‘Cops’, Inner Circle’s ‘Bad Boys’ Theme Song Pulled From U.S. Television
The long-running television reality show “Cops”, which featured the popular theme song “Bad Boys” by Jamaican reggae band Inner Circle, has been cancelled.
“Lewis, Ian” Paramount Network last month shut down “Cops”, which was first aired in 1989 and shows police officers working, as demonstrations sprung up across the United States protesting brutality by law enforcement.
″‘Cops’ is not on the Paramount Network and we don’t have any current or future plans for it to return,” a Paramount Network spokesperson noted in a statement released on June 9.
Paramount Network (then known as Spike TV) had broadcast the show since 2013, after it ran for 25 seasons on Fox.
Originally, Paramount said it was temporarily taking “Cops” out of its lineup “out of respect for the families of George Floyd and others who have lost their lives.” Floyd died in Minneapolis on May 25 after police officers kneeled on him. His death sparked the massive protests.
POPULARITY
While “Cops” has been criticized for showing officers pursuit and questionable treatment of suspects, the theme song “Bad Boys”, known for its tantalizing bass line, has retained its popularity over the years. It’s catchy lyrics have also found favor with millions, especially the chorus: “Bad boys, bad boys, whatcha gonna do? Whatcha you gonna do when they come for you?”
Jamaican Ian Lewis of Inner Circle wrote “Bad Boys” and played bass on the cut. Last month, he reflected on the song, its popularity and impact to Rolling Stone.
“Thirty years. How many groups in the world can say they have a song that the world knows, but what is not understood is the essence of the song,” he told the publication. “It was used in the context of ‘Cops’, but if they listen to the song, everybody just knows the hook. They don't listen to the words of the song where it's talking about a person who was coming into crime and adversarial towards their parents. The song is about growing up (as a teenager] who wants to be a man but doesn't understand that it's the family that you should springboard from. I think it was slightly misunderstood, but worldwide, we never got a negative connotation.”
NEW MEANING
“Bad Boys” may take on new meaning in an era when the police are being heavily scrutinized. It is a time, Lewis believes, to re-examine the meaning of the song’s lyrics.
“I hope people take a moment to understand that the song is about teenage life and becoming semi-aggressive as you start growing up,” he told Rolling Stone. “We have played in places where everybody sings the song because music is the healer. If you are black; if you are white. If the culture is not shielding children (from trouble), then you're gonna get problems. That has been the neglect of certain strata of American society that has been forcing kids to take things in their own hands; but if you give them aptitude, attitude and knowledge, they will go to good places."
