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