Ways To Be Wicked - Lone Justice, 1985

 
 

Honey tell me why you always smile
When you see me hurt so bad
Tell me what I did to you Babe
That would make you act like that
Well I've been your fool before Honey
Ya - and I probably will again
You ain't afraid to let me have it
No you ain't afraid to stick it in

You know so many
Ways to be wicked
But you don't know one little thing
About love

Well I can take a little pain
Yeah I can hold it pretty well
I can watch your little eyes light up
While you're walking me through hell
Well I've been your fool before Honey
Yeah - and I probably will again
You ain't afraid to let me have it
You ain't afraid to stick it in

Well you know so many
Ways to be wicked
But you don't know one little thing
About love

Those cobra eyes
Lie with a smile
Baby you take pride
In the devil down deep inside

Well I can take a little pain
Yeah I can hold it pretty well
I can watch your little eyes light up
While you're walking me through hell
Well I've been your fool before
Yeah - and I probably will again
You ain't afraid to let me have it
You ain't afraid to stick it in

Well you know so many
Ways to be wicked
But you don't know one little thing
About love

Well you know so many
Ways to be wicked
But you don't know one little thing
About love...

 
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Lone Justice rode into town with the Cowpunk movement in the early '80s. Guitarist Ryan Hedgecock and singer Maria McKee started the band with the intention of doing covers, but they started to write their own material. With the attention of Linda Ronstadt, they were signed to Geffen Records, and were on their way to being the next big thing in Los Angeles.

In 1985, they released a self-titled album with two significant singles, Sweet, Sweet Baby (I'm Falling), and Ways To Be Wicked. Although successful with their current fan base, the album failed to reach a wide-spread audience, notably with the Country market. The entire band soon quit, leaving Maria McKee to release a second album in 1986 named Shelter . This was aimed squarely at the Country market, but didn't fare much better, so she broke up the second version of the band, and embarked on a fairly successful solo career.

A bit of trivia: Ways to be Wicked was co-written by Tom Petty, and Maria McKee penned the #1 hit A Good Heart for Feargil Sharky in 1985.