Biggering and How Bad Can I Be? (Lorax lyrics analysis)

a lyrics analysis of Biggering and "How Bad Can I Be". Focusing on the figurative devices used.
This was made as a school assignment btw
Credits to ‪@The_Sin_Squad‬ 's video for first introducing me to the song "Biggering" and serving as a large inspiration for this video.
"Biggering" by John Paul and Cinco Paul
"How Bad Can I Be?" by John Paul and Cinco Paul

[@fancysandshrew]

Update: got 88.33%

[@frenchpotato2852]

88 like the band? Lol

[@fancysandshrew]

@@frenchpotato2852 88 as in 26.5 out of 30

[@frenchpotato2852]

@@fancysandshrew The 88 was (supposedly) sung the song.

[@fancysandshrew]

@@frenchpotato2852 oh

[@Addsup]

@@fancysandshrew bruh teacher is cringe

[@CA-xx7no]

I like to imagine Biggering is what actually happened and How Bad Can I Be is what The Onceler told Ted happened

[@tigertempertantrum6573]

... Yeah, that has to be canon because that just makes so much sense. XD

[@TuPapa...]

Yeah, biggering is like with more memory stuff like i remember when i smoke in my bif chair big hat, i remember when all the crowd was a fan of me And how bad can i be is like more surrealistic and more of a musical

[@lewislake5128]

Omg that’s smart

[@triday_dimroy5171]

Dude yes!!

[@Cozm1k]

That’s the theory most people have. You can find other people saying the same in the comments of videos about Biggering.

[@M.Ogames]

Something I realized is that in "How Bad Can I Be" the Loraz is trying to save the trees, but in "Biggering" the Loraz is trying to save the Oncler.

[@ErikuISmaybeBACK]

:0 Truth … Kinda weird isnt it ..

[@Abdeena]

Lorax is trying to stop onceler from cutting the trees lorax has always wanted a happy ending where the trees are safe and sound and so is onceler, he just wanted onceler to go away in peace so that no one is harmed.

[@Abdeena]

​@ErikuISmaybeBACK are you telling me ur shipping some old man with a furry orange Pringle man?

[@ErikuISmaybeBACK]

@@Abdeena NO ! I would never do something like that uhh 😳

[@leafy_bfb1]

​@@ErikuISmaybeBACKI AINT MAD OK👍

[@NectarNapper]

Love hearing the contrast between the happy and upbeat “how bad can i be” against the depressing and rock “biggering”

[@elver2218]

I would call it Epic build up decay of a person

[@professormadhattgaming583]

I like to imagine that at the end of How Bad Can I Be, he’s wondering how much he can get away with before they stop him.

[@Michealaflon]

"How bad can i be? Lets see."

[@blockedjuser1272]

But what he fails to accept is that he is the only one resposible to stop.

[@Gameferret16191]

​​@@blockedjuser1272xactly its clear he has no regard for the law and also bribes them he is the one

[@ontos8914]

I really wish we had gotten that slightly darker original version of the movie they clearly wanted to make

[@ErikuISmaybeBACK]

Same 🥲

[@farnell9344]

I think how bad can I be is really a good representation of how people justify obvious wrong doings while biggering he is aware, but just doesn’t care which also happens, but for his character I think how bad can I be suits him but doesn’t sound as good as biggering

[@dilophosaur5574]

how bad can i be fits better into the goofy theme of the movie, but biggering is the better song

[@fancysandshrew]

the fact they made such a goofy movie for one of dr suess's most serious books is just...

[@elver2218]

​@@fancysandshrew depressing?

[@fancysandshrew]

@@elver2218 I was thinking irresponsible but that works

[@elver2218]

@@fancysandshrew Listening to it again in the video just makes me hate it more. Its just a neverending corporate jingle.

[@deadmeme7030]

I think that clash of tones could have actually made Biggering more effective

[@vanilladip]

“How bad can I be” gives “oops I accidentally joined the Italian mafia” vibes

[@user-hp5jn8ij9x]

Biggering is seriously a iconic word from the lorax, Like BFDI's number 2763.

[@magentawool2556]

Everyone says this, but the meaning clearly changes by the latter half of the song. He starts off innocent, then he realizes he can get more power. The meaning changes from "Oh, how bad can I be? I'm just cutting down some trees." to "How bad can I be before someone stops me?"

[@toastyeditz]

I don't know why no one realizes that. He literally says "How bad can I possibly be? let's see"

[@NineOneTwenty]

While I don’t mind How Bad Can I Be, I absolutely love Biggering. It sounds like it came out of a rock opera and the lyrics have this melancholy feel to them. Like the Onceler is reflecting on how only caring about the results and the bottom line got him to where he is now…

[@CapitanJorge24]

SHAKE THAT

[@zombiecombo7441]

If you listen closeley to "How Bad Can I Be," the backround vocals start to say specific words, such as war, pork, yen, cut, squash, etc.

[@itisrandom8868]

I also noticed that if your listen to the end of how bad can I be, where the onceler's voice becomes more corrupted and evil, If you listen really closely when he plays a strum on his guitar and the trees immediately fall, the strum sounds a bit like one of the notes from biggering.

[@NotALavaLamp]

To me "How Bad Can I Be" feels like Oncelers perspective, but "Biggering" is everyone elses (or just the Lorax's) perspective (But hey, thats just my interpretation :P)

[@sergiogoni1108]

With the similarities, I think Biggering could've been used as a darker reprise of How Bad Can I be? HBCIB would show his naive start and slow descent into greed, where is no longer about "How is this that I'm doing bad?" and more "How bad can I truly become?". Then Biggering would've made it clear that he has completely fallen victim to his own pride and now knows what he's doing is bad but he'll keep on doing it anyways to "survive".

[@worthybutter2004]

Yeah, i agree. They should’ve used that idea for the film. Missed opportunity, right there.

[@HyperTimeWaste]

They could’ve made the movie longer, changed then ending of how bad can I be, and made the movie get much darker from there leading to biggering and the fall of the last tree

[@hihey_you]

I think I’m unhealthily obsessed with the Lorax and I’ve watched and came up with so many theories and analyses it’s not good 😨

[@hihey_you]

I LITERALLY THINK ABOUT IT APL DAY

[@cookiesandmilkpanda]

SAME OSTG ITS GONNA BECOME MY NEW HYPERFIXATION.

[@nxtsume9330]

@@cookiesandmilkpanda me

[@ArisbeyBR]

Literalmente yo Me eh visto la película repetidas veces y todos los análisis de KZbin

[@Brilliant_bullfish11037]

@@cookiesandmilkpanda for me it already has-

[@zuko6049]

I just watched a whole school assigned video and actually enjoyed it learning how deep bro pushed my brain into his knowledge of 2 songs.

[@fancysandshrew]

really surprised people did watch it

[@zuko6049]

@@fancysandshrew I truly thought you'd have more than 55 subs 😭 You need more subs bro

[@fancysandshrew]

@@zuko6049 thanks mate

[@Mr.Yeast6000]

Biggering is what I like to imagine what was kept from Ted, while secretly the onecler kept biggering locked up in his brain, he's been keeping from the world, only he knows about, the TRUE ending to his rampage on trees

[@hopelessamaturerougeofhope4399]

I like to think biggering is something that the onceler regrets doing and is that one thing he doesn't really like looking back on all the details so we get a watered down version of it which is how bad can I be?

[@ARanDomGuyOnTheInternet_]

They made a song so true that now we can use it as evidence against their questionable decisions

[@brietterfly9219]

6 minutes ago

[@CryingAutumn]

@@brietterfly9219 2 weeks ago

[@brietterfly9219]

@@CryingAutumn 2 days ago

[@CryingAutumn]

@@brietterfly9219 10 hours ago

[@brietterfly9219]

@@CryingAutumn 1 day ago

[@dablloydtruther]

something I recommend is making the music a little quieter,other than that this is a amazing video

[@fancysandshrew]

thanks, i got that feedback from some other people as well

[@IHaveInsomnia333]

Hell of a school assignment

[@Slavemaster18]

My theory is that “How bad can I be” is what The Once-ler told Ted but “Biggering” is what actually happened.

[@Rarkss]

Do you have proof

[@v1p3rlotus]

@@Rarkss do you understand what theory means

[@Rarkss]

@@v1p3rlotus yes

[@luannacartoon2510]

It makes sense

[@Transmasc_Link]

I like to think biggering is what happened well How bad can I be? is what the Once-ler told Ted

[@tippyship]

This Movie was oranginally going to be very different but since the staff that designed the oranginal can not choose to make it a movie but it would be cool and made a movie just using the scraped clips and songs

[@Thechannelthatexistsforcontent]

They are both amazing songs

[@Countrybally8447]

One better then the other Biggering > how b-a-ad can I be

[@Thechannelthatexistsforcontent]

@@Countrybally8447 LOL

[@AHP260]

@@Thechannelthatexistsforcontent fax tho

[@Thechannelthatexistsforcontent]

@@AHP260 YES

[@johnmurphy9023]

​@@Countrybally8447 The other way around. The whole monologue of Biggering kills the song for me lol. Unnecessary long

[@F0X47]

Remember I saw a theory where how bad can i be is what the onceler told ted and biggering is what actually happened

[@Chris_wizz]

I like how bad can I be but biggering is so much better

[@WilliametcCook]

"How Bad Can I Be" is more subtle with the slippery slope message. The main line is an innocent question at the start. "He's just one dude. What could he actually do?" The ending lines twist it, as the chorus repeats it behind lines like "And the PR people are lying!". "Oh," you say, "he could do _that!"_ "Biggering" is _very_ blatant; see the line "Though the biggering is triggering more biggering!"

[@goldgamer9160]

I like to think that how bad can i be is what the oncler thinks hes doing and biggering is what is actually happening

[@hieq]

how the heck do you only have 125 subs you deserve way more this is amazing

[@Average_FoxDoge]

you need more subs fancy bc your vids are so good :D

[@fancysandshrew]

Thanks but all of my videos were last minute assignments

[@Average_FoxDoge]

@@fancysandshrew oof

[@potato7640]

It's ironic they got rid of this song so they can bigger.

[@Rifilon]

How babble can i be

[@thestupidguy12345]

the loraks

[@SuperBatSpider]

The comment that put it best is this (Forget the Username): Biggering is what happened How Bad Can I Be is what you say in court

[@ultrakid8497]

That actually makes sense

[@SuperBatSpider]

@@ultrakid8497 Also, How Bad Can I Be works in context in my opinion. Contrasting by trying to deny you’re doing anything wrong while directly showing us you’re being awful. But the problem is when we’re being shown what the Onceler is doing, it’s all visual, and the audio in a SONG will obviously linger much longer, the song absolutely does not work without that contrast.

[@iLikeTheUDK]

I think that ideally the movie would keep both songs, with Biggering coming later and How Bad Can I Be modified to have a bit less of Biggering in it. It would be made longer and fit more things between them to keep them not too close together, but I honestly think the idea of having a reprise of How Bad Can I Be in a different context would be really powerful. In HBCIB we see the Onceler just throwing around nonsense, this misreading of "survival of the fittest" that's made to excuse things like eugenics and imperialism, disconnected from what's actually going on, like some conservative propaganda account on Twitter or a PragerU video, maybe the Onceler kind of seeing the writing on the wall and trying to deny it. But then in a later song we see him not only reaffirming those same beliefs but DOUBLING DOWN on the harm he's causing in the name of those beliefs. We see what they actually translate to in practice (you should see the storyboard for this scene, it's great), and suddenly those words get a new meaning and feel different, and it's terrifying, in a good way. We see just how dangerous those ideas are and how monstrous the Onceler actually is, which after he previously seemed problematic but still cute and tame enough is shocking. How bad can the Onceler be? _Very_. Unfortunately this an animated feature film aimed at kids and intended on making the most profits possible, and now a three-hour stage musical :(

[@jordanquimby854]

There is no official storyboard it is all fan made

[@iLikeTheUDK]

@@jordanquimby854 ahhh ok

[@rabiddonkeyy]

great video thank you!!

[@blockedjuser1272]

I feel like this is just confermation of the message. That corporate greed has mutch the same as the lorax drowned it out with noise.

[@mr.mcknight9536]

Cool Video.

[@cc-or1mp]

bro you need way more subs

[@the_cuck]

honestly amazing video

[@ChickenNuggetManCNM]

I hear a lot of people say that they like to imagine that How Bad Can I Be is what the Onceler told and Biggering is what really happened, but what I like to imagine is that after how bad can I be Biggering happened but Onceler left it out.

[@cuddlycathy6951]

I feel like biggering happened after how bad can I be, considering the fact how he was already evil. HBCIB was the start of him being evil, and in biggering he was already evil.

[@MinaWalker]

I think the song “cuckoo” by Rob Cantor is better then both of these. Personally I’d say the onceler could absolutely pull it off ❤

[@Abdeena]

200th sub

[@EthanPlagueTheOneAndOnly]

I thought you had much more subscribers! 200k at least! What the hell? Why is nobody subscribing?

[@Toddmypookie]

I'm like both song to be honest

[@TheBird..]

Biggering should have been the song used instead of how bad can I be

[@sakareeh]

Fr but it was too realistic for illumination

[@davidcaceres9184]

6:27 Twitter vs Mr beast

[@Xtreme_Official1]

cool

[@fancysandshrew]

Like if you found this video while researching for a school assignment

[@Addsup]

I just found it from recommendations after watching a bunch of let it grow memes

[@fancysandshrew]

@@Addsup fair, i guess that would ve how most people find this video

[@hello_ree]

@@Addsup me too

[@prxblematic_]

im actually making a school project thanks for being a distraction i needed it /j

[@georgemilkovich8791]

I imagine how bad could i be would be about the oncler earlier on while biggering was him at the prime of the business

[@stelbertstylton]

biggering didn't deserve this man

[@Addsup]

tell your classmates i said hi lol

[@ODSToftheMOJAVE]

Anyone else CAN get how bad can i be out of your head?

[@dr.coolsman9564]

🤓☝️

[@Vextonomy]

Was top ironic

[@Kougga]

When having a look at 'How bad can I be' the background choir sings "how ba-a-a-ad can we be?" at some point. Listen to the choir at 2:10 of the song. They first say "How bad can I be?", but after that they change to "How bad can we be?" for 2 times. I don't know if they sing "he" or "we", but it doesn't sound like "I". You propably need earphones to hear it, you need to listen very closely. Perhaps I keep mistaking it, but I want tomeone else to check. 🥲

[@fancysandshrew]

I definitely think I hear what you are talking about, it sounds like "he" to me. But I can't find lyrics online that has that

[@Yourleastfavouritemuffin]

One thing i hate about is how much blur there is. Stilla good video =

[@williamgripshover331]

he has to or he will be copywright struck

[@seanandre4432]

I see it ass: "how bad can i be" the justification" and "Biggering" the truth

[@Jamlord2061]

biggering is a more powerful song

[@victorbrachojr1114]

To be fair, I prefer How Bad Can I Be's latinoamerican version, Onceler sounds less stupid there haha

[@JoelTheParrot]

5:15 what? That's such a stretch ...AND THAT'S IN YOUR SCHOOL ASSIGNMENT?! otherwise great

[@LivMLund]

It's a shame the music in the background is almost the same volume as your voice while you speak over it. I can barely focus on what you're saying or hear it a some points

[@SamsterHamster23]

C grade video

[@fancysandshrew]

Eh, didn't get my grade back yet so I don't know

[@fancysandshrew]

oh wait, you're Ryan's friend

[@SamsterHamster23]

@@fancysandshrew Ryan doesnt have friends

[@Rigby350]

@@SamsterHamster23 yeah bruh Ryan's like the gayest guy ever

[@ryanlulw2812]

@@Rigby350 who are you bro

[@karlbergman5678]

I like this analysis, but I think the primary reason biggering wasnt used is because its a depressing rock song. I dont think ive ever seen a down beat, depressing rock song in a kids movie. How bad can I be fits better in the movie, but biggering is so much more meaningful, the lorax just wasnt the place for it.

[@Flips_the_Scriptor]

Thats probably one of the excuses that Illumination said to keep it out of the movie, but I think it's a combination of "ooo it's too dark children are watching this" and "why would we badmouth corporate greed if we have so many ties in advertising?"

[@karlbergman5678]

@@Flips_the_Scriptor The entire movie is kind of anti-corporate which leads me to believe it wasnt a reason, but perhaps they dont want specific messages to be too loud

[@user-gz3hz7mw3h]

FARD

[@aperson1842]

biggering better

[@RandomGuyOnTheInternet833]

team biggering reply here

[@Rifilon]

How babble can i be