Down With Boring

Join thousands of music lovers getting the best new tracks, exclusive interviews, and breaking news delivered straight to your inbox every week.

In print now

May 2026

Latest issue variants

Dork, May 2026 (Ruel cover)

Ruel

Dork, May 2026 (Eric Cantona cover)

Eric Cantona

Dork, May 2026 (Earl Sweatshirt & MIKE cover)

Earl Sweatshirt & MIKE

Advertise|Support|About Dork|Privacy Policy|Genres|Years|Sitemap|RSS

© 2026 The Bunker Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.

Hype- THE BEST NEW NAMES, FIRST

Upset- DORK'S HOME FOR ALL THINGS LOUD

Mixtape- DORK'S BEST NEW TRACKS

Play- DORK'S NEW MUSIC FRIDAY EDIT

Dork Radio

Live

Live 24/7

Dork Radio

Public Image Ltd. – Bad Life (1984) | Track profile | Dork

Tracks
Public Image Ltd.
This Is What You Want... This Is What You Get
Bad Life

TRACK

Public Image Ltd.

Bad Life

Release date: 1984

From This Is What You Want... This Is What You Get

More on Public Image Ltd.

About This Track

"Bad Life" is a track by Public Image Ltd., from the album This Is What You Want... This Is What You Get, released 1984. Full lyrics are available below. Dork has published 2 articles about Public Image Ltd..

About the Artist

Public Image Ltd.

Public Image Ltd.

Lyrics

Bad Life

[Verse 1]

Call me up after midnight

Tell me I'm wrong, tell me I'm right

What do you want, what do I get?

Did you just need the argument?

Well, bad life

Corporate city, lucky for some

Richest island in the sun

That's life

Name of the game, it's competition

Top of the pile, not demolition

This is what you want

This is what you get

Bad, bad

Bad, bad

Bad life

Bad life

[Verse 1]

Bad life

Bad, bad

Bad, bad

Bad life, bad

Bad life

Now this machine is on the move

The open road

I’m getting gasoline

Human gets dubious side

Well, that's life

Bad life

Now looking out for number one

The open road

I’m getting gasoline

The human gets dubious side

Well, that's life

Bad, bad, bad life

The human gets dubious snide

Well, that's life

This is what you want

This is what you get

This is what you want

This is what you get

This is what you want

This is what you get

(repeat...)

Lyrics provided by LRCLIB

View full lyrics page →

Track details

From This Is What You Want... This Is What You Get

1984

Album

This Is What You Want... This Is What You Get

Public Image Ltd.

Release year

1984

—Bad Life
—1981
—The Pardon
—Solitaire
—Tie Me to the Length of That
—Where Are You
—This is Not a Love Song (Album Version)
—The Order of Death

More from Public Image Ltd.

Albums & EPs

Live at O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire

Live at O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire

Reggie Song / Out of the Woods

Reggie Song / Out of the Woods

Live At Rockpalast (Zeche Bochum, 31.10.1983)

Live At Rockpalast (Zeche Bochum, 31.10.1983)

Live At The Isle Of Wight Festival 2011

Live At The Isle Of Wight Festival 2011

Paris In The Spring

Paris In The Spring

Album (Remastered)

Album (Remastered)

Live In Tokyo

Explore

More tracks by Public Image Ltd.

Being Stupid Again

North West Passage

End of the World

Down on the Clown

Dirty Murky Delight

The Order of Death (WLDV SlowMo edit)

Turkey Tits (Bonus Track)

Spice of Choice

I'm Not Satisfied

Whole Life Time

Warrior (Dave Dorrell remix)

The Body (UK remix)

Rise (instrumental)

Disappointed (12" version)

Lou Reed Part 2

Acid Drops (edit)

Reggie Song / Out of the Woods

Out of the WoodsReggie Song / Out of the Woods

Disappointed (Live from NYC 2010)Reggie Song / Out of the Woods

Psychopath (Live from NYC 2010)Reggie Song / Out of the Woods

Reggie SongReggie Song / Out of the Woods

Usls1 (Live from NYC 2010)Reggie Song / Out of the Woods

Warrior (Live from NYC 2010)Reggie Song / Out of the Woods

4 Enclosed Walls (Live from NYC 2010)Reggie Song / Out of the Woods

I Must Be Dreaming

The Room I Am In

Out of the Woods

I Must Be Dreaming

The Room I Am In

Flowers of RomanceLive At The Isle Of Wight Festival 2011

Open UpLive At The Isle Of Wight Festival 2011

ReligionLive At The Isle Of Wight Festival 2011

HomeLive At The Isle Of Wight Festival 2011

MemoriesLive At The Isle Of Wight Festival 2011

ChantLive At The Isle Of Wight Festival 2011

Public ImageLive At The Isle Of Wight Festival 2011

BreakLive At The Isle Of Wight Festival 2011

RiseLive At The Isle Of Wight Festival 2011

BagsLive At The Isle Of Wight Festival 2011

Death DiscoLive At The Isle Of Wight Festival 2011

WarriorLive At The Isle Of Wight Festival 2011

This is Not a Love SongLive At The Isle Of Wight Festival 2011

AlbatrossLive At The Isle Of Wight Festival 2011

RiseAlbum (Remastered)

F.F.F.Album (Remastered)

FishingAlbum (Remastered)

HomeAlbum (Remastered)

RoundAlbum (Remastered)

EaseAlbum (Remastered)

BagsAlbum (Remastered)

John Peel Session 10th December 1979

The Order of Death (The Blair Witch mix)

Brave New World

Sand Castles in the Snow

The Body (UK & US remixes)

Rules and Regulations

Open and Revolving

Fat Chance Hotel

Selfish Rubbish

The Order of DeathThis Is What You Want... This Is What You Get

1981This Is What You Want... This Is What You Get

The PardonThis Is What You Want... This Is What You Get

SolitaireThis Is What You Want... This Is What You Get

Tie Me to the Length of ThatThis Is What You Want... This Is What You Get

Where Are YouThis Is What You Want... This Is What You Get

This is Not a Love Song (Album Version)This Is What You Want... This Is What You Get

Annalisa (Live)Live In Tokyo

Death Disco (Live)Live In Tokyo

Banging the Door (Live)Live In Tokyo

Under the House (Live)Live In Tokyo

Flowers of Romance (Live)Live In Tokyo

Bad Life (Live)Live In Tokyo

(This Is Not a) Love Song (Live)Live In Tokyo

Religion (Live)Live In Tokyo

Solitaire (Live)Live In Tokyo

Low Life (Live)Live In Tokyo

Banging the Door

Home Is Where the Heart Is

Flowers of Romance (Instrumental)

The Flowers of Romance

Francis Massacre

Four Enclosed Walls

Under the House

Poptones (BBC Radio 1 John Peel Session)

Chant (BBC Radio 1 John Peel Session)

Careering (BBC Radio 1 John Peel Session)

Public Image Ltd. — End of World
Public Image Ltd — Being Stupid Again [4:32]
Public Image Ltd — L F C F [4:36]
Public Image Ltd — North West Passage [4:40]
Public Image Ltd — Hawaii [3:31]
Public Image Ltd — Pretty Awful [4:51]
Public Image Ltd — End of the World [5:26]
Public Image Ltd — Car Chase [3:46]
Public Image Ltd — Strange [3:32]
Public Image Ltd — Down on the Clown [4:21]
Public Image Ltd — The Do That [2:38]
Public Image Ltd — Penge [3:04]
Public Image Ltd — Walls [3:20]
Public Image Ltd — Dirty Murky Delight [2:29]
Public Image Ltd — The Order of Death (WLDV SlowMo edit)
Public Image Ltd — Big Blue Sky [8:15]
Public Image Ltd — Corporate [5:23]
Public Image Ltd — Turkey Tits (Bonus Track) [2:06]
Public Image Ltd — C'est la vie [6:08]
Public Image Ltd — The One [3:42]
Public Image Ltd — Spice of Choice [5:44]
Public Image Ltd — Shoom [6:31]
Public Image Ltd — I'm Not Satisfied [5:44]
Public Image Ltd — Double Trouble [3:52]
Public Image Ltd — Whole Life Time [3:46]
Public Image Ltd — Bettie Page [3:21]
Public Image Ltd — Know Now [2:46]
Public Image Ltd. — Warrior (Dave Dorrell remix)
Public Image Ltd. — The Body (UK remix)
Public Image Ltd. — Rise (instrumental)
Public Image Ltd. — Mad Max
Public Image Ltd. — Disappointed (12" version)
Public Image Ltd. — Bad Night
Public Image Ltd. — Love Song
Public Image Ltd. — Lou Reed Part 2
Public Image Ltd. — Blue Water
Public Image Ltd. — Acid Drops (edit)
Public Image Ltd — Reggie Song / Out of the Woods
Public Image Ltd. — Out of the Woods (from Reggie Song / Out of the Woods) [9:41]
Public Image Ltd. — Disappointed (Live from NYC 2010) (from Reggie Song / Out of the Woods) [6:54]
Public Image Ltd. — Psychopath (Live from NYC 2010) (from Reggie Song / Out of the Woods) [6:23]
Public Image Ltd. — Reggie Song (from Reggie Song / Out of the Woods) [5:49]
Public Image Ltd. — Usls1 (Live from NYC 2010) (from Reggie Song / Out of the Woods) [7:03]
Public Image Ltd. — Warrior (Live from NYC 2010) (from Reggie Song / Out of the Woods) [7:19]
Public Image Ltd. — 4 Enclosed Walls (Live from NYC 2010) (from Reggie Song / Out of the Woods) [4:09]
Public Image Ltd — Human [6:02]
Public Image Ltd — This Is Pil [3:39]
Public Image Ltd — Deeper Water [6:08]
Public Image Ltd — I Must Be Dreaming [4:14]
Public Image Ltd — The Room I Am In [3:07]
Public Image Ltd — This is PIL [14:54]
Public Image Ltd — Terra-Gate [3:47]
Public Image Ltd — Out of the Woods [9:41]
Public Image Ltd — One Drop [4:52]
Public Image Ltd — Fool [5:52]
Public Image Ltd — Reggie Song [5:49]
Public Image Ltd — Lollipop Opera [6:54]
Public Image Ltd — It Said That [4:09]
Public Image Ltd — I Must Be Dreaming [4:14]
Public Image Ltd — One Drop [4:52]
Public Image Ltd — The Room I Am In [3:07]
Public Image Ltd — Lollipop Opera [6:54]
Public Image Ltd. — Flowers of Romance (from Live At The Isle Of Wight Festival 2011) [2:49]
Public Image Ltd. — Open Up (from Live At The Isle Of Wight Festival 2011) [10:40]
Public Image Ltd. — Religion (from Live At The Isle Of Wight Festival 2011) [8:57]
Public Image Ltd. — Home (from Live At The Isle Of Wight Festival 2011) [6:00]
Public Image Ltd. — Memories (from Live At The Isle Of Wight Festival 2011) [5:45]
Public Image Ltd. — Chant (from Live At The Isle Of Wight Festival 2011) [5:21]
Public Image Ltd. — Public Image (from Live At The Isle Of Wight Festival 2011) [3:38]
Public Image Ltd. — Break (from Live At The Isle Of Wight Festival 2011) [2:00]
Public Image Ltd. — Rise (from Live At The Isle Of Wight Festival 2011) [5:17]
Public Image Ltd. — Bags (from Live At The Isle Of Wight Festival 2011) [2:23]
Public Image Ltd. — Death Disco (from Live At The Isle Of Wight Festival 2011) [6:00]
Public Image Ltd. — Warrior (from Live At The Isle Of Wight Festival 2011) [6:22]
Public Image Ltd. — This is Not a Love Song (from Live At The Isle Of Wight Festival 2011) [6:40]
Public Image Ltd. — Albatross (from Live At The Isle Of Wight Festival 2011) [8:26]
Public Image Ltd. — Rise (from Album (Remastered)) [6:05]
Public Image Ltd. — F.F.F. (from Album (Remastered)) [5:32]
Public Image Ltd. — Fishing (from Album (Remastered)) [5:20]
Public Image Ltd. — Home (from Album (Remastered)) [5:50]
Public Image Ltd. — Round (from Album (Remastered)) [4:27]
Public Image Ltd. — Ease (from Album (Remastered)) [8:14]
Public Image Ltd. — Bags (from Album (Remastered)) [5:28]
Public Image Ltd — John Peel Session 10th December 1979
Public Image Ltd — The Order of Death (The Blair Witch mix)
Public Image Ltd — God [5:33]
Public Image Ltd — Love Hope [3:48]
Public Image Ltd — Think Tank [4:40]
Public Image Ltd — Unfairground [5:17]
Public Image Ltd — Good Things [5:34]
Public Image Ltd — Cruel [5:19]
Public Image Ltd — Covered [4:40]
Public Image Ltd — Acid Drops [6:35]
Public Image Ltd — Emperor [4:08]
Public Image Ltd — Luck's Up [4:08]
Public Image Ltd. — Criminal
Public Image Ltd. — Don't Ask Me
Public Image Ltd — Don’t Ask Me
Public Image Ltd — Disappointed
Public Image Ltd. — Happy
Public Image Ltd. — Brave New World
Public Image Ltd. — Worry
Public Image Ltd. — Same Old Story
Public Image Ltd. — U.S.L.S. 1
Public Image Ltd. — Like That
Public Image Ltd. — Sand Castles in the Snow
Public Image Ltd. — Armada
Public Image Ltd — The Body (UK & US remixes)
Public Image Ltd — Save Me [4:50]
Public Image Ltd — The Body [3:12]
Public Image Ltd — Seattle [3:40]
Public Image Ltd — Rules and Regulations [4:33]
Public Image Ltd — Open and Revolving [4:02]
Public Image Ltd — Angry [4:13]
Public Image Ltd — Fat Chance Hotel [7:03]
Public Image Ltd — Hard Times [3:42]
Public Image Ltd. — Selfish Rubbish
Public Image Ltd. — Body
Public Image Ltd. — The Order of Death (from This Is What You Want... This Is What You Get)
Public Image Ltd. — 1981 (from This Is What You Want... This Is What You Get)
Public Image Ltd. — The Pardon (from This Is What You Want... This Is What You Get)
Public Image Ltd. — Solitaire (from This Is What You Want... This Is What You Get)
Public Image Ltd. — Tie Me to the Length of That (from This Is What You Want... This Is What You Get)
Public Image Ltd. — Where Are You (from This Is What You Want... This Is What You Get)
Public Image Ltd. — This is Not a Love Song (Album Version) (from This Is What You Want... This Is What You Get)
Public Image Ltd. — Annalisa (Live) (from Live In Tokyo) [5:18]
Public Image Ltd. — Death Disco (Live) (from Live In Tokyo) [5:07]
Public Image Ltd. — Banging the Door (Live) (from Live In Tokyo) [4:55]
Public Image Ltd. — Under the House (Live) (from Live In Tokyo) [1:57]
Public Image Ltd. — Flowers of Romance (Live) (from Live In Tokyo) [4:47]
Public Image Ltd. — Bad Life (Live) (from Live In Tokyo) [4:45]
Public Image Ltd. — (This Is Not a) Love Song (Live) (from Live In Tokyo) [6:28]
Public Image Ltd. — Religion (Live) (from Live In Tokyo) [5:50]
Public Image Ltd. — Solitaire (Live) (from Live In Tokyo) [4:00]
Public Image Ltd. — Low Life (Live) (from Live In Tokyo) [2:48]
Public Image Ltd. — Track 8
Public Image Ltd. — Banging the Door
Public Image Ltd. — Home Is Where the Heart Is
Public Image Ltd. — Flowers of Romance (Instrumental)
Public Image Ltd. — Another
Public Image Ltd. — The Flowers of Romance
Public Image Ltd. — Francis Massacre
Public Image Ltd. — Phenagen
Public Image Ltd. — Go Back
Public Image Ltd. — Four Enclosed Walls
Public Image Ltd. — Under the House
Public Image Ltd. — Hymie's Him
Public Image Ltd. — Annalisa
Public Image Ltd — Albatross [10:35]
Public Image Ltd — No Birds [4:41]
Public Image Ltd. — Religion I
Public Image Ltd. — Religion II
Public Image Ltd — Careering [4:32]
Public Image Ltd. — Fodderstompf
Public Image Ltd. — Theme
Public Image Ltd — Bad Baby [4:30]
Public Image Ltd. — Low Life
Public Image Ltd — Socialist [3:10]
Public Image Ltd — Memories [5:05]
Public Image Ltd — Chant [5:01]
Public Image Ltd. — Attack
Public Image Ltd — Graveyard [3:08]
Public Image Ltd — The Suit [3:30]
Public Image Ltd — Poptones [7:46]
Public Image Ltd — Radio 4 [4:24]
Public Image Ltd — Swan Lake [4:12]
Public Image Ltd — Poptones (BBC Radio 1 John Peel Session) [4:32]
Public Image Ltd — Chant (BBC Radio 1 John Peel Session) [5:15]
Public Image Ltd — Careering (BBC Radio 1 John Peel Session) [7:33]

(This Is Not a) Love Song (Live)Live In Tokyo
6:28
Annalisa (Live)Live In Tokyo
5:18
Bad Life (Live)Live In Tokyo
4:45
Banging the Door (Live)Live In Tokyo
4:55
Death Disco (Live)Live In Tokyo
5:07
Flowers of Romance (Live)Live In Tokyo
4:47
Low Life (Live)Live In Tokyo
2:48
Religion (Live)Live In Tokyo
5:50
Solitaire (Live)Live In Tokyo
4:00
Under the House (Live)Live In Tokyo
1:57

Showing 10 of 169

If you like Public Image Ltd.

Magazine

The Fall

Wire

The Pop Group

Pere Ubu

Gang of Four

The Jesus and Mary Chain

The Birthday Party

Echo & the Bunnymen

Echo & the Bunnymen

The Sound

READ MORE ABOUT PUBLIC IMAGE LTD

READ MORE ABOUT PUBLIC IMAGE LTD

READ MORE ABOUT PUBLIC IMAGE LTD

READ MORE ABOUT PUBLIC IMAGE LTD

READ MORE ABOUT PUBLIC IMAGE LTD

READ MORE ABOUT PUBLIC IMAGE LTD

READ MORE ABOUT PUBLIC IMAGE LTD

READ MORE ABOUT PUBLIC IMAGE LTD

Public Image Ltd, Dry Cleaning and The Moonlandingz are going to play Rockaway Beach festival at Butlin's in 2026

Public Image Ltd, Dry Cleaning and The Moonlandingz are going to play Rockaway Beach festival at Butlin's in 2026

Post-punk legends Public Image Ltd will headline the 2026 Rockaway Beach festival at Butlin's Bognor Regis alongside Dry Cleaning and others.

Mar 31, 2025 • 3:05 PM

Public Image Ltd are set to compete to represent Ireland at Eurovision 2023 with their new song ‘Hawaii’

Public Image Ltd are set to compete to represent Ireland at Eurovision 2023 with their new song ‘Hawaii’

The song is a tribute to lead singer John Lydon’s wife Nora, who is living with Alzheimer’s.

Jan 9, 2023 • 11:24 AM

Credits

Writer: John Lydon, Keith Levene, Martin Atkins
Producer: John Lydon, Martin Atkins
Credited: John Lydon, Keith Levene, Martin Atkins