Your love is like bad medicine
Bad medicine is what I need
Oh-oh-oh, shake it up, just like bad medicine
There ain’t no doctor that can cure my disease
(Bad medicine)
I ain’t got a fever got a permanent disease
It’ll take more than a doctor to prescribe a remedy
I got lots of money but it isn’t what I need
Gonna take more than a shot to get this poison out of me
And I got all the symptoms count them, one, two, three
First you need (That’s what you get for falling in love)
Then you bleed (You get a little but it’s never enough)
On your knees (That’s what you get for falling in love)
And now this boy’s addicted cause your kiss is the drug
Oh-oh-oh, your love is like bad medicine
Bad medicine is what I need
Oh-oh-oh, shake it up, just like bad medicine
There ain’t no doctor that can cure my disease
(Bad, bad medicine)
I don’t need no needle to be giving me a thrill
And I don’t need no anesthesia or a nurse to bring a pill
I got a dirty down addiction, it doesn’t leave a track
I’ve got a jones for your affection like a monkey on my back
There ain’t no paramedic gonna save this heart attack
When you need (That’s what you get for falling in love)
Then you bleed (You get a little but it’s never enough)
On your knees (That’s what you get for falling in love)
Now this boy is addicted and your kiss is the drug
Oh-oh-oh, your love is like bad medicine
Bad medicine is what I need
Oh-oh-oh, shake it up, just like bad medicine
So let’s play doctor, baby, cure my disease
(Bad, bad medicine) That’s what I want
(Bad, bad medicine) That’s what I need
I need a respirator cause I’m running out of breath
You’re an all night generator wrapped in stockings and a dress
When you find your medicine you take what you can get
‘Cause if there’s something better baby well they haven’t found it yet
Oh-oh-oh, your love is like bad medicine
Bad medicine is what I need
Oh-oh-oh, shake it up, just like bad medicine
There ain’t no doctor that can cure my disease
Your love, bad medicine
Bad medicine is what I need
Oh-oh-oh, shake it up, just like bad medicine
Your love’s the potion that can cure my disease
Bad, bad medicine is what I want
Bad, bad medicine (I gotta, I gotta, I gotta, I gotta)
I gotta, I gotta
I gotta do it again, wait a minute, wait a minute
Hold on
I’m not done
One more time
With feeling
Come on
Help me out now
Your love is like bad medicine
Bad medicine is what I need
Oh-oh-oh, shake it up just like bad medicine
You got the potion that can cure my disease
Your love, bad medicine
Your kiss is what I need
Your love, bad medicine
A Potent Dose of Rock and Romance
“Bad Medicine” by Bon Jovi delivers a high-energy anthem that cleverly uses medical metaphors to illustrate the intoxicating effects of love. The lyrics paint the picture of a love so powerful and addictive that it becomes a remedy and a poison all at once. With lines like “Your love is like bad medicine,” the song explores the highs and lows of passionate relationships, where desire turns into dependency and the cure becomes inseparable from the disease. The playful references to doctors, prescriptions, and cures add a tongue-in-cheek humor, making the song both relatable and memorable for listeners who have experienced the rollercoaster of love.
Song Credits
- Songwriters: Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora, Desmond Child
- Release Year: 1988
- Label: Mercury Records