Celebrating the rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle is, unsurprisingly, one of the most common lyrical traditions in rock ‘n’ roll music. But in 1975, Bad Company landed a radio hit with a song that did the exact opposite. Rather than glorifying living hard and fast, Bad Company used their track to issue a stark warning about the dangers of this rock ‘n’ roll spirit (and to serve as a memorial for those who succumbed to it).
“Shooting Star” came from the rock band’s second studio album, Straight Shooter. Although their record label didn’t put out the song as a single, it became a regular addition to rock radio stations across the country. Even today, it remains one of the most common Bad Company tracks you’ll hear on-air, alongside “Feel Like Making Love”, “Can’t Get Enough”, and their self-titled track.
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By the time Bad Company was releasing their sophomore album, they had already seen countless rock icons fall victim to the hedonistic way of life that often accompanied this form of entertainment. “Shooting Star” was an amalgamation of all of these fallen musicians.
“Shooting Star” Warned Against the Dangers of Rock ‘n’ Roll
Bad Company vocalist Paul Rodgers wrote the band’s 1975 hit, “Shooting Star”, with the 27 Club in mind. Members like Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, and Jim Morrison all left the world too soon, all from expected overdoses. They were a testament to how hard the lifestyle really was on the human body—and how not even international acclaim and star power was enough to protect someone from the dangers of too much alcohol and drugs.
“When we were younger, we all dabbled,” Paul Rodgers later said. “None of us are saints. I’m not saying we didn’t have fun. But I just don’t do that anymore. [‘Shooting Star’ has a good message for me, because I’m in a 12-step program, and I try and adhere to it on a daily basis. It’s one of those songs that just reminds me to do it.”
Rodgers’ stance on the rock ‘n’ roll way of living doesn’t come from a sense of superiority. It comes from experience. “Shooting Star”, he explained, was “a generic example of what can happen and that has happened and, I’m afraid, will happen to people who come into this business and meddle with drink and drugs.”
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