I Did Something Bad

## Audio

**I Did Something Bad** is the third track of Taylor Swift's sixth album reputation. It was released on November 10, 2017.

## Meaning and Background

Taylor said the following about the making of the song:

> "This was the first song where Max and I felt like we really did something different from 1989. We were like, "Ohhhh, that is alright. Okay." This song is called 'l Did Something Bad' and I wrote this song on piano - it's not going to sound like it though. You're not going to say that after you hear it, its not that kind of song. I brought it into them and I was trying to explain the production. I had had a weird dream, you're like "Here we go again." I had woken up with this sound that was a sound that was so hooky and so catchy that I knew it had to be in a song. It was that annoying, it wouldn't stop going around in my head. The sound was "La da da da da da da da." It will always get your attention. Like after the chorus that's what I want to hear but I don't want it to be my voice, I want it to be an instrument. So what instrument is that? So I was playing the voice memo to Max and he's like, "There'ss not, like, an instrument that can do that but what we can do is take your voice and pitch it down so that it sounds like an enchantress/dude." So that's what you're hearing after the chorus. Anyway, this is called I Did Something Bad and this is when we kind of knew we might be onto something with the album."
>
> - Taylor about I Did Something Bad

The song is also influenced by the series *Game of Thrones*; Taylor wrote it after seeing the scene of Arya and Sansa conspiring to kill Littlefinger.

Taylor recorded the making of the song and released it on Taylor Swift Now. Part of it was also shown in Miss Americana.

## Trivia

* This is the first time Taylor swears in a song (*If a man talks shit, then I owe him nothing*).
* Taylor opened the 2018 American Music Awards with this song (despite it not even being single).

## Lyrics

**[Verse 1]**
I never trust a narcissist
But they love me
So I play 'em like a violin
And I make it look oh-so-easy
'Cause for every lie I tell them
They tell me three
This is how the world works
Now all he thinks about is me

**[Pre-chorus]**
I can feel the flames on my skin
Crimson red paint on my lips
If a man talks shit, then I owe him nothing
I don't regret it one bit, 'cause he had it coming

**[Chorus]**
They say I did something bad, ah
Then why's it feel so good?
They say I did something bad, ah
But why's it feel so good?
Most fun I ever had, ah
And I'd do it over and over and over again if I could
It just felt so good, good

**[Post-chorus]**
Ra-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta, death trap
Ra-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta, death trap
Ra-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta, death trap
Death trap, trap, trap

**[Verse 2]**
I never trust a playboy
But they love me
So I fly 'em all around the world
And I let them think they saved me
They never see it comin'
What I do next
This is how the world works
You gotta leave before you get left

**[Pre-chorus]**
I can feel the flames on my skin
He says, "Don't throw away a good thing"
But if he drops my name, then I owe him nothin'
And if he spends my change, then he had it comin'

**[Chorus]**
They say I did something bad, ah
Then why's it feel so good?
They say I did something bad, ah
But why's it feel so good?
Most fun I ever had, ah
And I'd do it over and over and over again if I could
It just felt so good, good

**[Post-chorus]**
Ra-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta, death trap
Ra-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta, death trap
(It just felt so good)
Ra-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta, death trap
Death trap, trap, trap

**[Bridge]**
They're burning all the witches, even if you aren't one
They got their pitchforks and proof
Their receipts and reasons
They're burning all the witches, even if you aren't one
So light me up (light me up), light me up (light me up)
Light me up, go ahead and light me up (light me up)
Light me up (light me up), light me up (light me up)
Light me up (light me up), light me up

**[Chorus]**
They say I did something bad, ah (Oh)
Then why's it feel so good? (So good)
They say I did something bad, ah
But why's it feel so good? (Good)
Most fun I ever had (Most fun I ever had)
And I'd do it over and over and over again if I could
It just felt so good (good), good

**[Post-chorus]**
Ra-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta, death trap
Ra-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta, death trap
Ra-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta, death trap
Death trap, trap, trap

**[Outro]**
Oh, you say I did something bad
(You say I did something bad)
Then why's it feel so good, good?
So bad, why's it feel so good?
Why's it feel, why's it feel so good? (Bad)
It just felt so good, good

## Videos

I Did Something BadI Did Something Bad (Karaoke Version)

## References

1. ↑ 2017 - iHeartRadio interview
2. ↑ Taylor Swift reveals how Game of Thrones inspired Reputation | EW.com - https://www.ew.com/music/2019/05/09/taylor-swift-game-of-thrones-reputation/