Bad City by Shogun

This is "Bad City", the opening theme song for the 1970s Japanese Tantei Monogatari (探偵物語) starring Yusaku Matsuda. This song was performed by Japanese rock band Shogun. The closing theme song was Lonely Man.

Bad city, bad bad city, fat city bad
Bad city, bad bad city, fat city bad
 
You get up in the morning at the crackin' of dawn
You hussle and you hassle all day
The things that a man has to do for a livin'
Just to keep the reaper away
 
Somebody give me a break
I've had as much as a body can take
 
But nobody hears you, nobody sees you,
Nobody ever breaks free from the
Bad city, bad bad city, fat city bad
Bad city, bad bad city, fat city bad
 
(Spoken) 
Hey mama, what you doing there, sitting by that window?
Come on baby, you got no reason to cry
Cause we just wake up in the morning and it'll be a brand new day
Now remember, you got me.
 
Bad city, bad bad city, fat city bad
Bad city, bad bad city, fat city bad
 
So with your hands in your pockets and
Your soul in your shoes
And what life you have left in a bottle
You start drinking your way across the border for help
Praying for an easy way through
 
Somebody please help me
Break the chains of the city free
 
But nobody hears you, nobody sees you,
Nobody ever breaks free from the
Bad city, bad bad city, fat city bad
Bad city, bad bad city, fat city bad
 
(Female newsreader's voice) 
Federal Reports ... ?? declining sheep ?? ... stop going outside ...
900 pound parakeet eats owner in North Montana ...
Radiation kills fourteen thousand sheep in Utah ...
FDA says meat prices on creasive ?? land are expected to drop ...
Freeway sniper in Ventura California has killed twenty three people since opening fire two days ago ...
Youth gang in New York City has maimed seven elderly people ...
Refugees claim rape and torture in North Carolina ?? ...

Differences with TV version

The TV version of the song contains a slightly different spoken part:

Hey mama, there ain't no reason to cry
'cause we gonna make it
and then ends.

Disclaimer: Sorry, but I don't understand this song any better than you do. I don't know if these lyrics were deliberately written as a joke or something. If anyone who reads this has any information, please email me at the address at the bottom of the page.


Lyrics and music by Casey Rankin / Performed by Shogun

Web links


For comments, questions, and corrections, please email Ben Bullock (ben.bullock@lemoda.net) / Disclaimer