S.O.S. (Too Bad) – English Lyrics

• By: Aerosmith

Lyrics & Translation

Explore the raw energy of Aerosmith's "S.O.S. (Too Bad)," a hard-rocking track that delves into themes of desire and frustration. By studying the vivid lyrics and gritty musical style, you'll gain insight into Aerosmith's signature sound and the cultural backdrop of the 1970s rock scene. Discover why this song remains a fan favorite and a staple in the band's live performances.

[English]

Stagecoach lady, hourglass body

Makin' thing's glow in the night

Well, she would if she could

And she'd be good if she would

Only tell her lover, she be out tonight

'Cause I'm a bad

A lonely school boy

And I'm a rat

And it's too bad

Can't get me none of that

Salt Lake City, salt lickin' bitties

Bogies hun, stinkin' of gin

Well, my daddy was hard

His face was pretty scarred

From kickin' ass to playin' poker to win

'Cause I'm a bad

A lonely school boy

And I'm a rat

And it's too bad

Can't get me none of that

It's too bad

...

And it's too bad

Can't get me none of that

Loose old lady

My Mama, Katie

Chivalry was born at her feet

Well, she should have thought twice

When Pa showed his dice

The night they put my daddy to sleep

'Cause I'm a bad

A lonely school boy

And I'm a rat

And it's too bad

Can't get me none of that

It's too bad

Lord, it's too bad

I said it's too bad

Lord, it's too bad

I said it's too bad

It's too bad

You know, it's too bad

Ah, it's too bad

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
glow /ɡloʊ/ A2	verb - to emit light; to shine softly
lover /ˈlʌvər/ A1	noun - a person in a romantic relationship
bad /bæd/ A1	adjective - of poor quality or a negative nature
lonely /ˈloʊnli/ A2	adjective - sad because one has no friends or company
rat /ræt/ A1	noun - a rodent animal
lickin /ˈlɪkɪŋ/ B1	verb - to pass the tongue over
stinkin /ˈstɪŋkɪŋ/ B1	adjective - having an extremely unpleasant smell
hard /hɑːrd/ A1	adjective - solid, firm, and difficult to break or bend
scarred /skɑːrd/ B1	adjective - marked with scars
kickin /ˈkɪkɪŋ/ A2	verb - to strike out with the foot
poker /ˈpoʊkər/ A2	noun - a card game
loose /luːs/ A2	adjective - not firmly fixed in place
chivalry /ˈʃɪvəlri/ B2	noun - the qualities of knights in the Middle Ages, such as courage and courtesy
dice /daɪs/ A1	noun - a small cube with marked sides, used in games
sleep /sliːp/ A1	noun - a natural periodic state of rest verb - to be in a state of rest

Key Grammar Structures

• Well, she would if she could

  ➔ Conditional Sentence Type 2

  ➔ This structure expresses an unreal or hypothetical situation in the present or future and its probable result. It uses "if + simple past" in the condition clause and "would + base verb" in the main clause. Here, "could" is the simple past of "can". The highlighted words are "would" and "could".

• Well, she should have thought twice

  ➔ Modal Perfect (should have + past participle)

  ➔ This is used to express regret, criticism, or that something would have been a good idea in the past, but it didn't happen. It suggests a missed opportunity or a mistake. The highlighted words are "should have thought".

• Chivalry was born at her feet

  ➔ Passive Voice (Simple Past)

  ➔ In the passive voice, the subject of the sentence ("Chivalry") receives the action ("was born") rather than performs it. It is formed with the verb "be" (in the past tense, "was") + the past participle ("born"). The highlighted words are "was born".

• From kickin' ass to playin' poker to win

  ➔ Gerunds after Prepositions & Infinitive of Purpose

  ➔ Gerunds ("kickin'", "playin'" – colloquial for 'kicking', 'playing') are used after prepositions (here, part of the phrase "From... to..."). The infinitive "to win" expresses the purpose or reason for an action. The highlighted words are "kickin'", "playin'" and "to win".

• Can't get me none of that

  ➔ Double Negative (Colloquial/Informal English)

  ➔ This is a colloquialism where two negative elements ("Can't" and "none") are used in the same clause, often to emphasize the negative. In standard English, it would be "can't get me *any* of that" or "can get me *none* of that." The highlighted words are "Can't" and "none".

• Makin' thing's glow in the night

  ➔ Causative Verb "make" + Object + Base Form

  ➔ The verb "make" is used causatively to show that someone or something causes another action to happen. The structure is "make + object + base form of the verb" (here, "things glow"). "Makin'" is a colloquial form of "Making". The highlighted words are "Makin'" and "things glow".

• 'Cause I'm a bad

  ➔ Contraction & Adjective Used as a Noun (Colloquial)

  ➔ 'Cause" is a contraction of "Because," and "I'm" is a contraction of "I am." In this context, "bad" (an adjective) is colloquially used as a noun to refer to a "bad person" or "bad individual." The highlighted words are "'Cause", "I'm" and "bad".

• The night they put my daddy to sleep

  ➔ Phrasal Verb / Idiom "put (someone) to sleep"

  ➔ "Put (someone) to sleep" is a phrasal verb or idiom. It can literally mean to make someone sleep, or euphemistically, to kill someone (especially in the context of animals, or sadly, humans in a violent context here). The highlighted words are "put... to sleep".

• His face was pretty scarred

  ➔ Adverb "pretty" as an intensifier + Past Participle as Adjective

  ➔ "Pretty" is used here as an adverb meaning "quite" or "very," intensifying the adjective "scarred." "Scarred" is the past participle of "to scar," used as an adjective to describe the state of the face. The highlighted words are "pretty" and "scarred".