Songs where the protagonist is a dick

I was at the gym yesterday listening to Pandora on my headphones and “I Saw Her Again” by the Mommas and the Pappas came on. I’d never really paid attention to the lyrics before but, wow, what a selfish asshole!

And he knows his behavior is bad but keeps doing it anyway.

I’m trying to think of others. The Wanderer?

Steely Dan went to a similar place with “Dirty Work”.

“Lightning Strikes” by Lou Christie

“Under My Thumb” by the Stones

“Escape(the pina colada song)” by Rupert Holmes

“Run For Your Life” by The Beatles (which begins “I’d rather see you dead, little girl, than to be with another man,” quoted from the Elvis Presley song “Baby Let’s Play House”)

In this case, she was equally [del]a dick[/del] at fault. They deserve each other. :wink:

Rob Paravonian did a bit in his stand-up act about how Sugar Ray’s “Every Morning” is a little disturbing if you start to think about it, and a lot disturbing if you keep going.

“Sympathy for the Devil”, the Stones.

“Bobby Brown”, Frank Zappa

“Every Breath You Take” by The Police

“You’re Beautiful” by James Blount (not sure I know the song but it was featured in a Cracked.com thing recently so I know of it)

Plenty of blues songs feature a protagonist who’s a jerk.

Excellent example and you beat my to it by mere seconds. I’ve been listening to the Halloween 77 concerts and every rendition of this song is amazing.

Every Breath You Take - The Police (damn, ninja’d !!!)

Are we making a sub-distinction between songs where the protagonist is overtly asserting his badness/villainy like that and “Under My Thumb” or “Run for your Life”, fully aware of it, or where he’s making excuses for his behavior as in “I Saw Her Again” or taking it casually as in “Escape”?

Nope. He sees a woman with another man, she smiles at him, he “falls” for her and spends the rest of the song about how it will never be.

Feel free to call up James Blunt and tell him he’s wrong, then.

I was going by the lyrics.

“That’s what you get for loving me.”-Gordon Lightfoot

Can’t get much more dickish than the character in Warren Zevon’s Mr. Bad Example:

I started as an altar boy, working at the church
Learning all my holy moves, doing some research
Which led me to a cash box, labeled “Children’s Fund”
I’d leave the change, and tuck the bills inside my cummerbund

My favorite line comes a bit later:

Of course I went to law school and took a law degree…
mmm

“Gentle On My Mind” - Glen Campbell

Nice to know I can always drop by, get laid, then vanish.

Skeleton Key” by Margot and the Nuclear So and Sos
You’re Not Good Enough” by Blood Orange
I Can’t Make Me” by Butterfly Boucher
Y Que?” by Babasonicos (translated lyrics here)

“Cat’s in the Cradle.”

“Positively 4th Street” and “Like a Rolling Stone,” arguably.

“Gallows Pole,” at least the end part.

Most, if not all, songs in the gangsta rap genre, I would think.

“Free Bird” by Lynrd Skynrd.

“Shooting Star” by Harry Chapin.

Yeah, if that’s what Blunt wanted to convey he failed miserably.