First time I heard this song I loved it. It was by a group called Lone Justice with lead singer Maria McKee. The song was Ways to be Wicked and it was written by Tom Petty and Mike Campbell. I loved McKee’s voice.
In 1985 the song peaked at #29 in the Mainstream Rock Charts and #77 in the UK. This is a surprise to me because I heard the song quite a bit back then and thought it charted higher. They had two more songs that come to mind. “I Found Love” and “Shelter”. They should have made it further than they did. Maria did have a number 1 in the UK with “Show Me Heaven” in 1990.
Ways To Be Wicked
Honey, why you always smile
When you see me hurt so bad?
Tell me what I did to you, babe
That would make you act like that?
Well, I’ve been your fool before, honey
Yeah, and I probably will again
‘Cuz you ain’t afraid to let me have it
No, you ain’t afraid to stick it in
Well, you know so many
Ways to be wicked
Ooh, but you don’t know one little thing
About love
Well, I can take a little pain
Yeah, I can hold it pretty well
I can watch your little eyes light up
While you’re walkin’ me through Hell
Well, I’ve been your fool before, honey
Yeah, and I probably will again
‘Cuz you ain’t afraid to let me have it
No, you ain’t afraid to stick it in
Well, you know so many
Ways to be wicked
But you don’t know one little thing
About love
Those cobra eyes
Lie with a smile
Baby you take pride
In the devil down inside, yeah
Well, I can take a little pain
Yeah, I can hold it pretty well
I can watch your little eyes light up
While you’re walkin’ me through Hell
Well, I’ve been your fool before
Yeah, and I probably will again
You ain’t afriad to let me have it
No, you ain’t afraid to sitck it in
Well, you know so many
Ways to be wicked
Ooh, but you don’t know one little thing
About love
Well, you know so many
Ways to be wicked
Yeah, but you don’t know one little, one little thing
About love
Yeah you know so many
Ways to be wicked
But you don’t know one little, one little
PowerPop... An Eclectic Collection of Pop Culture 
Same here- I don’t know where I heard Lone Justice but I went out and bought their album after I did. Had their first couple albums- liked them-and then they kind of disappeared from the radar.
LikeLike
I’m missing messages everywhere. She has such a good voice and then gone. I liked their other “hits” also.
LikeLiked by 1 person
You mentioned them the other day- just put it on– Sniff N The Tears album- FIckle Heart- not bad..
LikeLiked by 1 person
I like the name of the band…I looked up the Famous Poodles the other day when you mentioned them…what a name like you said.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Nice! I’d forgotten about the song but not the band. They actually were opening act for U2 when I saw them in 80s, were quite a good live act. I figured they were going to be bigger than they were… music’s a dice roll though
LikeLiked by 1 person
I was 18 when I the on a show playing this and I played in a band…I was in love lol…
I love her voice and they sound they had…The song is extremely catchy and also “I Found Love”… Don’t know why they weren’t bigger.
I wish I could have seen them live… I saw U2 once…Big Audio Dynamite opened for them.
LikeLike
I always loved this song. I believed their biggest hit was a song called Shelter. I still have their greatest hits CD.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I never understood why they didn’t’ make it bigger.
LikeLike
I remember Rolling Stone magazine loved this band and Maria McKee back then, but they didn’t get any airplay at all where I was living. They were sure talented.
LikeLiked by 1 person
They were and I love her voice.
LikeLiked by 1 person