Criminal Lyrics

[Verse 1]
He is a hustler, he's no good at all
He is a loser, he's a bum, bum, bum, bum

He lies, he bluffs, he's unreliable
He is a sucker with a gun, gun, gun, gun
I know you told me I should stay away
I know you said he's just a dog astray
He's a bad boy with a tainted heart
And even I know this ain't smart

[Chorus]
But mama, I'm in love with a criminal
And this type of love isn't rational, it's physical
Mama, please don't cry, I will be alright
All reason aside, I just can't deny, love the guy

[Verse 2]
He is a villain by the devil's law
He is a killer just for fun, fun, fun, fun
The man's a snitch and unpredictable
He's got no conscience, he got none, none, none, none
Oh-oh, I know, oh, should've let go, but no
'Cause he's a bad boy with a tainted heart
And even I know this ain't smart

[Chorus]
But mama, I'm in love with a criminal
And this type of love isn't rational, it's physical
Mama, please don't cry, I will be alright
All reason aside, I just can't deny, love the guy
[Bridge]
And he's got my name
Tattooed on his arm, his lucky charm
So I guess it's okay, he's with me

And I hear people talk (People talk)
Try to make remarks, keep us apart
But I don't even hear, I don't care

[Chorus]
'Cause mama, I'm in love with a criminal
And this type of love isn't rational, it's physical
Mama, please don't cry, I will be alright
All reason aside, I just can't deny, love the guy
(Oh, I know, oh) Mama, I'm in love with a criminal
(Should've let go) And this type of love isn't rational
(But no) It's physical
(Oh, I know, oh) Mama, please don't cry, I will be alright
(Should've let go) All reason aside
(But no) I just can't deny, love the guy

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About

Genius Annotation

“Criminal” is a song by Britney Spears from her seventh studio album, Femme Fatale. The song was released as the fourth and final single from the album.

Britney sings about being in love with a bad boy and outlaw, and pleads to her mother to not worry about their relationship.

“Criminal” received mostly critical acclaim, with reviewers praising its organic and refreshing feel in comparison with the rest of the album.

Q&A

Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning

Translations
Genius Answer
What did Britney Spears say about "Criminal"?
Genius Answer

According to SongFacts, Britney confirmed at the MTV VMAs that “Criminal” has won a Facebook poll for the next Femme Fatale single:

Actually the song, when I first heard it, [I thought] ‘It’s really different and [there’s] not anything I’ve heard like this before’. So I really wanted to deliver this song."

Official Lyric Video
Genius Answer

How did "Criminal" perform on the charts?
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