“Bad Ways” by Gene Micofsky – A Song Feature

     “Bad Ways” is an invitation to visit an identity you probably view as wrong during the approach; but it feels warm upon arriving. Many of us recognize the identity in ourselves, but successfully suppress it/him/her - at least most of the time. Still, it feels right to feel wrong during a music-induced visit. Every aspect of “Bad Ways” urges the listener to make the visit.

     The identity admits to having regrets – “Now I’ve got nothing left / Oh, nothing but regrets.” Still, he admits to and accepts the person he is. As with all thoughtfully crafted, inward-looking lyrics, verses are subject to different interpretation. Our personal favorite is:

My mind was a maze

Working all the wrong circles

Addicted to the drain

Of these self-afflicting cycles

      The single from Gene Micofsky is a rhythmic Rocker, with a healthy touch of Soulful Blues. Micofsky plays all the instruments in “Bad Ways.” The song begins with a kick pattern supported by claps, leaving the genre unannounced until the fuzzed guitar and vocals enter. Yes, it’s a single musician, but there is little doubt that he takes a guitar-first view at his music.

     In talking about the song, Gene Micofsky says:

  “The original release of ‘Bad Ways’ was thwarted by the outbreak, but...I decided to release it anyway. I believe we need music so much right now! My 2018 LP release ‘Amusia’ was built on narrative; the songs were written on acoustic guitar and produced into tracks. I wanted to take the opposite approach here and create a song that grew out of the mood and vibe of a piece of music. My other rule was no one would perform on the track. So what you hear is a one-man band (it was mixed by Grant Cornish and mastered by Ruairi O'Flaherty, respectively).”

     Gene Micofsky was born in south Philadelphia, where he lived until his family moved to New Jersey while he was a pre-teen. He now resides in Los Angeles and uses his time songwriting, performing, composing and producing.

  “Bad Ways” by Gene Micofsky

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Website: http://genemicofsky.com/

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Lyrics of “Bad Ways” by Gene Micofsky

You left me in a haze

I don’t think I could shake off

I thought it was a phase

But I’ve been lingering too long

You left me in a cage

With an animal hunger

Now I’ve been spending my days

Looking for someone to blame

I’ve been wound up so long

I’ve been down here for so long

I’ve been wound up, bound up

I know I’ve got a bad way about me

My mind was a maze

Working all the wrong circles

Addicted to the drain

Of these self-afflicting cycles

Got a little crazed

Chasing after sunsets

Now I’ve got nothing left,

Oh nothing but regrets

I’ve been wound up so long

I’ve been down here for so long

I’ve been wound up, bound up

I know I’ve got a bad way about me

(Someone’s gonna get hurt tonight…)

[Repeating]

I’ve been wound up so long

I’ve been down here for so long

I’ve been wound up, bound up

I know I’ve got a bad way

I know I’ve got a…

Hey now, hey now

I know I’ve got a bad way about me