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Johnny Bye Bye Lyrics
She drew out all her money from the Southern Trust
And put her little boy on a Greyhound Bus
Leaving Memphis with a guitar in his hand
On a one-way ticket to the promised land
Hey little girl with the red dress on
There's party tonight down in Memphis down
I'll be going down there if you need a ride
The man on the radio says Elvis Presley's died
We drove down into Memphis, the sky was hard and black
Up over the ridge came a white Cadillac
They'd drawn out all his money and they laid him in the back
A woman cried from the roadside "Ah he's gone, he's gone"
They found him slumped up against the drain
With a whole lot of trouble running through his veins
Bye-bye Johnny
Johnny bye-bye
You didn't have to die
You didn't have to die
And put her little boy on a Greyhound Bus
Leaving Memphis with a guitar in his hand
On a one-way ticket to the promised land
Hey little girl with the red dress on
There's party tonight down in Memphis down
I'll be going down there if you need a ride
The man on the radio says Elvis Presley's died
Up over the ridge came a white Cadillac
They'd drawn out all his money and they laid him in the back
A woman cried from the roadside "Ah he's gone, he's gone"
They found him slumped up against the drain
With a whole lot of trouble running through his veins
Bye-bye Johnny
Johnny bye-bye
You didn't have to die
You didn't have to die
Song Info
Submitted by
oofus On Jun 05, 2004
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Not sure when Bruce wrote it, but definitely influenced by Elvis Presley and his untimely passing. Bruce often tells the story of how he tried to climb the fence around Graceland to see Elvis when he was still alive.
As a big Elvis fan, he wanted to pay tribute. Too bad this song was not released until the Tracks compilation and that it never received any airplay. It's a beautiful song.
Why does he call Elvis "Johnny"?
Bruce rewrote a Chuck Berry song - Bye Bye Johnny. And yes, he rewrote it in memoriam of his idol Elvis Presley.