Description[]
How Bad Can I Be? is a song from the 2012 3D animated film The Lorax based off the Dr. Seuss book of the same name, who is performed by The Once-ler, voiced by Ed Helms, in which he's playing the guitar and rationalizing though the lyrics why he's not evil and how what he's doing is "good for the economy." The song trended in memetic remixes and YouTube Poop Music Videos upon the film's 2012 release; however, the song and movie scene didn't become a predominant meme trend until early 2023 on TikTok, following the popularity of other Lorax-related TikTok trends such as the Lorax leaving and "If it has a screen the Lorax can be seen". The meme is also similar to the precursor trend "Let It Grow" that used a different song from the 2012 movie.
Origin[]
On March 2nd, 2012, The Lorax movie was released in American theaters. In one scene of the movie, The Once-ler, played by Ed Helms, sings a song called "How Bad Can I Be?" which was written by John Powell, Allan Grigg and Paul Cinco. About a year later, on July 19th, 2013, YouTuber Jimmie Channel uploaded the scene from the film in HD with lyrics, gaining roughly 19 million views in 10 years.
Currently, the first-known memetic variation of the song was a video uploaded by YouTuber Joeyblondewolf2 on June 18th, 2012, in which they were cosplaying as the Once-ler and doing a cover of the song and recreation of the movie scene. Over the course of 11 years, the video gained roughly 5.1 million views and 47,000 likes.
Web usage[]
Starting in late 2016 and early 2017, YouTube users started to post bass-boosted and earrape YouTube Poop versions of a different song from The Lorax movie called "Let It Grow." The "Let It Grow" trend inspired others on YouTube to make similar videos with "How Bad Can I Be?" For instance, on January 11th, 2017, YouTuber EarwigPlant uploaded a video called, "How bad can i be but its in the description," gaining roughly 4 million views and 59,000 likes in six years. On December 21st, 2017, YouTuber ask343 uploaded a Roblox version of the song, gaining roughly 2.8 million views and 46,000 likes in six years).
TikTok trend[]
Starting in 2022, TikTokers started to add captions to the "How Bad Can I Be?" video that imagined situations in which someone was convincing another that they weren't bad. For instance, one of the earliest known was posted by TikToker @coldymccold on July 4th, 2022, gaining roughly 18,600 plays and 800 likes in 10 months. On September 3rd, 2023, TikToker @pickle_l0l posted a video that followed the same format, gaining roughly 89,900 plays and 3,800 likes in eight months.
In early 2023, the meme format became increasingly viral, evident in a video posted by TikToker @__cloaked on March 9th, 2023 that identified Disney "discovering gay people," gaining roughly 4.2 million plays and 820,300 likes in two months. In May 2023, other types of viral memes used the song, such as a video posted by TikToker @quangworld on May 5th, 2023, which received roughly 1.1 million plays and 179,900 likes in one week.
External references[]
- IMDb – The Lorax
- Musicxmatch – How Bad Can I Be?
- YouTube – Dr. Seus' The Lorax 'How bad can I be?' OFFICIAL VIDEO HD With lyrics
- YouTube – Lorax: How Bad Can I Be – Music Video
- YouTube – Let It Grow but every 'grow' the Bass is Boosted 5db with some distortion
- YouTube – How bad can i be but its in the description
- YouTube – How Bad Can ROBLOX Be?
- TikTok – @coldymccold
- TikTok – @pickle_l0l
- TikTok – @__cloaked
- TikTok – @quangworld
- TikTok – How Bad Can I Be? – Ed Helms
- Know Your Meme - How Bad Can I Be? (The Lorax)
Lyrics[]
| Click Here to Show Spoilers |
How ba-a-a-ad can I be?
I'm just doing what comes naturally.
How ba-a-a-ad can I be?
I'm just following my destiny.
How ba-a-a-ad can I be?
I'm just doing what comes naturally.
How ba-a-a-ad can I be?
How bad can I possibly be?
Well there's a principle of nature (Principle of nature.)
That almost every creature knows.
Called survival of the fittest (Survival of the fittest.)
And check it this is how it goes.
The animal that eats gotta scratch and fight and claw and bite and punch.
And the animal that doesn't, well the animal that doesn't winds up someone else's lu-lu-lu-lu-lunch.
(Munch, munch, munch, munch, munch.)
I'm just sayin'.
How ba-a-a-ad can I be?
I'm just doing what comes naturally.
How ba-a-a-ad can I be?
I'm just following my destiny.
How ba-a-a-ad can I be?
I'm just doing what comes naturally
How ba-a-a-ad can I be?
How bad can I possibly be?
There's a principle in business (Principle in business.)
That everybody knows is sound.
It says the people with the money (People with the money.)
Make this ever-loving world go 'round.
So I'm biggering my company, I'm biggering my factory, I'm biggering my corporate sign.
Everybody out there, take care of yours.
And me?
I'll take care of
Mine, mine, mine, mine, mine. (Shake that bottom line)
Let me hear you say 'smogulous smoke' (smogulous smoke).
Schloppity schlop (schloppity schlop).
Complain all you want, it's never ever, ever, ever gonna stop.
Come on how bad can I possibly be?
How ba-a-a-ad can I be?
I'm just building an economy.
How ba-a-a-ad can I be?
Just look at me pettin' this puppy.
How ba-a-a-ad can I be?
A portion of proceeds goes to charity.
How ba-a-a-ad can I be?
How bad can I possibly be? Let's see.
(How ba-a-a-ad can I be?)
All the customers are buying.
(How ba-a-a-ad can I be?)
And the money's multiplying.
(How ba-a-a-ad can I be?)
And the PR people are lying.
(How ba-a-a-ad can I be?)
And the lawyers are denying.
(How ba-a-a-ad can I be?)
Who cares if a few trees are dying?
(How ba-a-a-ad can I be?)
This is all so gratifying.
How bad...
How bad can this possibly be!?