Bad news travels like wildfire Good news travels slow They call me old wildfire 'Cause everybody knows That I'm bad news Everywhere I go Always getting into trouble And leaving little girls who hate to see me go I picked peaches down in Georgia Lumber jacked up in Maine I've been hired and fired and jailed In every state you can name 'Cause I'm bad news Everywhere I go Always getting into trouble And leaving little girls who hate to see me go From north to south From east to west The stories is the same From one state to the other I have to change my name 'Cause I'm bad news Everywhere I go Always getting into trouble And leaving little girls who hate to see me go Now they tried to hang me down in Oakland And they did in San Frisco But I wouldn't choke And I broke their rope And they had to let me go 'Cause I'm bad news Everywhere I go Always getting into trouble And leaving little girls who hate to see me go Bad news Oh talkin' bad news Bad news Talkin' about bad news