I think much like another song “Anti-Matter” (that's also on the same album as this song), this one is also is inspired by a horrifying van crash the band experienced on Nov 3, 2022. This, much like the other track, sounds like it's an extension what they shared while huddled in the wreckage, as they helped frontman Garrett Russell stem the bleeding from his head wound while he was under the temporary effects of a concussion. The track speaks of where the mind goes at the most desperate & desolate of times, when it just about slips away to all but disconnect itself, and the aftermath.
I never thought you'd hurt me
I guess you live and learn
That when you're playin' with fire, you're bound to get burned
Oh, I've been mistreated, I've been used before
I get kicked in the face, still I come back for more
But I won't cry no more 'cause the tears are all in vain
We can pick up the pieces, start it all again
Let's just get back to the way it was before
Oh, girl I can't take anymore
Baby, don't treat me bad
Well, this could be the best thing that you'll ever have
Baby, don't treat me bad
Well, you can do anything, but baby, don't treat me bad
Oh, don't treat me bad
I gave it everything but you threw it all away
I can't take any more of these games that you play
I've been through heartache and I've been through pain
And it's hard to believe you still treat me this way
But I won't cry no more 'cause the tears are all in vain
We can pick up the pieces, start it all again
Let's just get back to the way it was before
Oh, girl I can't take anymore
Baby, don't treat me bad
Well, this could be the best thing that you'll ever have
Baby, don't treat me bad
Well, you can do anything, but baby, don't treat me bad
Oh, don't treat me bad
'Cause girl, I can't take anymore, oh yeah
Now listen to me
Baby, don't treat me bad
Well, this could be the best thing that you'll ever have
Baby, don't treat me bad
Well, you can do anything, but baby
Now listen to me baby, don't treat me bad
Well, this could be the best thing that you'll ever have
Baby, don't treat me bad
Well, you can do anything, but baby
Don't treat me bad
Don't treat me bad
Oh yeah, don't treat me bad
No no, no no, no no, don't treat me bad
Don't treat me bad
I guess you live and learn
That when you're playin' with fire, you're bound to get burned
Oh, I've been mistreated, I've been used before
I get kicked in the face, still I come back for more
But I won't cry no more 'cause the tears are all in vain
We can pick up the pieces, start it all again
Let's just get back to the way it was before
Oh, girl I can't take anymore
Baby, don't treat me bad
Well, this could be the best thing that you'll ever have
Baby, don't treat me bad
Well, you can do anything, but baby, don't treat me bad
Oh, don't treat me bad
I gave it everything but you threw it all away
I can't take any more of these games that you play
I've been through heartache and I've been through pain
And it's hard to believe you still treat me this way
But I won't cry no more 'cause the tears are all in vain
We can pick up the pieces, start it all again
Let's just get back to the way it was before
Oh, girl I can't take anymore
Baby, don't treat me bad
Well, this could be the best thing that you'll ever have
Baby, don't treat me bad
Well, you can do anything, but baby, don't treat me bad
Oh, don't treat me bad
'Cause girl, I can't take anymore, oh yeah
Now listen to me
Baby, don't treat me bad
Well, this could be the best thing that you'll ever have
Baby, don't treat me bad
Well, you can do anything, but baby
Now listen to me baby, don't treat me bad
Well, this could be the best thing that you'll ever have
Baby, don't treat me bad
Well, you can do anything, but baby
Don't treat me bad
Don't treat me bad
Oh yeah, don't treat me bad
No no, no no, no no, don't treat me bad
Don't treat me bad
Lyrics submitted by Boonechic_21
Don't Treat Me Bad Lyrics as written by Carl Snare Bill Leverty
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
Dreamwalker
Silent Planet
Silent Planet
No Surprises
Radiohead
Radiohead
Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
Magical
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
How would you describe the feeling of being in love? For Ed Sheeran, the word is “Magical.” in HIS three-minute album opener, he makes an attempt to capture the beauty and delicacy of true love with words. He describes the magic of it all over a bright Pop song produced by Aaron Dessner.
Punchline
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.
Page
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
There aren’t many things that’ll hurt more than giving love a chance against your better judgement only to have your heart crushed yet again. Ed Sheeran tells such a story on “Page.” On this track, he is devastated to have lost his lover and even more saddened by the feeling that he may never move on from this.
the chorus on this song is just plain kick ass fun! its a really fun song! i cant believe we traded this type of music for grunge! like C.C. DeVille said, well i think it was him i dont remember "the people traded happy music, fun music about girls and parties for depresive music, we all know out lives suck lets not sing about it, lets have some fun" "and i still dont like grunge" its really sad, this kind of songs rule!