[Verse 1] He traded in the tailored fit for thrift-store threads, Got a pocket full of nothing and a million-dollar head. Used to chase a bigger number, now he numbers his days, By the people that he loves, not the people he amazed. Got a résumé of reasons he should’ve stayed in line, But he read between the rules and saw the fine print signed. They were selling him a future with a lifetime of debt, For a house he’d never live in and a life he’d regret. Now he’s leaving extra twenties when the service is slow, Knows the waitress by her first name, knows her kid’s getting grown. Got a crack across his windshield, got a grin on his face, They keep calling him a failure from a miserable place. See, they measure every man by what he’s managed to stack, He was rich in their opinion till he gave it all back. Now they use him as a warning when they’re raising their sons— Funny how the bad example’s having all of the fun. [Chorus] Bad example, bad influence, bad for the brand, They had his whole life mapped, he put a match to the plans. They predicted he’d be finished, now they don’t understand, How a man who lost their respect still got the upper hand. Bad example, yeah, he’s guilty as charged, They keep moving every goalpost, he keeps raising the bar. They keep counting all his losses, he keeps playing his cards, If that’s a bad example, maybe their example’s flawed. [Verse 2] He was corporate-approved, had the suit, had the smile, Had a six-figure salary, hadn’t slept in a while. Had a calendar packed, had a panic attack, Had a name on the door, had a knife in his back. Had the keys to the kingdom, couldn’t get in his head, Had a king-sized mattress, couldn’t sleep in the bed. Had a seat at the table, couldn’t stomach the meal, Had a life worth a fortune, couldn’t afford to feel. Now he silences the phone, lets the sunlight come in, Takes his coffee on the balcony, lets the morning begin. They say he fell from the top, but he knows what it cost, Every rung was another little piece of him lost. He’s not scared of being broke, he’s been bankrupt in wealth, Had a million-dollar image and a negative self. They keep asking what he’s doing with the life that he chose, He says, “Living it. That’s something you wouldn’t know.” [Chorus] Bad example, bad influence, bad for the brand, They had his whole life mapped, he put a match to the plans. They predicted he’d be finished, now they don’t understand, How a man who lost their respect still got the upper hand. Bad example, yeah, he’s guilty as charged, They keep moving every goalpost, he keeps raising the bar. They keep counting all his losses, he keeps playing his cards, If that’s a bad example, maybe their example’s flawed. [Bridge] He remembers that night with his hand on the sink, Tie loose, eyes red, couldn’t stand what he’d think. Saw a man in the mirror with a stranger’s expression, Every check was a bonus, every breath was a question. Had his signature printed on a hundred-page deal, Couldn’t sign one more year of pretending to feel. So he folded that contract, left it there on the shelf, First time he broke a promise, it was one to himself. [Final Chorus] Bad example, bad influence, bad for the brand, They had his whole life mapped, he put a match to the plans. They predicted he’d be finished, now they don’t understand, How a man who lost their respect still got the upper hand. Bad example, yeah, he’s guilty as charged, They keep moving every goalpost, he keeps raising the bar. They can keep their definition, every label, every scar, If he’s the bad example, what the hell does that make y’all?
