I'm Bad, I'm Nationwide

Album: Degüello (1979)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This song was inspired by Texas blues musician named Joey Long, who was good friends with the band. As Billy Gibbons tells it, Long didn't have a driver's license, but he always had new Cadillac that his beautiful wife Barbarella used to drive him to gigs.

    The song is confabulated so Long is enjoying the company of a few lovely ladies during this ride, all wearing nylons, spike-heeled shoes and smoking Lucky Strikes - he was living large!

    Long, who died in 1995, wasn't as rich or famous as he's made out to be in the song, but he was one of the most acclaimed blues guitarists in Texas and a mentor to Gibbons, who cites Long's playing on the Barbara Lynn track "We Got A Good Thing Going" as a formative influence.
  • Billy Gibbons played what he described as "a multi-stringed mandolin-like instrument from Parral, Mexico" that Joey Long gave him on this track. "If you listen closely, you can hear close-miked mandolin-sounding rhythm accompaniment," he told Guitar World. "The lead track was played on a custom-made, half-sized, real short-scaled guitar tuned to G. It was actually standard tuning cranked up three steps, which remained quite playable thanks to the guitar's short scale.

    The song's tail end alternates between three distinct effects created by two pedals: an Echoplex doubler and a Maestro octave box alternating every third bar between having the octave up and the octave down."

Comments: 2

  • Kurt from AlbertaI Got A Feeling by The Beatles and this song share a great turn around lick. Just had to share that.
  • AnonymousI'm Cyd Heard. I've told this story about Joey Long for more than 30 years as told to me by my good friend Marianne Longoria, Joey's niece. I met Billy Gibbons once by chance and he was very nice when I explained Joeysniece was my roommate. He asked me to sit down. I saw firsthand that there was a strong connection between them. I'm fascinated by their friendship and I'm searching out stories for Marianne. Joey's history and legacy is very important. I'd just love to write about some of the adventures while there's someone to tell the tales still.
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Scott Gorham of Thin Lizzy and Black Star Riders

Scott Gorham of Thin Lizzy and Black Star RidersSongwriter Interviews

Writing with Phil Lynott, Scott saw their ill-fated frontman move to a darker place in his life and lyrics.

Marc Campbell - "88 Lines About 44 Women"

Marc Campbell - "88 Lines About 44 Women"They're Playing My Song

The Nails lead singer Marc Campbell talks about those 44 women he sings about over a stock Casio keyboard track. He's married to one of them now - you might be surprised which.

Andrew Farriss of INXS

Andrew Farriss of INXSSongwriter Interviews

Andrew Farriss on writing with Michael Hutchence, the stories behind "Mystify" and other INXS hits, and his country-flavored debut solo album.

Chris Fehn of Slipknot

Chris Fehn of SlipknotSongwriter Interviews

A drummer for one of the most successful metal bands of the last decade, Chris talks about what it's like writing and performing with Slipknot. Metal-neck is a factor.

Thomas Dolby

Thomas DolbySongwriter Interviews

He wrote "She Blinded Me With Science" so he could direct a video about a home for deranged scientists.

Superman in Song

Superman in SongSong Writing

Not everyone can be a superhero, but that hasn't stopped generations of musicians from trying to be Superman.