john dee loudermilk
John D. Loudermilk [John Dee Loudermilk Jr. (1934-2016) aka "Johnny Dee"] - is responsible for hits like "Tobacco Road", "Abilene", "Indian Reservation" and "Waterloo" (no, NOT the ABBA song :-D) along with a huge pile of material for other artists. "Bad News" is one of the rather few he recorded himself, as a single for RCA Victor March 1963. Chuckle, he should have given it a subtitle: "Typical Asshole's Tale".
June 1964, Johnny Cash was first to cover it; 2nd track on album "I Walk the Line" and B-side on single "Understand Your Man". Cash & Co.Ltd. (limited!) always omitted any overflow of chords, and so do I - here. But do like Loudermilk himself: pour in tricks and play it bluesy!
well bad news travels like wildfire
good news travel slow
they all call me "wildfire"
cause everybody knows
I'm bad news everywhere I go
always getting in trouble
and leaving little girls that hate to see me go
they tried to hang me in Oakland
and they did in Francisco
but I wouldn't choke • I broke the rope
and they had to let me go
cause I'm bad news everywhere I go
always getting in trouble
and leaving little girls that hate to see me go
from north to south to east to west
the story is the same
from one state to another
I have to change my name
cause I'm bad news everywhere I go
always getting in trouble
and leaving little girls that sure hate to see me go
well now I picked peaches in Georgia
I lumberjacked in Maine
I've been hired and fired and jailed
any town you can name
cause I'm bad news everywhere I go
always getting in trouble
and leaving little girls that hate to see me go
For the following CHORD section, fullscreen/horizontal mobile is recommended.
Chords in brackets may be omitted.
E well bad news travels like wildfire E good news travel slow E they all call me "wildfire" E E7 cause everybody knows A A7 E E7 I'm bad news everywhere I go B7 always getting in trouble B7 E and leaving little girls that hate to see me go
