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Released in 1965

Bad Boy

Written by Larry Williams

Last updated on May 25, 2016

Album This song officially appears on the Beatles VI (Mono) Official album.

Timeline This song was officially released in 1965

Related sessions

This song was recorded during the following studio sessions:

Other Larry Williams songs interpreted by McCartney

Related interview

From Wikipedia:

“Bad Boy” is a song composed and recorded by Larry Williams. The song was recorded at Radio Recorders in Hollywood, California on August 14, 1958. The musicians on the recording included Williams on vocals and piano, Earl Palmer on drums, René Hall on guitar, Jewell Grant on baritone sax, Plas Johnson on tenor sax, and Ted Brinson on bass. The record did not break the Top 40 charts in the United States.

“She Said Yeah” was originally the B-side of the Larry Williams single, and has been covered by the Rolling Stones and the Animals, amongst others. The Beatles loved the song and almost certainly performed it on stage and fully intended to record it. Paul McCartney in the liner notes to his album Run Devil Run said “Me and John [Lennon] particularly loved Larry Williams…Bony Moronie…John did Slow Down…I was always going to do She Said Yeah“. Roy Young (who was invited to join The Beatles) recorded a cover version in 1959. Paul McCartney finally recorded it in 1999.

The song, recorded between 1957 and 1958, also appears on the 1992 compilation of the same name.

Covers

The Beatles

“Bad Boy” is one of several Larry Williams songs which the Beatles covered during their career. Along with “Dizzy, Miss Lizzy“, “Bad Boy” was recorded by the band on May 10, 1965 (Larry Williams’ birthday), and was originally intended for a solely American release; however, “Dizzy, Miss Lizzy” featured on the British Help! album that year. “Bad Boy” was first released on Beatles VI in June 1965. It eventually got a UK release on A Collection of Beatles Oldies in December 1966. It is also available on the 1988 release, Past Masters, Volume One. […]

From The Usenet Guide to Beatles Recording Variations:

  • [a] mono 10 May 1965.
    US: Capitol T 2358 Beatles VI 1965.
    UK: Parlophone PMC 7016 Collection of Oldies 1966.
  • [b] stereo 10 May 1965.
    US: Capitol ST 2358 Beatles VI 1965.
    UK: Parlophone PCS 7016 Collection of Oldies 1966, Parlophone PSLP 261 and PCM 1001 Rarities 1978-79.
    CD: EMI CDP 7 90043 2 Past Masters 1 1988.

[a] has bass and drums mixed louder.(Curious fact: this song was available in the US for about a year and a half before the rest of the world including the UK. It’s not the only song released first in the US, as some others from the Help! and Revolver albums in progress were sent out to fill in Capitol’s albums, but this is the only case where the song wasn’t actually used for the UK album.)

Lyrics

A bad little kid

Moved into my neighborhood

He won't do nothing right

Just a sitting got to look so good

He don't wanna go to school

And learn to read and write

Just sits around the house and plays

That rock and roll music all night

Well he put thumb tacks on teacher's chair

Put chewing gum in little girl's hair

Now Junior, behave yourself!

Buys every rock and roll book

On the magazine stand

Every dime that he gets

Oh he's off to the jukebox man

Well he worries his teacher

Till at night she's already to poop

From rocking and a rolling

Spinning in a hula-hoop

Well his rock and roll has gotta stop

Junior's head is hard as rock

Now Junior, behave yourself, ow!

Gonna tell ya mamma

You'd better do what she said

Get to the barber shop

And get that hair cut off your head

You shoot the canary

and you fed it to the neighbor's cat

You have the cocker spaniel

A bath in mother's Laundromat

Well ya mamma said it's gotta stop

Junior's head is hard as a rock

Now Junior, behave yourself! Woo

Officially appears on

See all official recordings containing “Bad Boy”

Bootlegs

Live performances

Paul McCartney has never played this song in concert.

Paul McCartney writing

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