Johnny Strikes Up The Band

The song is about Johnny Carson. Way back when, people tuned into the Tonight Show to 'get away from it all', to put our mind at ease. And Johnny delivered night after night - the keeper of the keys, back by popular demand. Jubilation refers to his hilarious show. Fred de Cordova was Johnny's long-time, unflappable producer (Freddy get ready, rock-steady). In the Excitable Boy version, Warren even exclaims... Heeeeeeere's Johnny, like Ed McMahon used to do. If you grew up watching Carson and enjoy the song in this context, it may quickly become one of your favorites.

Simple song about the power of music.

this song always struck me as a middle class anthem. reminded me of block parties and dancing, the power music has to draw communities together.

I always interpreted this song as an ironic nod to Johnny (Rotten) Lydon. About the time Excitable Boy came-out, the Sex Pistols were completing their tragic arc to destruction...

I think it's a hybrid with elements of the Tonight Show, but mainly taking his son for a walk and seeing life and music outside.

"Dry your eyes my little friend Let me take you by the hand."

He and his son are on a walk: "Look around my little friend Jubilation in the land."

I think it has a lot of emotion in it.

I often thought the Johnny in this song might be John Lennon and the band he strikes up would be, of course, none other than Elephants Memory (heehee, just kidding, the Beatles). I'm a big W.Z. fan but this was never one of my favs.

Also meant to mention that The Sex Pistols evolved from The Strand, a London band formed in 1972 with Steve Jones on vocals, Paul Cook on drums.

This is a song about a drug dealer, kids.

It's a great song.

This song is about American consumerism applied to religion,.. rather God being sold as a product. The song is deep with a lot of implications. Johnny is obviously God with THE band. “Dry your eyes my little friend.”Okay, so why are you crying (without context)? Something is heavy. And in full use by Warren are onslaughts of glib American sales slogans - repeatedly and to the point one really must take note of their use as an important part of this song’s analysis. Warren is clearly knocking religion by applying it in this way. He promises and promises us all this jubilee and elation —even down in the “projects” and that we will “walk along the strand” - these are very contrasting places, the strand being an upper crust region of Westminster England. So we’ll ALL be walking along the strand as tho we’re suddenly equal to all —as in Heaven. Even those of us from “the projects”. Johnny is the “main man” and “keeper of the keys”. These are potent words and exult “johnny” beyond band leader or any person, really. But I digress. He makes nothing but promises and not once any glimmer of evidence of it having happened before- “when” johnny strikes up the band. This “WHEN” is crucial and Warren repeats this by saying, “when johnny strikes up the - when johnny strikes up the -when johnny strikes up the…” when the when is upon us, buddy, that’s when johnny strikes it up. We have but one uncertain or unknown time of just “when”. But oh boy, “when” he strikes it up the fruits will land straight into your open hand. This is my favorite song by Warren bc on its face, it seems very vapid, nothing but sensationalized sales verbiage with a lot of promises splattered against a catchy bit of music. Very different than his oft dark, if not black, Warren folk tales, for lack of a better description. But oh, my little friend, it is so much more.

Me neither. Possibly the worst song on the Excitable Boy album. But still better than most of the trash lesser songwriters get vaway with. I'd take this song over most of what's in the Top 20 now-a-days any time.