Love Me Bad

Album: Memories of a Beautiful Disaster (2011)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • James Durbin had a difficult childhood growing up in Santa Cruz, California, losing his father to a drug overdose at the age of 9 and shortly afterwards being diagnosed with Aspberger's Syndrome and Tourette's Syndrome. However from an early age, he showed an interest in music and Durbin's mom encouraged him to embrace his artistic inclinations. As a teenager, he took part in various local theatrical musical productions and was the lead singer in a metal band called Hollywood Scars, where he went by the stage name of Jimmy Levox.
  • Durbin's breakthrough came when he reached the final of Season 10 of American Idol. His pitch-perfect voice and hard rocker's attitude made him one of the most popular contestants of the series. After finishing fourth, he signed to Wind-Up Records (Evanescence, Seether). This is Durbin's first single released from his debut solo album, Memories of a Beautiful Disaster.
  • The single was released online on October 19, 2011 and was also released to mainstream Top 40 radio stations. A second single, "Stand Up," was also sent to the more hard rock-oriented stations.
  • The video was shot 90 minutes away from Las Vegas in a dry lake bed out in the desert of Barstow, California. Durbin told Noisecreep that, "it was a day full of rock 'n' roll debauchery." He explained: " I accidentally blew up a 1971 Dodge Charger by driving it too hard! The hood was on fire and there was smoke everywhere. I just remember the fire department guys we had on set running towards me screaming, 'Get the f--- out!' It was insane."

    The rest of the video had to be filmed, "with the car on a flatbed truck being pulled on a Uhaul. We actually lit up a lot of things on fire during the shoot," the singer continued. "I even got some gasoline on myself at one point. At the end of the video I drop a torch and destroy the whole set. Just wait till you see this dude – it is full-on heavy metal!"
  • Durbin wrote the song with Marti Frederickson (Aerosmith, Def Leppard) about the unhappiness he feels whenever he has to go out on the road leaving behind his fiancée, Heidi and their son Hunter. He explained: "It's a song about regret, and I find I'm able to sing it because I look at that every time I go on business and have to leave Santa Cruz and my family."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Steve Cropper (Booker T & the MG's, Blues Brothers)

Steve Cropper (Booker T & the MG's, Blues Brothers)Songwriter Interviews

Steve Cropper on the making of "In the Midnight Hour," the chicken-wire scene in The Blues Brothers, and his 2021 album, Fire It Up.

Johnette Napolitano of Concrete Blonde

Johnette Napolitano of Concrete BlondeSongwriter Interviews

The singer/bassist for Concrete Blonde talks about how her songs come from clairvoyance, and takes us through the making of their hit "Joey."

Part of Their World: The Stories and Songs of 13 Disney Princesses

Part of Their World: The Stories and Songs of 13 Disney PrincessesSong Writing

From "Some Day My Prince Will Come" to "Let It Go" - how Disney princess songs (and the women who sing them) have evolved.

Gavin Rossdale On Lyric Inspirations and Bush's Album The Kingdom

Gavin Rossdale On Lyric Inspirations and Bush's Album The KingdomSongwriter Interviews

The Bush frontman on where he finds inspiration for lyrics, if his "machine head" is a guitar tuner, and the stories behind songs from the album The Kingdom.

Classic Metal

Classic MetalFact or Fiction

Ozzy, Guns N' Roses, Judas Priest and even Michael Bolton show up in this Classic Metal quiz.

Timothy B. Schmit

Timothy B. SchmitSongwriter Interviews

The longtime Eagle talks about soaring back to his solo career, and what he learned about songwriting in the group.