Be Good Johnny

Album: Business As Usual (1982)
Charted: 78
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  • Skip de skip, up the road
    Off to school we go
    "Don't you be a bad boy Johnny
    Don't you slip up
    Or play the fool"
    "Oh no Ma, oh no Da,
    I'll be your golden boy
    I will obey ev'ry golden rule"
    Get told by the teacher
    Not to day-dream
    Told by my mother:

    Be good be good
    Be good be good be good
    Be good be good be good be good (Johnny)
    Be good be good
    Be good be good be good
    Be good be good be good
    Be good be good be good
    Be good (Johnny)
    Be good be good.

    "Are you going to play football this year, John?"
    "No!"
    "Oh, well you must be going to play cricket this year then,
    are you Johnny?"
    "No! no! no!"
    "Boy, you sure are a funny kid, Johnny, but I like you! So tell me,
    what kind of a boy are you, John?"

    I only like dreaming
    All the day long
    Where no one is screaming

    Be good be good
    Be good be good be good
    Be good be good be good be good (Johnny)
    Be good be good
    Be good be good be good
    Be good be good be good
    Be good be good be good
    Be good be good be good
    Be good be good be good
    Be good be good be good
    Be good be good be good
    Be good be good be good
    Be good be good be good
    Be good be good be good
    Johnny! Writer/s: COLIN JAMES HAY, GREGORY HAM
    Publisher: Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
    Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Comments: 7

  • Jeff from MassachusettsSo, any boys who don't like to play team sports are gay?

    Lines up with what I was told, as a kid who didn't like to play sports. I also don't find people with pensies attractive, so...
  • 70's Baby from Arizona My father was and is not gay yet told me this song represents how he felt on the 1960's as a child because of his step dad always treating him like crap cause he didnt want to play football or golf and wanted to be a rock musician which was just not acceptable! Just because a child is different doesnt mean they are having a gender identity crisis geez!

    Like the writers of the song explained, "he feels like he understands some things but is completely misunderstood by the adult world, which I think a lot of people feel". People say things for a reason! No need to turn it into a sex/gender/race/religion issue...smdh.
  • Phiilp from Beer Town, Withe harmony of the drums, keyboards and singing on this song are great. as one who daydreamed in school and passed on football despite my talent, i can relate to the lyrics.
  • Saff from Melbourne, AustraliaHe's gay? So the explanation from the song writer himself is not enough for you that you have to decide that the song is about a boy who is gay. I think sometimes people read waaaaay too much in song lyrics, probably more than the song writers ever meant them to mean.
  • Joshua from Houston, TxI think the subtext of this song obviously is that our boy Johnny is not like most of the other boys in that he's gay. Think about it--"Are you going to play football this year, John?" "No!" and "So, tell me, what kind of boy are you, John?"
    "You sure are a funny kid, John, but I like you!"
  • Dave from Liverpool, United Kingdom"Are you going to play football this year, John?"
    "No!"
    "Oh, well you must be going to play
    cricket this year then, are you Johnny?"

    This kind of sums up the Australian psyche..

    Great song, and a brilliant intro.
  • Quin from Alpine, UtThis song is super dank
see more comments

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