Bad English

I can't reach behind your eyes
You always look away
You hide behind your alibis
And change your mind
From day to day
If there's something I can do
Then I'll be there
Outside your broken world
You'll see it's me who cares
Take me straight to your heart
Cause this time's real
And real lasts forever
I know where you are
Cause you know
I've been there before
Straight to your heart
I watch you move
And I watch you dance
I watch you drift away
And I'd give anything for you
And you know that's bad
When it gets that way
You can't go on like this
And I don't wanna fight again
I don't give a damn anymore

Right or wrong you're gonna let me in
Straight to your heart
Cause this time's real and real lasts forever
I know where you are
Cause you know I've been there before
Straight to your heart this time this time
Baby I know where you are
Cause you know I've been there before
Then maybe I'll break down the walls
And my love will go
Straight to your heart
Inside
Take me inside yeah
Straight to your heart
Cause this time's real and real lasts forever
I know where you are
Cause this time we're goin' all the way
Straight to your heart
This time
This time
Baby it's straight
Yeah yeah yeah yeah
This time it's straight to your heart
Oh yeah
Cause this time it's real

Bad English was a short-lived hard rock supergroup best known for their chart-topping rock ballad “When I See You Smile”. The band came up with their name while shooting pool between studio takes. The term means ‘putting the wrong spin on a cue ball’.

After releasing four successful albums on his own, ex-Babys frontman John Waite felt the urge to front a band again. When his manager suggested teaming up with a previous bandmate, he reconnected with ex-Babys Jonathan Cain (while Cain’s band Journey was on hiatus) backstage at a Heart concert. Cain had already been in touch with another ex-Babys member Ricky Phillips about ‘doing a band with the rock attitude of The Babys again’. The three began writing songs together.

Neil Schon (also of the then-inactive band Journey) occasionally stopped by the studio and offered to play guitar to help the band out. However, he ended up officially joining the project and recruiting Wild Dogs drummer Deen Castronovo. After accumulating seven songs, a conference call between the band, producer Ritchie Zito and their A&R man led to adding songs written by outside songwriters like Martin Page, Mark Spiro and Dianne Warren – the latter contributing the ballad “When I See You Smile” (a song previously offered to Alias frontman Freddie Curci).

more tracks from the album

Backlash

From the album

Backlash (1991)

Bad English popular songs

Straight To Your HeartBad English

Bad English

Backlash