How Bad Can I Be?: Lyrics That Make You Go "Wow!"
How ba-a-a-ad can I be? I'm just doin' what comes naturallyHow ba-a-a-ad can I be? I'm just following my destinyHow ba-a-a-ad can I be? I'm just doin' what comes naturallyHow ba-a-a-ad can I be? How bad can I possibly be?
Well, there's a principal of nature (principal of nature) That almost every creature knowsCalled survival of the fittest (survival of the fittest) And check it this is how it goesThe animal that is has got to scratch and bite and claw and bite and punch And the animal that doesn't (well the animal that doesn't) winds up Someone else's lu-lu-lu-lu-unch! (I'm just saying')
How ba-a-a-ad can I be? I'm just doin' what comes naturallyHow ba-a-a-ad can I be? I'm just following my destinyHow ba-a-a-ad can I be? I'm just doin' what comes naturallyHow ba-a-a-ad can I be? How bad can I possibly be?
Well, there's a principal of business (principal of business) And everybody knows his soundHe says the people with the money (people with the money) Makes the money-lovin' world go 'round!So I bigger in my company, I bigger in my factory, I bigger in my corporate size!Everybody out there take care if yours and me? I'll take care of mine, mine, mine, mine, mine! (Shake that bottom line!)Let me hear you say 'smogulous smoke' (smogulous smoke)Schloppity schlop (schloppity schlop)Complain all you want, it's never ever, ever, ever gonna stop
Come on how bad can I possibly be?
How ba-a-a-ad can I be? I'm just building the economyHow ba-a-a-ad can I be? Just look at me pettin' this puppyHow ba-a-a-ad can I be? A portion of proceeds goes to charity!How ba-a-a-ad can I be? How bad can I possibly be? Let's see!
All the customers are flying!
(How ba-a-a-ad can I be?) All the money's multiplying!(How ba-a-a-ad can I be?) And the PR people are lying!(How ba-a-a-ad can I be?) And the lawyers are denying!(How ba-a-a-ad can I be?) Who cares if a few trees are dying?
(How ba-a-a-ad can I be?) This is oh so gratifying!
How bad? How bad can this possibly be?
Songwriters: Allan Grigg / John James Powell / Cinco PaulHow Bad Can I Be? lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
I sometimes say animated movies are my favorite kind of movie.
Why?
Because they can have so much to them. So much art, talent, depth, plot, emotion, thought, and they can quite often have a meaning and moral beyond one's expectations.
I feel more satisfied with many animated movies than brainless action or drama flicks.
I feel as if something beneficial was added to me.
Something from which I can grow.
I watched the Lorax because I needed something light and colorful, something to make me laugh.
I thought this would do the trick.
It did - and beyond.
It was a beautiful story of choices.
Choices were made. Some were good. Some were very bad.
From an outsider's eyes, some of the bad choices looked very good and right - I mean, we do after all have the right to do what we want.
But just because one has the right to make a choice, and it's not technically wrong, does that make it good???
Betrayal can still be real. Hurt, pain, rejection. These things are never good, no matter the level of right you think you may have.
The high point of the movie was the song.
Wow.
Just look at some of those lines:
How bad can I be? I'm just doing what comes naturally
How bad can I be? I'm just following my destiny
Seriously, how many times do we say these words, internally and externally???
We are just doing what is according to our nature, who we are.
We are told following our destiny is good. Be you. Be natural. Find and follow your destiny.
It's not bad.
Or is it?
And the second verse: The logic. "Well, if I don't, someone else will. It's the way of the world. Rise above or be trampled by the one that does."
And then this:
How bad can I be? Just look at me petting this puppy
How bad can I be? A portion of proceeds goes to charity!
"Let's make it all look good by doing some good. Makes me feel good, makes another think I'm good, thus again makes me feel good."
(How bad can I be?) And the lawyers are denying!
"What I'm doing can't be bad. Look, even the world says it's bad!!! Proven innocent - I can't be bad?"
This is oh so gratifying!
How bad? How bad can this possibly be?
"Seriously. I feel good. So, it can't be bad?"
Wow. I mean...this song is so true.
Of course the context of the story is off track from what I'm saying (a little). There were these cartoonish trees that made for awesome yarn. And the main guy decided to make a business of it AFTER promising his animal friends he wouldn't.
He destroyed their home.
He lied to and betrayed his friends.
And made his choices and life about him.
Yet, this song really isn't about being a tree-hugger (which I'm not for), as some might suggest.
It's about self-denial...doing what you want for your gain at another's expense and saying it's OK because it's not wrong in anyone's eyes.
It's your life. Your choices.
So, you have every right to do what you have done - it's the other person's problem if they take offense.
But this is not a good mindset at all.
We are to love our neighbor as ourselves:
Mark 12:30-31 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.”
We are to not cause unnecessary offense:
Romans 12:18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.
It's not about us, or our rights, or our choices. It's about God's love in us, working out actions lead by love. We will do what is above right. Not what is right for us:
1 John 3: 16-17 By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?
"How bad can I be", should never be our question. We should not be asking, "What can I get away with to do what I want."
We should be striving to love, help, sacrifice.
The question should be, "What else can I do to show you that I love you?"