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Bad to Be Good Lyrics by Poison

Open Up and Say... Ahh! (20th Anniversary Edition)

1988

[Intro]
There's an alley cat slowly walkin' down a dirty street
Watching a cop on the take marching to the city beat
You got five fingers Johnny stealing everything in sight
You gotta be bad to be good in the dead of the night, woah, kick it
[Verse 1]
You're dancing in fire, baby
When you're takin' it to the streets, yeah, to the streets
Better watch your back, baby
Better be fast on your feet, yes, on your feet
[Pre-Chorus]
'Cause they're wheelin', dealin', cheatin', stealin'
Child, you're gonna learn
[Chorus]
You gotta be bad to be good
If you know what I'm talkin' about
What's that? So say it again
You gotta be bad to be good
In the dead of the night, ooh
[Verse 2]
When you got nothin', baby
You got nothin' to lose, nothin' to lose
It's an eye for an eye, baby
And a tooth for a tooth, ain't it the truth?
[Pre-Chorus]
If you got nine lives, you might survive
'Cause nothing's free on the other side
[Chorus]
Bad to be good
If you know what I'm talkin' about
What's that? So say it again
You gotta be bad to be good
If you know what I'm talkin' about
[Post-Chorus]
Now what's that? Say it again
Wheelin', dealin', cheatin', stealin' just to stay alive
[Guitar Solo]
[Verse 3]
I got love for sale, yes, for sale
On the New York subway line
Watch the working girls hanging out
Turning tricks underneath the lights, oh, the lights
[Pre-Chorus]
One step from Hell the poor men sell their soul
For a taste of wine
[Chorus]
You gotta be bad to be good
If you know what I'm talkin' about
What's that? So say it again
You gotta be bad to be good
If you know what I'm talkin' about
Now what's that? Say it again
[Outro]
Bad to be good
B-B-B-Bad, b-b-b-bad
You gotta be bad to be good
B-B-B-B-Bad, oh yeah
Bad to be good
You gotta be bad to be good
What's that? So say it again
When it's said and done and you're on the run
The only law comes under the gun
Credits
Poison

Poison

About “Bad to Be Good” by Poison

Read the complete lyrics to "Bad to Be Good" by Poison from the album "Open Up and Say... Ahh! (20th Anniversary Edition)" in 1988. 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 Pop.

"Bad to Be Good" is performed by Poison. from the album "Open Up and Say... Ahh! (20th Anniversary Edition)" in 1988 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 to Be Good", explore more songs by Poison 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.

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Frequently asked questions

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

"Bad to Be Good" appears on "Open Up and Say... Ahh! (20th Anniversary Edition)" in 1988.

Visit the Poison artist page at /artist/poison for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.