"Bad to the Bone" | ||||
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Single by George Thorogood and the Destroyers | ||||
from the album Bad to the Bone | ||||
B-side | "No Particular Place to Go" | |||
Released | September 17, 1982 | |||
Format | 7" | |||
Recorded | 1981 | |||
Genre | Blues rock, hard rock | |||
Length | 4:52 | |||
Label | EMI America | |||
Writer(s) | George Thorogood | |||
Producer(s) | The Delaware Destroyers | |||
George Thorogood and the Destroyers singles chronology | ||||
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"Bad to the Bone" is a song by George Thorogood and the Destroyers released in 1982 on the album of the same name. While it was not widely popular during its initial release, its video made recurrent appearances on the nascent MTV, created a year before. Licensing for films, television, and commercials has since made the song more popular.
The song's roots can be traced back to rock and roll musician Bo Diddley's song "I'm a Man", which uses a similar guitar riff and vocal rhythm, and has a similar overall structure, as well as Willie Dixon's "Hoochie Coochie Man", Muddy Waters's "Mannish Boy," John Lee Hooker's "I'm Bad Like Jesse James", and Johnny "Guitar" Watson's "Gangster of Love". The riff is also very similar to the one from Chuck Berry's "No Money Down" as well as Elvis Presley's "Trouble".
The video intercuts a live performance by Thorogood and his band with his playing a lengthy game of pool with Diddley. Pool player Willie Mosconi is summoned from another room by a spectator (played by Michael Parks), and he wagers a large sum of money on Diddley. As Thorogood appears to be winning, a group of children outside celebrate while Diddley gets a dirty look from Mosconi.
Thorogood smokes a fat cigar throughout the pool-playing sequence. The video ends with Thorogood making the 8 ball drop into a pocket by flicking a large quantity of cigar ash on the floor, apparently triggering the drop of the ball in the pocket.
The song has been used in filmmaking and television productions, often when a "bad guy" needs to be introduced or identified. The song was used in the bar scene in Terminator 2: Judgment Day where the Terminator first is shown in his full leather outfit. It can also be heard in the card game scene from the remake of The Parent Trap and in the opening scene and under the credits of Christine. The song was used in the scenes in the 1988 drama film Talk Radio in the scenes where radio talk show host Barry Champlain's radio show, used as the opening and closing theme of his radio show. It was also used in the 2010 3D animation movie, Megamind. It was also the title theme to Problem Child and its sequel, and Major Payne. It is also included in the South Park episode "You're Not Yelping" while Cartman walks down a hallway. It is also played during Shaun the Sheep Movie after Shaun is caught by Animal Containment.