Bad to the Bone

Infobox Single
Name = Bad to the Bone


Artist = George Thorogood & the Destroyers
from Album = Bad to the Bone
B-side =
Released = 1982
Format =
Recorded = 1981
Genre = Blues-Rock
Length = 4:56
Label = EMI America
Writer = George Thorogood
Producer = The Delaware Destroyers
Last single = "Nobody But Me" (1982)
This single = "Bad to the Bone" (1982)
Next single =

"Bad to the Bone" is a blues-influenced rock song by George Thorogood and the Destroyers released in 1982 on the album of the same name. While it was not a major hit on initial release, its memorable video made recurrent appearances on the nascent MTV, which was created only a year before and just taking off. Widespread licensing for films, television, and commercials has since made "Bad to the Bone" one of the best-recognized songs of the 80s.

tructure and influences

The song's roots can be traced back to rock and roll legend Bo Diddley's song "I'm a Man", which uses the same guitar riff and vocal rhythm, and has a similar overall structure, as well as Muddy Waters's "She Moves Me" and "Mannish Boy". The song also holds a very similar melody to AC/DC's hit "Whole Lotta Rosie", released on their 1977 album "Let There Be Rock", although the song of AC/DC has more figures in the riff, it's moved and has a completely different bridge and chorus, while the vocal structure is no longer comparable as in the preceding songs.

Music video

The video intercuts a live performance by Thorogood and his band with his playing a lengthy game of pool with Bo Diddley himself (who therefore, presumably, did not mind Thorogood's reworking of his song). Pool legend Willie Mosconi is summoned from another room by a spectator, and he wagers a large sum of money on Diddley. As Thorogood appears to be winning, a group of children outside celebrate while Diddley gets a dirty look from Mosconi.

Thorogood prominently smokes a fat cigar throughout the pool-playing sequence. The video ends with Thorogood making the 8 ball drop into a pocket by flicking a large quantity of cigar ash on the floor, apparently triggering the drop of the ball.

Appearances in other media

The song was used in the bar scene in "". "Bad to the Bone" can also be heard in the remake of "The Parent Trap" (featuring Lindsay Lohan) in the poker scene, the opening credits to "Major Payne", in the first scene and during the closing credits of Stephen King's "Christine", as well as multiple episodes of the sitcom "Married... with Children" and in the Super Nintendo classic game "Rock 'n Roll Racing". The song also served as the main theme to "Problem Child", with its main riff appearing through the movie and served as the background music in the restored Camaro scene in "Better Off Dead".

The song is used by for Dennis Anderson's Grave Digger monster truck as entrance music, and plays during his portion of the freestyle round at Monster Jam events, and as an entrance theme for closing pitcher Takashi Saito of the Los Angeles Dodgers. It was also played during every at bat of former Seattle Mariners slugger Jay Buhner.

In 2008, "Bad to the Bone" is being used for a TV commercial for Wrangler Jeans featuring Dale Earnhardt Jr.

The song is also quite a popular entrance theme song in professional wrestling. As many wrestlers have used it as their theme song. Such as Kevin Wacholz, who used the song in the 1980's as "Mr. Magnificent" Kevin Kelly, while wrestling for the American Wrestling Association. It was also used by the Bad Crew.

In advertisements for the tv show Lost, the song was used as the theme music for the character James "Sawyer" Ford.

On October 7, 2008 the song was released as downloadable content for the music video game series "Rock Band".