# Songs about Johnny... **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 4, 2002, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-johnny/135252 "2002-11-04T20:20:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2002, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-johnny/135252/21 "2002-11-05T13:04:12Z")
Dont’ forget Johnny Bye Bye from Springsteen. I think this is all a realization of the influence that Chuck Berry had on a specific form of guitar based rock and roll songwriting. Even more than Elvis or Buddy Holly Chuck demonstrated that having a guitar and playing could be **fun**. Hell, he still does (when he’s not in jail…which seems to be concommitant with the ‘fun’ aspect). God bless Chuck Berry. ---
**Author:** ![hawthorne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@hawthorne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hawthorne)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2002, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-johnny/135252/22 "2002-11-05T15:15:31Z")
Empty Garden (Hey Hey Johnny) by John/ Taupin refers to a specific Johnny. ---
**Author:** ![Knowed\_Out](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/knowed_out/32/7380_2.png) [@Knowed\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knowed_Out)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2002, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-johnny/135252/23 "2002-11-05T15:16:36Z")
There’s Blue Öyster’s Cult’s _The Marshall Plan_ from their album Cultosaurus Erectus, which had Don Kirshner announcing “with over a million albums to his name in just 2 short years, my friends, here’s Johnny!” ---
**Author:** ![Morgainelf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Morgainelf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgainelf)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2002, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-johnny/135252/24 "2002-11-05T15:24:23Z")
Then there’s “Johnny, Angry Johnny, this is Jezebel in Hell I wanna kill you, I wanna blow you…away” by Poe. I doubt if there’s any Johnny B Goode reference there, though. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2002, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-johnny/135252/25 "2002-11-05T16:46:10Z")
The Kinks sung about Johnny Thunder (fictional) and Johnny and the Hurricanes (real) in “One of the Survivors” George Harrison did “It’s Johnny’s Birthday” on “All Things Must Pass.” I assume it refers to John Lennon (and his song “Birthday”). The phenomenon was the basis for the story “The Public Loves a Johnny” by William F. Nolan. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2002, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-johnny/135252/26 "2002-11-05T17:38:27Z")
A local singer, Vendetta Cream, covers an old song called, “Johnny, tu n’est pas un ange,” in her act. But since the song is in French, I don’t know whether Johnny’s a musician. I only know he’s not an angel. Daniel ---
**Author:** ![Sternvogel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc79bd/32.png) [@Sternvogel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sternvogel)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2002, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-johnny/135252/27 "2002-11-05T18:39:39Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Eonwe \* > \*\*2. Why are all songs of this type about Johnny? Is there some actual Johnny that they’re all referencing? \*\* In the case of “I Walk the Line (Revisited)”, the answer is yes. Recorded by Rodney Crowell (ex-husband of Johnny Cash’s daughter Rosanne), the song recalls the first time Crowell “heard Johnnny Cash sing ‘I Walk the Line’”. By clicking the link below, you can read about an amusing anecdote about Rodney’s attempt to suggest that the “Man in Black” sing the classic tune to a new melody: [http://www.stevenmenke.com/I%20Walk%20The%20Line%20Page.htm](http://www.stevenmenke.com/I%20Walk%20The%20Line%20Page.htm) ---
**Author:** ![dorkusmalorkusmafia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dorkusmalorkusmafia/32/7266_2.png) [@dorkusmalorkusmafia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dorkusmalorkusmafia)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2002, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-johnny/135252/28 "2002-11-05T19:03:58Z")
When Johnny comes marching home again, hurrah hurrah… When Johnny comes marching home again, hurrah hurrah… The \_\_\_ will sing, the boys will shout, the ladies they will all turn out… And we’ll all be happy when Johnny comes marching home. ---
**Author:** ![Bomzaway](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e480ec/32.png) [@Bomzaway](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bomzaway)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2002, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-johnny/135252/29 "2002-11-05T19:07:57Z")
**Only a lad** by Oingo Boingo The “lad” is named Johnny ---
**Author:** ![SmackFu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@SmackFu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmackFu)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2002, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-johnny/135252/30 "2002-11-05T19:09:26Z")
Bouncing Souls, _The Ballad Of Johnny X_. > [@](#): > > Johnny says he’s bound by only six strings to this world > Johnny says he keeps them always one turn out of tune > etc. ---
**Author:** ![digitalskeeza](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@digitalskeeza](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digitalskeeza)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2002, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-johnny/135252/31 "2002-11-05T20:04:41Z")
Johnny Are You Queer? by Josie Cotton. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2002, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-johnny/135252/32 "2002-11-05T21:16:34Z")
“The Late Great Johnny Ace” by Paul Simon. ---
**Author:** ![DaToad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@DaToad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DaToad)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2002, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-johnny/135252/33 "2002-11-05T22:27:57Z")
Johnny Angel - Shelley Fabares’ hit made it to #1 in the early 60s Johnny Yuma - Theme song to TV western, The Rebel. Johnny was played by Nick Adams. (Also early 60s) ---
**Author:** ![Mooch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7bcc69/32.png) [@Mooch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mooch)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2002, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-johnny/135252/34 "2002-11-06T14:30:10Z")
“One was Johnny, who lived by himself. And liked it like that.” ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Angel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d26b3c/32.png) [@Johnny\_Angel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Angel)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2002, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-johnny/135252/35 "2002-11-06T21:51:54Z")
Yes, of course Johnny Angel. I mean, obviously. But also there’s: Johnny Get Angry – Joanie Summers Johnny Get Your Gun – George M. Cohan Johnny Freedom – Johnny Horton Johnny Reb – Johnny Horton Johnny, Johnny, Johnny – Kay Cee Jones Oh, Johnny – Ella Fitzgerald (among others) Frankie and Johnny – Traditional Johnny One-Note – Ella Fitzgerald Many other songs mention a Johnny: The White Cliffs of Dover – Traditional > [@](#): > > The shepherds will tend their sheep > The clouds will bloom again > And Johnny will go to sleep > In his own little room again I Know Where I’m Going – The Weavers > [@](#): > > Feather beds are soft > And painted rooms are bonny > But I would trade them all > For my handsome, winsome Johnny It’s My Party – Leslie Gore > [@](#): > > Nobody knows where my Johnny has gone > But Judy left the same time > Why was he holding her hand > When he’s supposed to be mine? It’s not the only generic male name, but it seems to have a strong resonance in all kinds of contexts. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-johnny/135252.md?page=1)