I’ve been outta sight
I’ve been worried ’bout you lately
Runnin’ outta time
Wishin’ you would come and save me
‘Cause I don’t wanna roll with it
(Yeah, yeah)
Tryna get control of it
(Yeah, yeah)
Why can’t I let go of it?
(Yeah, yeah, mm)
Gotta find somebody quickly
(Mm, yeah)
I got a bad idea
How ’bout we take a little bit of time away?
I got a bad idea
Forget about it, yeah
Forget about him, yeah
Forget about me
(Ari-chan)
I got a bad idea
(Uh-huh)
Yeah, I’ma call you over here to numb the pain
(Ari-chan)
I got a bad idea
(Uh-huh)
Forget about it, yeah
Forget about him, yeah
Forget about me
Yeah, I know we shouldn’t, baby, but we will
(You know we will)
Need somebody, gimme something I can feel
(Yeah)
But, boy, don’t trip (Don’t trip), you know this isn’t real
You should know I’m temporary
‘Cause I don’t wanna roll with it
(Yeah, yeah)
Tryna get control of it
(Yeah, yeah)
Why can’t I let go of it?
(Yeah, yeah, mm)
Gotta find somebody quickly
(Yeah)
I got a bad idea
How ’bout we take a little bit of time away?
I got a bad idea
Forget about it, yeah
Forget about him, yeah
Forget about me
(Ari-chan)
I got a bad idea
(Uh-huh)
Yeah, I’ma call you over here to numb the pain
(Ari-chan)
I got a bad idea
(Uh-huh)
Forget about it, yeah
Forget about him, yeah
Forget about me
Gotta get control of it
Why can’t I let go of it? (Ooh)
Wishin’ you would come and save me
Yeah, yeah-yeah, yeah, yeah
I got a bad idea
(Uh-huh)
How ’bout we take a little bit of time away?
(Ari-chan)
I got a bad idea (Oh yeah, yeah, uh-huh)
Forget about it, yeah
Forget about him, yeah
Forget about me
(Ari-chan)
I got a bad idea (a bad idea)
(Uh-huh)
Yeah, I’ma call you over here to numb the pain
(Ari-chan)
I got a bad idea (a bad idea)
(Uh-huh)
Forget about it, yeah
Forget about him, yeah
Forget about me
(Ari-chan)
Yeah
(Uh-huh)
Forget about it, yeah
Forget about him, yeah
Forget about me
(Ari-chan)
(Uh-huh)
Forget about it, yeah
Forget about him, yeah
Forget about me
I got a bad idea
How ’bout we take a little bit of time away?
I got a bad idea
Forget about it, yeah
Forget about him, yeah
Forget about me
Moving On and Temporary Escapes
In “bad idea,” Ariana Grande delves into the emotional aftermath of a relationship, candidly expressing the urge to escape heartbreak through impulsive actions. The lyrics capture the struggle of letting go and the longing for distraction, as Grande contemplates reaching out to someone new just to numb the pain. The repeated line “I got a bad idea” underscores her awareness that this coping mechanism may not be healthy, yet feels necessary in the moment. The track’s catchy melody and direct lyrics make her vulnerability relatable, highlighting the internal tug-of-war between reason and emotion when facing romantic loss.
Song Credits
Songwriters: Ariana Grande, Peter Svensson, Savan Kotecha, Max Martin, Ilya Salmanzadeh
Release Year: 2019
Label: Republic Records