Bad Boy

Album: Fire & Brimstone (2019)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Brantley Gilbert first met schoolteacher Amber Cochran in his hometown of Jefferson, Georgia. They had an on-and-off relationship for several years as he fought alcohol and opiate addiction, and started his music career. The singer eventually tied the knot with his longtime love on June 28, 2015, at his home in Georgia.

    Amber has inspired many of Gilbert's tracks; here he channels their real-life love story with his wife into a heartfelt song about the girl who loves the tough guy. Meanwhile, her mom cautions her daughter to stay away from him.

    He's that bad boy
    He's that wrong-side-of-the-tracks boy
    That break-you-hard-and-won't-come-back boy
    Why's that boy the one you love?


    By the third verse, the mom has been won round. When the bad boy asks for the girl's hand in marriage, her mother responds:

    Boy, I always knew you loved my daughter
    She loves you too, and I think I know what she sees
  • Gilbert said on Twitter: "'Bad Boy' is about as real as it gets for me... It's a reminder that no matter where you are in life, it's never too late to be the person you wanna be."

    He added: "Every line in this song is the truth... Amber and I haven't always had the easiest of journeys, but I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world."
  • Gilbert recorded a song with a similar theme, "If You Want A Bad Boy," for his 2014 Just As I Am album. But unlike that one, his 2019 track finds the girl uncovering her love's gentler side.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Graham Bonnet (Alcatrazz, Rainbow)

Graham Bonnet (Alcatrazz, Rainbow)Songwriter Interviews

Yngwie Malmsteen and Steve Vai were two of Graham's co-writers for some '80s rock classics.

00s Music Quiz 1

00s Music Quiz 1Music Quiz

Do you know the girl singer on Eminem's "Stan"? If so, this quiz is for you.

Songs in Famous Movie Scenes: '80s Edition

Songs in Famous Movie Scenes: '80s EditionMusic Quiz

You know the scenes - Tom Cruise in his own pants-off dance off, Molly Ringwald celebrating her birthday - but do you remember what song is playing?

Mike Love of The Beach Boys

Mike Love of The Beach BoysSongwriter Interviews

The lead singer/lyricist of The Beach Boys talks about coming up with the words for "Good Vibrations," "Fun, Fun, Fun," "Kokomo" and other classic songs.

Mike Rutherford (Genesis, Mike + The Mechanics)

Mike Rutherford (Genesis, Mike + The Mechanics)Songwriter Interviews

Mike Rutherford talks about the "Silent Running" storyline and "Land Of Confusion" in the age of Trump.

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.