It's Bad You Know
Unheard Whistles and Silent Bells: Decoding 'It's Bad You Know' by Johnny Bolzan
Lyrics
That Engineer blowed no whistle at all
That Engineer did not blow any whistle
No Fireman he rang his bell
No Fireman rang his bell
That Engineer blowed no whistle at all
Reiteration: The Engineer did not blow any whistle
No Fireman he rang his bell
Reiteration: No Fireman rang his bell
That Engineer blowed no whistle at all
Reiteration: The Engineer did not blow any whistle
No Fireman he rang his bell
Reiteration: No Fireman rang his bell
That Engineer blowed no whistle at all
Reiteration: The Engineer did not blow any whistle
No Fireman he rang his bell
Reiteration: No Fireman rang his bell
It’s Bad You Know
Expressing a sense of trouble or difficulty with the repetition of "It’s Bad You Know"
It’s Bad You Know
Continuation of expressing a troubled or difficult situation
It’s Bad You Know
Emphasizing the severity or gravity of the situation
It’s Bad You Know
Repetition for emphasis: It is really bad, you know
It’s Bad You Know
Reiteration of the severity or intensity of the difficulty
She asked me why
Introduction of a conversation where the speaker is asked why
I just went on told her
The speaker explains the reason behind the bad situation
She asked me why
Reiteration of being asked why
I just went on told her
Repetition of the speaker explaining the reason
She asked me why
Reiteration of being asked why
I just went on told her
Repetition of the speaker providing an explanation
She asked me why…
Continuation of being asked why with an ellipsis suggesting an ongoing explanation
It’s Bad You Know
Repetition: Emphasizing the troubled or difficult nature of the situation
It’s Bad You Know
Repetition: Continuation of emphasizing the severity or gravity of the difficulty
That Engineer blowed no whistle at all
Reiteration: The Engineer did not blow any whistle
No Fireman he rang his bell
Reiteration: No Fireman rang his bell
That Engineer blowed no whistle at all
Reiteration: The Engineer did not blow any whistle
No Fireman he rang his bell
Reiteration: No Fireman rang his bell
It’s Bad You Know
Final repetition of "It’s Bad You Know" underscoring the persistent difficulty or trouble
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