How Bad Can I Be? is a song featured in The Lorax. It is sung by Ed Helms as the voice of the Once-ler and various actors as his family (chorus).
The song is about the Once-ler's business getting more bigger, so he builds a Thneed factory to help him speed up the process of making Thneeds. The factory pollutes the skies, making it hard for the Swomee swans to fly. It dumps schlopp (oil) into the water, making the Humming Fish dirty and hard to swim. He also cuts down all of the trees, making the Bar-ba-loots hungry. His acts causing pain to all of the Truffula Valley, and the creatures living there.
Lyrics[]
How ba-a-a-ad can I be?
I'm just doing what comes naturally
How ba-a-a-ad can I be?
I'm just following my destiny
How ba-a-a-ad can I be?
I'm just doing what comes naturally
How ba-a-a-ad can I be?
How bad can I possibly be?
Well there's a principle of nature
(Principle of nature)
That almost every creature knows
Called survival of the fittest
(Survival of the fittest)
And check it this is how it goes
The animal that eats gotta scratch
And fight and claw and bite and punch
And the animal that doesn't
Well the animal that doesn't
Winds up someone else's lu-lu-lu-lu-lunch
(Munch, munch, munch, munch, munch)
I'm just sayin'
How ba-a-a-ad can I be?
I'm just doing what comes naturally
How ba-a-a-ad can I be?
I'm just following my destiny
How ba-a-a-ad can I be?
I'm just doing what comes naturally
How ba-a-a-ad can I be?
How bad can I possibly be?
There's a principle in business
(Principle in business)
That everybody knows is sound
It says the people with the money
(People with the money)
Make this ever-loving world go 'round
So I'm biggering my company
I'm biggering my factory
I'm biggering my corporate sign
Everybody out there, take care of yours
And me? I'll take care of
Mine, mine, mine, mine, mine
(Shake that bottom line)
Let me hear you say Smogulous smoke
(Smogulous smoke)
Schloppity schlop
(Schloppity schlop)
Complain all you want, it's never ever, ever, ever gonna stop
(STOP!)
Come on how bad can I possibly be?
How ba-a-a-ad can I be?
I'm just building an economy
How ba-a-a-ad can I be?
Just look at me pettin' this puppy
How ba-a-a-ad can I be?
A portion of proceeds goes to charity
How ba-a-a-ad can I be?
How bad can I possibly be? Let's see
(How ba-a-a-ad can I be?)
All the customers are buying
(How ba-a-a-ad can I be?)
And the money's multiplying
(How ba-a-a-ad can I be?)
And the PR people are lying
(How ba-a-a-ad can I be?)
And the lawyers are denying
(How ba-a-a-ad can I be?)
Who cares if a few trees are dying?
(How ba-a-a-ad can I be?)
This is all so gratifying
How bad...
HOW BAD CAN THIS POSSIBLY BE?!