Bad English

Wise men thinking of numbers
Shaken, not stirred
But I hang, hang on your every word
These days I roll with the punches
Always your clown
Do you remember when
We used to paint this town
Red gold green and blue
If you still believe in me
And you

Don't walk away
I know I'll find an answer
If you stay
Don't walk away
There's nothing in tomorrow
That wasn't there in yesterday
Oh no no no no no

All the heartache
Too many nights in the heartbreak hotel
Don't you give up; love is a carousel
Put on your dancing shoes
And we can paint this town
Red gold green and blue
If you still believe in me
And you

Don't walk away
I know I'll find an answer
If you stay
Don't walk away
There's nothing in tomorrow
That wasn't there in yesterday

I'm sad that's all
This can¹t be the end
It's not my fault
The rain on the roof
Reach out, reach out
I'm drownin' not waving
Reach out, reach out
Before it's too late to save our love
Baby don't you walk away
Oh no

Don't walk away
I know I'll find an answer
If you stay
Don't walk away
There's nothing in tomorrow
That wasn't there in yesterday

Don't walk away
Don't walk away
No just stay
Baby don't walk away
(every cloud has got a silver lining)
Don't walk away
Baby don't walk away
(if you look hard enough you'll find love shining)
Don't walk away
(every cloud has got a silver lining)
No no no no no no

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

Bad English

From the album

Bad English (1989)

Bad English popular songs

Don’t Walk AwayBad English

Bad English

Bad English