mood**, giving a direct command. 'On count of three' is a **prepositional phrase** indicating a time limit.