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Bad Actor Lyrics by Merle Haggard

I Am What I Am

2010

[Verse 1]
I've never been much at making believe
Don't have any tricks hidden up my sleeve
If life is a comedy, where's all the laughter?
'Cause here on the stage, I'm a bad actor

I don't know what you want me to know
So I'll take the small parts in our family show
Tell me which hero you want me to play
How should I feel and what do I say?

[Chorus]
Pretending to care, pretending to cry
You say I'll be there and I say I'll try
Secondhand feelings are always a factor
In my starring role as a bad actor

[Verse 2]
Please let me know what you want me to see
And where do you want me to be?
In this old mirror, I'm just a reflection
But I might be brilliant, if you'd give direction

I have a problem of knowing what's real
All my emotions, I borrow and steal
Faking my way through every day
And trying to act like it's better that way

[Chorus]
Pretending to care, pretending to cry
You say I'll be there and I say I'll try
Secondhand feelings are always a factor
In my starring role as a bad actor

About “Bad Actor” by Merle Haggard

Read the complete lyrics to "Bad Actor" by Merle Haggard from the album "I Am What I Am" in 2010. On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under Country, Rock.

"Bad Actor" is performed by Merle Haggard. from the album "I Am What I Am" in 2010 This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "Bad Actor", explore more songs by Merle Haggard using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

View all songs and biography for Merle Haggard · Trending lyrics · Billboard Hot 100

Frequently asked questions

"Bad Actor" is credited to Merle Haggard. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"Bad Actor" appears on "I Am What I Am" in 2010.

Visit the Merle Haggard artist page at /artist/merle-haggard for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.


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