Mr. Bad Example
by Warren Zevon
as it appears on the album "Learning to Flinch"
Faithfully transcribed by Jeremy Sarna

NOTE: Capo 2 for recorded key. Warren used no capo for live performances (see Youtube).


[Intro]


[Verse]
             
I started as a

              
n altar boy wo

             
rking at the c


hurch
            
Learning all m

              
y holy moves a

              
nd doing some 

  
research.
             
Which led me t

              
o a cash box, 

              
labelled "Chil

       
dren's Fund"
             
I'd leave the 

             
change and tuc

              
ked the bills 

            
inside my cumm

  
erbund.

             
I got a part t

              
ime job at my 

              
father's carpe

  
t store
            
Laying tackles

              
s stripping an

              
d housewives b

      
y the score.
             
I loaded up th

              
eir furniture 

              
and took it to

    
 Spokane
             
and auctioned 

             
off every last

           
 Naugahyde div

an.

             
I'm very well 

              
acquainted wit

              
h the seven de

     
adly sins
            
I keep a busy 

              
schedule, tryi

              
ng to fit them

 
 in.
             
I'm proud to b

              
e a glutton an

              
d I don't have

          
 time for slot

h
             
I'm greedy and

             
 I'm angry and

            
 I don't care 

      
who I cross.

[Chorus]
             
I'm Mr. Bad Ex

           
ample, intrude

         
r in the dirt
             
I like to have

             
 a good time, 

            
and I don't ca

            
re who gets hu

rt.
             
I'm Mr. Bad Ex

           
ample, take a 

        
look at me
             
I'll live to b

             
e a hundred an

            
d go down in i

      
nfamy.

[Verse]
             
Of course I we

              
nt to law scho

              
ol, and took a

     
 law degree
            
And counselled

              
 all my client

              
s, to plead in

    
sanity.
             
Then worked in

              
 hair replacem

              
ent, swindling

     
 the bald
             
Where very few

             
 are chosen, a

            
nd fewer still

     
 are called.

             
Then on to Mon

              
te Carlo to pl

             
ay chemin de f


aire
            
I threw away t

              
he fortune, I 

              
made transplan

     
ting hair.
             
I put my last 

              
few francs dow

             
n on a prostit

ute
             
Who took me up

             
 to her room t

            
o perform the 

       
flag salute.

             
Whereupon I st

              
ole her passpo

           
rt and her wig
            
And headed for

              
 the airport a

              
nd the midnigh

              
t flight, you 


dig?
             
And fourteen h

              
ours later I w

              
as down in Ade


laide
             
Looking throug

             
h the want ads

            
 sipping Foste

          
rs in the shad

e.

             
I opened up an

              
 agency somewh

             
ere down the l


ine
            
To hire aborig

              
inals to work 

         
the opal mines

.
             
But I attached

              
 their wages a

              
nd took a whop

     
ping cut
             
And whisked aw

             
ay their workm

              
an's comp and 

            
pauperized the

 
 lot.

[Chorus]
             
I'm Mr. Bad Ex

           
ample, intrude

         
r in the dirt
             
I like to have

             
 a good time, 

            
and I don't ca

            
re who gets hu

rt.
             
I'm Mr. Bad Ex

           
ample, take a 

        
look at me
             
I'll live to b

             
e a hundred an

            
d go down in i

      
nfamy

[Verse]
             
I bought a fir

              
st class ticke

              
t on Malaysian

 
 Air
            
And landed in 

              
Sri Lanka, non

              
e the worse fo

  
r wear.
             
I'm thinking o

              
f retiring fro

              
m all my dirty

 
 deals
             
I'll see you i

             
n the next lif

            
e, wake me up 

          
for meals!