Bad To The Bone by George Thorogood

Album: Bad to the Bone (1982)

License This Song

lyrics

Songfacts®:

This is based on the Bo Diddley blues song "I'm A Man." Thorogood is influenced by the blues, and Diddley is one of his heroes. Thorogood's version has a much heavier guitar sound, which replaces the harmonica in Diddley's recording. Both songs are full of swagger, with the singers exuding lots of testosterone.
The phrase "bad to the bone" means there isn't a bit of good in him. Other songs have been published with that title, but Thorogood popularized it and created a modern blues classic with this song. Some artists to cover it include The Countdown Singers, Molly Hatchet and The Starlite Singers. Hip-hop artist Tek did a rap version of the song.
With MTV coming on the air in 1981, Thorogood picked a good time to release a memorable video. The clip shows Thorogood playing pool against Bo Diddley in a place where there is no chance of a dance sequence breaking out. Pool champion Willie Mosconi also appears in the clip, which introduced Thorogood - and to some extent, Diddley - to the younger MTV crowd. Among the British New Wave acts that dominated MTV's playlist at the time, Thorogood certainly stood out, and he created an image of a bad man. While Thorogood is a disciple of the blues, he was raised in a Delaware suburb and by most accounts is actually a pretty nice guy, despite what he claims in this song.
This song was featured in the film Terminator 2: Judgment Day when Arnold Schwarzenegger steps out of a bar wearing biker clothes. It also appears in the movies The Parent Trap, Major Payne, Christine and Problem Child. TV series to use the song include Top Gear, South Park, Nurse Jackie, My Name Is Earl, Las Vegas, According to Jim, 3rd Rock from the Sun, Married... with Children (three times), and Miami Vice. >>>
Suggestion credit:
Ricky - Los Angeles, CA
In the 2019 The Good Place episode "A Chip Driver Mystery," there's this bit of dialogue between Bad Janet (D'Arcy Carden) and Michael (Ted Danson):

Janet: "To quote a terrible song by a terrible musician that people love so much they constantly put it in terrible movie trailers, humans are b-b-b-b-b-b-bad to the bone."

Michael: "Well, I think that they're g-g-good sometimes. And you should give them the b-b-benefit of the d-d-doubt."

Comments: 8

Jennifur Sun from RamonaBryce thanks and ouch sounds hard on them poor strings.
Bryce from Lima, OhJennifur, I believe he got that real scratchy effect by taking a metal guitar slide and scraping it across the strings, near the pickups. You can see him doing it in the video for the song.
Jennifur Sun from RamonaDoes anyone know how he got those effects on this guitar? Also who played sax and drums.
Shawn from Green Bay, WiOne of the baddest ass songs of all time. Never gets old.
Jorge from Bronx, NySaw him live,back then I didn't knew much about him,but it was exciting to see play,great guitarist,,and when i listen to this tune the '59 Plymouth Fury comes to life,lol
Tony from Connellsville, Pathe song is not about being uncircumsiced its about a person thats just bad to the bone......dumbass
Ken from Louisville, KyThis was also the main theme for the Oliver Stone movie Talk Radio.
Thomas from Fuquay Varina, NcI was thinking about these lyrics and I was wondering if maybe George was extolling the "virtue"
of being uncircumcised. I wouldn't know, myself. But
some of the lyrics sounds like that is what he is singing about.

see more comments

More Songfacts:

Uptown FunkMark Ronson

The actress Michelle Pfeiffer gets namechecked in the 2014 megahit "Uptown Funk" ("Michelle Pfeiffer, that white gold"). When it was released, "Riptide" by Vance Joy was on the charts; that song also mentions her ("Closest thing to Michelle Pfeiffer that you've ever seen").

Talkin' Hawkin'Pink Floyd

Pink Floyd's "Talkin' Hawkin'" uses a sample of Stephen Hawking's synthesized voice taken from a speech he made for a 1994 British Telecom commercial.

Auld Lang SyneTraditional

The New Year's Eve favorite "Auld Lang Syne" is a Scottish song that roughly translates to "Days Of Long Ago."

Fallin'Alicia Keys

Alicia Keys got a huge break when Oprah had her perform her debut single "Fallin'" on her show.

At This MomentBilly Vera & the Beaters

"At This Moment" was first released by Billy Vera & the Beaters in 1981, and hit #79. After it was used in two episodes of Family Ties in 1985-1986, it went to #1.

Rock The CasbahThe Clash

Barry Sonnenfeld, who would later direct the movies Get Shorty and Men in Black, was the director of photography on the "Rock the Casbah" video for The Clash.

Editor's Picks

Edie BrickellSongwriter Interviews

Edie Brickell on her collaborations with Paul Simon, Steve Martin and Willie Nelson, and her 2021 album with the New Bohemians.

Rick SpringfieldSongwriter Interviews

Rick has a surprising dark side, a strong feminine side and, in a certain TV show, a naked backside. But he still hasn't found Jessie's Girl.

Pam TillisSongwriter Interviews

The country sweetheart opines about the demands of touring and talks about writing songs with her famous father.

90s Music Quiz 1Music Quiz

First question: Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson appeared in videos for what artist?

Colin HaySongwriter Interviews

Established as a redoubtable singer-songwriter, the Men At Work frontman explains how religion, sobriety and Jack Nicholson play into his songwriting.

They Might Be GiantsSongwriter Interviews

Who writes a song about a name they found in a phone book? That's just one of the everyday things these guys find to sing about. Anything in their field of vision or general scope of knowledge is fair game. If you cross paths with them, so are you.