“Bad” by James Bay
The word “bad” is used in this song as an adverb to describe how much the narrator (James Bay) desires his ex-girlfriend. In other words, his ‘wanting her bad’ is his way of saying that he is suffering from an overwhelming desire to have her back.
Accordingly, most of the track is based on just how difficult a time he is having getting over their relationship. However, this only exacerbates his suffering, as he does not possess the wherewithal to tell her how he feels. Moreover when she states that she is “getting over” their romance, it hurts him like hell. But even though Bay acknowledges that he is still in love, he also ultimately accepts that “what’s broken don’t unbreak”. This basically means that their relationship is over for good.
Conclusively, the singer is in an unenviable position. He wants his ex now probably more than when he actually had her. But at the same time he is compelled to believe that the two of them getting back together will never occur.
Facts about “Bad”
- James Bay premiered this track, before it was even named, at St. Stephen’s Church in London, England. The event took place on 14 December 2018.
- “Bad” was officially released on 10 March 2019, while Bay was in the midst of his “Electric Tour” throughout North America, and he used this track as one of the encore songs.
- The duo of Dan Wilson and James Bay both wrote and produced this song.
- “Bad” is one of four tracks on James Bay’s 2019 EP, Oh My Messy Mind. This EP was released via Republic Records.
The four songs on James Bay’s Oh My Messy Mind
- “Peer Pressure” (featuring singer Julia Michaels)
- “Rescue”
- “Break My Heart Right”
- “Bad”
