Bad to the Bone

Writing and composition

George Thorogood wrote "Bad to the Bone" sometime during their 50/50 tour. It took "a few months" for Thorogood to write the song, while the lyrics took longer to write. Thorogood said "If we don't write a song called 'Bad to the Bone', somebody else will, so it might as well be us."

Thorogood first wanted Muddy Waters to record the song, but his manager declined the offer. He then asked Bo Diddley to record the song, but he didn't have a recording deal at the time, so the Destroyers ended up recording it instead.

"Bad to the Bone" was written in open G tuning and makes use of a slide. The song adapts the hook and lyrics of Muddy Waters' 1955 song "Mannish Boy".

The Chicago musician James Pobiega, who goes by the stage name "Little Howlin' Wolf", claimed that he wrote "Bad to the Bone" and that Thorogood stole it from him.

Recording

Recording of the song took place in the Dimension Sound Studios in Jamaica Plains, Boston in April 1982. Rolling Stones keyboardist Ian Stewart helped record, and played piano on the song.

Release

"Bad to the Bone" was first released in 1982 as the title track to their fifth studio album, before being released as a single. The song peaked at No. 27 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart. Although the single was not widely popular upon its initial release, its music video made recurrent appearances on MTV, created a year before. The song was certified silver by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) on April 18, 2025.

Music video

The video intercuts a live performance by Thorogood and his band with footage of him entering a pool hall and challenging Bo Diddley to a game. Word of the challenge quickly spreads throughout the neighborhood, and a spectator brings pool player Willie Mosconi from an adjoining boxing gym where he is watching a fight. Mosconi wagers a large sum of money on Diddley, and the game lasts several hours, with Thorogood gaining the advantage.

As the video ends, Thorogood attempts to sink the 8-ball but leaves it sitting at the edge of a pocket. He grins and flicks ashes onto the floor from a cigar he has been smoking throughout the game, causing just enough of a disturbance to sink the ball, and the children gathered outside the pool hall celebrate his victory.

The music video was directed and produced by Mark Robinson.

Critical reception

"Bad to the Bone" was received positively by critics. Author Jim Beviglia opined that despite the song not landing on the Hot 100 chart, it "outstrips all other 80s songs in terms of the way it has essentially become cultural shorthand". The song eventually became their signature song, being performed at every concert.

Use in films

The song has been used in many films. Heisler and Chapman both said it has been used too often, and its use in films has been characterised as having become cliche. According to Vaux, it was originally used in Christine (1983) which, according to Keiper, was actually novel at the time. This use has been praised by Muir. The song is the theme of the film and the titular car. The song was used in Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) to establish the image of the protagonist. The song was subsequently ubiquitous.

Personnel

• George Thorogood – vocals and electric guitar
• Ian Stewart – piano
• Hank Carter – saxophone
• Billy Blough – bass
• Jeff Simon – drums

Certifications

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

References

1. (October 2, 1982). "News & Reviews".
2. Graff, Gary. "'Bad to the Bone': Beyond George Thorogood's Hit Song".
3. Wardlaw, Matt. "The Story Behind George Thorogood's Slow-Developing 'Bad to the Bone'".
4. Yates, Henry. "The story behind George Thorogood & The Destroyers' Bad To The Bone".
5. Fraley, Jason. "George Thorogood ready to rock Wolf Trap with 'Bad to the Bone' hits".
6. Uitti, Jacob. "The Meaning Behind the Rousing Classic Rock Song "Bad to the Bone"".
7. "George Thorogood Interview 2014".
8. "Bad To The Bone by George Thorogood".
9. "Learn How to Play 'Mannish Boy' by Muddy Waters".
10. "Rolling Stone Magazine".
11. (10 November 2005). "Out of the Wilderness". Chicago Reader.
12. "George Thorogood & The Destroyers 'Bad to the Bone' Turns (almost) 40".
13. Friedlander, Matt. "George Thorogood and the Destroyers' 'Bad to the Bone' album celebrates 40th b-b-b-b-b-birthday".
14. "George Thorogood Awards". [[AllMusic]].
15. Rotter, Joshua. "George Thorogood revisits his career-making album 25 years later".
16. "Metronomy, The English Riviera, Album - The BPI".
17. (November 20, 1982). "Thorogood And Buddies In Video".
18. "George Thorogood & The Destroyers - Bad To The Bone (Music Video)".
19. Jim Beviglia. "'Bad to the Bone' by George Thorogood and the Destroyers." ''Playing Back the 80s: A Decade of Unstoppable Hits''. Rowman & Littlefield, 2018. {{ISBN
20. McStea, Mark. (December 16, 2022). "George Thorogood's Top Five Career-Defining Destroyers Tracks".
21. Leszczak. Who Did It First?: Great Rock and Roll Cover Songs and Their Original Artists. Rowman & Littlefield. 2014. [https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=4egLBAAAQBAJ&pg=PA13#v=onepage&q&f=false p 13].
22. [https://bgr.com/entertainment/most-overused-and-overplayed-songs-movies-tv/ 10 most overused and overplayed songs in movies and on TV]. BGR. 22 December 2015.
23. [https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/cinemas-12-most-over-used-songs/ Cinema’s 12 most over-used songs]. Den of Geek. 11 July 2011.
24. Godsall. Reeled In: Pre-existing Music in Narrative Film. Routledge. 2018. [https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=UnxqDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT157#v=onepage&q&f=false Google].
25. [https://time.com/archive/6725178/name-that-musical-cliche/ Name That Musical Cliche]. Time. 25 April 1994.
26. [https://www.cbr.com/happy-birthday-to-you-most-used-song-movies/ Which Song Appears in the Most Movies?]. Comic Book Resources. 30 October 2022.
27. [https://bloody-disgusting.com/editorials/3768577/the-king-of-1983-cujo-the-dead-zone-and-christine-at-40/ The King of 1983: ‘Cujo,’ ‘The Dead Zone’ and ‘Christine’ at 40]. Bloody Disgusting. 10 July 2023.
28. Muir. The Films of John Carpenter. Mcfarland. 2000. [https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=qy-SCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA30#v=onepage&q&f=false p 30].
29. Muir. Horror Films FAQ. Hal Leonard. 2013. [https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=feXpAgAAQBAJ&pg=PT274#v=onepage&q&f=false Google].
30. Cumbrow. Order in the Universe: The Films of John Carpenter. Scarecrow Press. 2000. [https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=wdPYAQAAQBAJ&pg=PA129#v=onepage&q&f=false p 129].
31. Cooper and Haney. Response Recordings: An Answer Song Discography, 1950-1990. Scarecrow Press. 1990. [https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=lqpHAAAAMAAJ Google].
32. Whittington. Sound Design and Science Fiction. University of Texas Press. 2007. [https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=5VNQhYwnSK4C&pg=PA217#v=onepage&q&f=false p 217].
33. Stein. The Byronic Hero in Film, Fiction, and Television. Southern Illinois University Press. 2004. Paperback. 2009. [https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=ryZ6CgAAQBAJ&pg=PA69#v=onepage&q&f=false p 69].
34. Laist. Cinema of Simulation: Hyperreal Hollywood in the Long 1990s. Bloomsbury. 2015. Paperback. 2016. [https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=mQm5BgAAQBAJ&pg=PA60#v=onepage&q&f=false p 60].
35. Telotte and Duchovnay (eds). Science Fiction Film, Television, and Adaptation: Across the Screens. Routledge. 2012. [https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=lMqoAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA87#v=onepage&q&f=false p 87].
36. Telotte. Replications: A Robotic History of the Science Fiction Film. University of Illinois Press. 1995. [https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=oT7Jwm-IzQ4C&pg=PA177#v=onepage&q&f=false p 177].
37. Lyden. Film as Religion: Myths, Morals, and Rituals. New York University Press. 2003. [https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=JpsUCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA209#v=onepage&q&f=false p 209].
38. Field. Four Screenplays: Studies in the American Screenplay. Delta. 1994. pp 111 & [https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=JaKYpR50eJYC&pg=PA112#v=onepage&q&f=false 112].
39. "New Zealand single certifications – George Thorogood – Bad To The Bone".