"Bad Man"

Album Art by Chase Stone.

**"Bad Man"** is a song by the American rock band Coheed and Cambria. It is the ninth song on their 2022 album *Vaxis - Act II: A Window of the Waking Mind*.

## Lyrics

**[Verse 1]**

I'm not here to spread your business

I'm just here to keep things cool

Oh, no you ain't got nothing to lose

No, what you got to prove?

Heaven and hell be damned

If you're made to choose

**[Pre-Chorus]**

Oh, it won't matter who's to blame or at fault

Honey, just know I'll be there when you want

**[Chorus]**

When you need a bad man

A bad—mama, watch your mouth!

They'll think twice about messing with you

You'll need a bad man

A bad—mama, call him out

Evil is as evil do

Better believe I'm in no mood

**[Verse 2]**

Go on calling for your mother

Good boy follows all the rules

Oh, what you got to prove?

When you're well beyond your use

Nеver felt so much alive

As I do whеn I'm here with you

**[Chorus 2]**

When you need a bad man

A bad—mama, watch your mouth!

They'll think twice about messing with you

You'll need a bad man

A bad—mama, call him out

Evil is as evil do

Better believe I'm in no mood

**[Bridge]**

Oh, you need a bad man

Give you a bad man

**[Chorus 3]**

When you need a bad man

A bad—mama, watch your mouth!

They'll think twice about messing with you

You'll need a bad man... maybe

A bad—go on, call him out

Evil is as evil do

Better believe I'm in no mood

## Story Context

This song also seems to be specifically about Siv & Gob Trafinder. In Chapter 4, Siv says the line, "Evil is as evil do" and if the line "Go on calling for your mother" references Creature who's mask says "Call Your Mother" on it, then the "mama" references are probably for Nia Worn. The conflicting voices we hear (like with the lines "When you need a bad man / A bad—mama, watch your mouth!") are probably the conflicting voices of Siv (who has no feeling for Nia) and Gob.

That said, the first verse is probably from Gob's perspective to Nia when they meet again on Rheforth and are talking in the bar, The Table. He's trying to play it cool, but the more he hears about Nia's problem with her son, the more his heart softens a bit. The second verse shows us that he *does* or maybe did harbor some resentment toward Nos, who stole her heart from him, and he almost mocks him, vowing he'll do better by her. And he admits that he feels the most alive (not just a part of his brother) when he gets to sit and talk with her.

So our chorus is this resolve to be her champion. Well, he's a smuggler, so he can't be something so noble. But he can be a bad man to her enemies. He can even be the guy for her, the one to tell her to shut it, if he has to. She needs to find a way to cure her son? He'll get it done.

## Background

Sanchez was "high as shit" when he wrote this song. He may drink a little, but very rarely smokes, since he's the paranoid, introverted type. He decided to give it a try during the pandemic and said that during the verse section he's under the influence trying to imitate Michael Jackson.

## Trivia

* Sanchez plays an 8-string guitar on this track.

## References

1. ↑ https://genius.com/Coheed-and-cambria-bad-man-lyrics
2. ↑ Coheed and Cambria. Booklet. *Vaxis - Act II: A Window of the Waking Mind*, Roadrunner Records, 2022.
3. ↑ https://www.reddit.com/r/TheFence/comments/vklxyl/claudios\_trackbytrack\_descriptions\_from\_allmusic/
4. ↑ Adams, Gregory. "TUNE-UPS: Return of the Jedis" Guitar World (July 2022), 17 May 2022, pp. 17-18.