I Can Do Bad By Myself
Jesse James Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴I'm tired of talk (Talk) Cuz talk cheap and
I need help to get on my feet

I can bad by myself I don't need no help to
starve to death I can do that on my own

The only time that you treat me sweet
is when I get my pay check at the end of

the week you go out and party and spend
every cent yeah don't leave me enough to
pay the telephone or rent

I can do bad by myself I don't need no help to
starve to death I can do that on my own. I do bad by myself I don't need no help to starve to death

All day long you been talking on the telephone bragging to your all your friends about the furniture
in our home but you don't tell them that I'm the one
doing it all while you're out there living it up and
having yourself a ball

I can do bad by myself I don't need no help to starve to death. I can do bad by myself I don't need no help to starve to death

Love is a two way street you got to give if you wanna receive.Oh it's got to be a 50/50 thang. it's so hard for one to do it all alone so are you gonna hit the road or are you gonna share the load.

I can do bad by myself I don't need no help to starve to death. I can do that alone. I can do bad by
myself I don't need help to starve to death.
No baby No baby I can't use it. play your guitar for
me one time play it ohh play on. I'm telling you If you feel the same way the same way as I do

I can do bad by myself I don't need no help to starve to death. I can do that on my own. I can do bad by myself.

Quite as kept I can do bad by myself. You been riding around other folks and I'm the one paying note. Quite as kept I can do bad by myself. I'm tired of talk cuz talk is cheap and I need help to get on my feet. Quite as kept I can do bad myself. I can do bad all by myself. You been hanging out with those friends of yours tipping in at 6am through the front door.

Overall Meaning

The song "I Can Do Bad By Myself" by Jesse James is about the singer's realization that she doesn't need a partner to survive, despite society's expectation that she should always be in a loving relationship. The lyrics make it clear that the singer is tired of talk and wants action, suggesting a lack of patience for those who make promises they don't keep. In the opening lines, the singer implies that her partner has done just that by offering words of support rather than actually helping her get back on her feet after a difficult period in her life.

While the lyrics offer a somewhat pessimistic view of love, the central message of the song is ultimately a positive one. The singer asserts that she can survive without the help of a partner, and that she doesn't need anyone else's support to make it through tough times. This message is particularly resonant in our current moment, as people are facing unprecedented challenges due to the pandemic and economic uncertainty. The song speaks to the resilience of the human spirit and the power of self-reliance in the face of adversity.

Line by Line Meaning

I'm tired of talk (Talk) Cuz talk cheap and
I'm tired of hearing empty promises because talk is meaningless, and I need actual assistance to stand on my own two feet.

I can bad by myself I don't need no help to starve to death I can do that on my own
I'm independent enough to suffer and struggle alone, without any assistance, but would appreciate help to improve my situation.

The only time that you treat me sweet is when I get my pay check at the end of the week you go out and party and spend every cent yeah don't leave me enough to pay the telephone or rent
You're only kind to me when I receive my paycheck since you spend all of our money on yourself, leaving me unable to pay important expenses like rent and the phone bill.

All day long you been talking on the telephone bragging to your all your friends about the furniture in our home but you don't tell them that I'm the one doing it all while you're out there living it up and having yourself a ball
You boast about the nice things in our home to your friends, but fail to mention that I'm the one who's working hard to make it all possible while you have fun and enjoy your life.

Love is a two way street you got to give if you wanna receive.Oh it's got to be a 50/50 thang. it's so hard for one to do it all alone so are you gonna hit the road or are you gonna share the load.
Love and relationships require mutual support and effort, and it's difficult for one person to handle everything alone. Either you need to start contributing your share, or we'll have to go our separate ways.

No baby No baby I can't use it. play your guitar for me one time play it ohh play on. I'm telling you If you feel the same way the same way as I do
I don't want your empty promises or excuses. Play your guitar for me if you want, but if you truly feel the same way I do, you need to act on it and show me.

Quite as kept I can do bad by myself. You been riding around other folks and I'm the one paying note. Quite as kept I can do bad by myself. I'm tired of talk cuz talk is cheap and I need help to get on my feet. Quite as kept I can do bad myself. I can do bad all by myself. You been hanging out with those friends of yours tipping in at 6am through the front door.
I'm capable of struggling alone without your help or interference. You're taking advantage of me and our situation, and I don't have time for empty talk. I can handle things on my own and don't need any assistance from you.

Writer(s): Johnnie Mills, Gerald Robinson, Harvey Scales, James Mcclelland

Contributed by Alex F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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