Bad To Me

Written by Lennon - McCartney

Album This song officially appears on the Bad To Me 7" Single.
Timeline This song has been officially released in 1963

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Song facts

From Wikipedia:

Bad to Me” is a song John Lennon wrote (credited to Lennon–McCartney) for Billy J. Kramer with The Dakotas while on holiday in Spain. Billy J. Kramer with The Dakotas released their recording of the song in 1963 and it became their first number 1 in the UK Singles Chart. Paul McCartney was present during the recording session at Abbey Road Studios. The single would be released in the US the following year, and become a top-ten hit there, reaching number 9. It became one of the first occasions a Lennon–McCartney composition made the US Top 40 recorded by an artist other than the Beatles (the first being “A World Without Love” by Peter & Gordon).

Bootlegs exist of Lennon’s original demo of the song, which was recorded on 31 May 1963. An acoustic demo from the same era was released on iTunes in December 2013 on the album The Beatles Bootleg Recordings 1963. […]

John and I were a song writing team and what song writing teams did in those days was write for everyone – unless you couldn’t come up with something or wanted to keep a song for yourself and it was a bit too good to give away. John and I would get together, ‘Oh we gotta write one for Billy J, OK’… and we just knocked them out. In our minds there was a very vague formula and we could do it quite easily.

Paul McCartney – From a late eighties interview – From “Northern Songs: The True Story of the Beatles Song Publishing Empire”, by Rupert Perry

Last updated on November 8, 2021

Lyrics

If you ever leave me
I'll be sad and blue
Don't you ever leave me
I'm so in love with you

The birds in the sky
Would be sad and lonely
If they knew that I lost
My one and only
They'd be sad
If you're bad to me

The leaves on the trees
Would be softly sighing
If they heard from the breeze
That you left me crying
They'd be sad
Don't be bad to me

But I know you won't leave me
'Cause you told me so
And I've no intention
Of letting you go
Just as long as you let me know
You won't be bad to me

So the birds in the sky
Won't be sad and lonely
'Cause they know I've
Got my one and only
They'll be glad
You're not bad to me

But I know you won't leave me
'Cause you told me so
And I've no intention
Of letting you go
Just as long as you let me know
You won't be bad to me

So the birds in the sky
Won't be sad and lonely
'Cause they know that
I've got my one and only
They'll be glad
You're not bad to me

They'll be glad
You're not bad to me
To me, to me

Officially appears on


Bad To Me

7" Single • Released in 1963

Studio version


The Songs Lennon and McCartney Gave Away

LP • Released in 1979

2:18 • Studio version


Bootleg Recordings 1963

Official album • Released in 2013

1:29 • DemoB

Bootlegs


Complete Acetate Collection 1961-1970

Unofficial album

1:31 • Studio version


Complete Home Recordings 1963

Unofficial album • Released in 2002

1:26 • Demo


The Ultimate Home Demo Collection Vol. 01

Unofficial album • Released in 2016

1:27 • Demo

Live performances

Paul McCartney has never played this song in concert.

Contribute!

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Mark Lloyd 1 year ago

Has Paul McCartney ever played Bad to me live ? Where was this ? 🎸


The PaulMcCartney Project 1 year ago

Not that I am aware of, Mark.


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