My mama always swore
act holier than thou and
you’ll have enemies galore
but break a rule and you’ll meet friendly folks who’ve done the same.
Good folks get all the broken hearts
bad folks become a household name

Be good and you’ll be lonely,
though no one wants to know,
most Juliets smoke cigarettes and dump their Romeo
but a third rate Jesse James walks by
and every lady swoons
Amazing Grace don’t sound so pretty
once you’ve heard those outlaw tunes

So many folks will offer you free advice
and tell you that nothin’s yours till you pay full price
but you listen to them and next thing you know
you gotta borrow someone else’s dough
when your loaf of bread turns into half a slice

Even the tailor and the taxman know
that there ain’t nothin wrong
if you take something from someplace
where it didn’t quite belong.
Be good and you’ll be lonely
and that would be a waste,
if you’re walkin’ by the banquet
why not have a little taste

If you’re tryin to lie when you’re worried about what’s true
you tell lies that anybody can see through
but any decent outlaw knows
how to dress in someone else’s clothes
and make 'em look like they belong to you.

And if you go and read the gospels
you’ll see when you’re through
they’re about a man who broke the law
‘cause his daddy told him to
be good and you’ll be lonely
but I think that you’ll find
it sure can pay real good to be a little bad sometimes.

It sure pays good to be a little bad sometimes