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Released in 1984

Not Such A Bad Boy

Written by Paul McCartney

Last updated on March 29, 2020

Album This song officially appears on the Give My Regards To Broad Street (CD version) Official album.

Timeline This song was officially released in 1984

Timeline This song was written, or began to be written, in 1983, when Paul McCartney was 41 years old)

Master album

Related session

This song was recorded during the following studio sessions:

Other original songs available on Give My Regards To Broad Street

“Not Such A Bad Boy” is a song from the 1984 soundtrack album “Give My Regards To Broad Street“. This is one of the two songs specifically written for the movie, the other one being “No More Lonely Nights“.

A song written for the film. It’s a line Harry says, claiming he’s just manipulated. It nearly didn’t make it into the film, but Linda and Ringo really loved it and requested its reinstatement. So I said to Peter Webb that we would try it and if it didn’t work we would drop it. It worked out well in the end. All the stuff about lawyers and jails and teachers and women – it’s all sort of experiences of mine, slightly inflated.

Paul McCartney – From the “Give My Regards To Broad Street” book, Pavilion Books, 1984

“Not Such A Bad Boy” was demoed at the beginning of 1983 at AIR Studios.

The LP version directly crossfades to “No values“, as “So Bad” is omitted from the LP (and was inserted between “Not Such A Bad Boy” and “No Values” on the CD version)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eU7irf2wM4E
PAUL: Yeah… er, shall we try “Not Such a Bad Boy”
RINGO: Do we have to?
PAUL: Yeah! This time.
(PAUL counts the song in and the BAND performs “Not Such a Bad Boy”
MUSIC ENDS with a cymbol crash
RINGO: indistinguishible
PAUL: That’s great, that.
RINGO: Yeah, I know
PAUL: Yeah
RINGO: It’s about time you noticed.
(from Club Sandwich N°34, 1984)

Lyrics

I laughed at the teachers

Who taught in my school

They kept one armed bandits in the swimming pool

They don't understand me

But they never will

And if was there I'd be telling them still

I'm not such a bad boy no more, no more, no more

I'm not such a bad boy no more, no more, no more

I followed the leader

Into her tent

But nobody told me that she owed some rent

She wanted to love me,

I wanted to go.

But she taught me things that I needed to know

I'm not such a bad boy no more, no more, no more

I'm not such a bad boy no more, no more, no more

She wanted to love me,

I wanted to go

Well she taught me things that I needed to know

I'm not such a bad boy no more, no more, no more

I'm not such a bad boy no more, no more, no more

I talked to my lawyer,

he picked up my bail

Won't someone get me out of this lousy jail?

We're both in agreement

that crime never pays

And I should be out in a couple of days

I'm not such a bad boy no more, no more, no more

I'm not such a bad boy no more, no more, no more

I'm not such a bad boy no more, no more, no more

I'm not such a bad boy no more, no more, no more

Officially appears on

Bootlegs

See all bootlegs containing “Not Such A Bad Boy”

Live performances

Paul McCartney has never played this song in concert.

Going further

Paul McCartney: Music Is Ideas. The Stories Behind the Songs (Vol. 1) 1970-1989

With 25 albums of pop music, 5 of classical – a total of around 500 songs – released over the course of more than half a century, Paul McCartney's career, on his own and with Wings, boasts an incredible catalogue that's always striving to free itself from the shadow of The Beatles. The stories behind the songs, demos and studio recordings, unreleased tracks, recording dates, musicians, live performances and tours, covers, events: Music Is Ideas Volume 1 traces McCartney's post-Beatles output from 1970 to 1989 in the form of 346 song sheets, filled with details of the recordings and stories behind the sessions. Accompanied by photos, and drawing on interviews and contemporary reviews, this reference book draws the portrait of a musical craftsman who has elevated popular song to an art-form.

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Paul McCartney writing

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tupa knows • 2 years ago

this song was around as early as Wings sessions and jams 1979-1980. It had no lyrics but was pretty well thought out with last Wings version.

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