BAD NEWS

(John D. Loudermilk)

John D. Loudermilk

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According to D. A. Pennebaker performed by Bob Dylan (with Joan Baez), Savoy Hotel, London, GB, May 2-6, 1965 (uncirculated 'Don't Look Back' footage).

ORIGINAL LYRICS
as performed by Johnny Cash, "I Walk The Line", 1964,
transcribed by Manfred Helfert.

Well, bad news travels like wildfire,
Good news travels slow.
They all call me "wildfire,",
'Cause ev'rybody knows
I'm bad news, ev'rywhere I go,
Always gettin' in trouble
And a-leavin' 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, ev'rywhere I go,
Always gettin' in trouble
And leavin' little girls
That hate to see me go.

Now, 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, ev'rywhere I go,
Always gettin' in trouble
And a-leavin' 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, ev'rywhere I go,
Always gettin' into trouble
And a-leavin' little girls
That hate to see me go.