The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
Ow!
Whoa, yeah!
There she goes and knows I'm dying
When she says, "Who is Johnny?"
Games with names that girl is playing.
All she says is, "Who is Johnny?"
I try to understand because I'm people too,
And playing games is part of human nature.
My heart's in overdrive.
It's great to be alive.
"Who's Johnny?" she said
And smiled in her special way.
"Johnny," she said
"You know I love you."
"Who's Johnny?" she said
And tried to look the other way.
Eyes gave her away.
All right!
Whoa, oh, oh ...
She makes sure I see her teasing,
Hear her say, "Who is Johnny?"
There's no way to take this easy,
Hear her say, "Who is Johnny?"
I really couldn't help but fall in love with her.
Her being there has made my life worth living.
I knew it from the start
That I would lose my heart.
"Who's Johnny?" she said
And smiled in her special way.
"Johnny," she said
"You know I love you."
"Who's Johnny?" she said
And tried to look the other way.
Still pretending.
"Who's Johnny? Who's Johnny?"
Whoa, oh, oh, no
"Who's Johnny? Who's Johnny?"
Oh, no, no, no. I don't believe it.
"Who's Johnny?" she said
And tried to look the other way.
Eyes gave her away.
(Girls like her) are very special.
Girls (like her) don't rest
'Til you too are a believer
'Til you too have caught their fever.
"Who is Johnny?"
There she goes and knows I'm dying
When she says, "Who is -- Who -- Who is ..."
"Who's Johnny?" she said
And smiled in her special way.
"Johnny," she said
"You know I love you."
"Who's Johnny?" she said
And tried to look the other way.
Eyes gave her away.
"Who's Johnny? Who's Johnny? Who's Johnny?"
"Who's Johnny? Who's Johnny? Who's Johnny?"
"Who's Johnny? Who's Johnny? Who's Johnny?"
That girl's pretending she can't remember my name.
"Who's Johnny? Who's Johnny? Who's Johnny?"
Oh, I can't believe it.
"Who's Johnny? Who's Johnny? Who's Johnny?"
I hope this girl is only teasing.
"Who's Johnny? Who's Johnny? Who's Johnny?"
She walked away with someone else
And left me standing there.
"Who's Johnny? Who's Johnny? Who's Johnny?"
"Who's Johnny? Who's Johnny? Who's Johnny?"
"Who's Johnny? Who's Johnny? Who's Johnny?"
Oh, Johnny come lately.
"Who's Johnny?"
Whoa, yeah!
There she goes and knows I'm dying
When she says, "Who is Johnny?"
Games with names that girl is playing.
All she says is, "Who is Johnny?"
I try to understand because I'm people too,
And playing games is part of human nature.
My heart's in overdrive.
It's great to be alive.
"Who's Johnny?" she said
And smiled in her special way.
"Johnny," she said
"You know I love you."
"Who's Johnny?" she said
And tried to look the other way.
Eyes gave her away.
All right!
Whoa, oh, oh ...
She makes sure I see her teasing,
Hear her say, "Who is Johnny?"
There's no way to take this easy,
Hear her say, "Who is Johnny?"
I really couldn't help but fall in love with her.
Her being there has made my life worth living.
I knew it from the start
That I would lose my heart.
"Who's Johnny?" she said
And smiled in her special way.
"Johnny," she said
"You know I love you."
"Who's Johnny?" she said
And tried to look the other way.
Still pretending.
"Who's Johnny? Who's Johnny?"
Whoa, oh, oh, no
"Who's Johnny? Who's Johnny?"
Oh, no, no, no. I don't believe it.
"Who's Johnny?" she said
And tried to look the other way.
Eyes gave her away.
(Girls like her) are very special.
Girls (like her) don't rest
'Til you too are a believer
'Til you too have caught their fever.
"Who is Johnny?"
There she goes and knows I'm dying
When she says, "Who is -- Who -- Who is ..."
"Who's Johnny?" she said
And smiled in her special way.
"Johnny," she said
"You know I love you."
"Who's Johnny?" she said
And tried to look the other way.
Eyes gave her away.
"Who's Johnny? Who's Johnny? Who's Johnny?"
"Who's Johnny? Who's Johnny? Who's Johnny?"
"Who's Johnny? Who's Johnny? Who's Johnny?"
That girl's pretending she can't remember my name.
"Who's Johnny? Who's Johnny? Who's Johnny?"
Oh, I can't believe it.
"Who's Johnny? Who's Johnny? Who's Johnny?"
I hope this girl is only teasing.
"Who's Johnny? Who's Johnny? Who's Johnny?"
She walked away with someone else
And left me standing there.
"Who's Johnny? Who's Johnny? Who's Johnny?"
"Who's Johnny? Who's Johnny? Who's Johnny?"
"Who's Johnny? Who's Johnny? Who's Johnny?"
Oh, Johnny come lately.
"Who's Johnny?"
Lyrics submitted by bobsmith84
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
Light Up The Sky
Van Halen
Van Halen
Mental Istid
Ebba Grön
Ebba Grön
This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction vocalist Perry Farrell gives Adam Reader some heartfelt insight into Jane’s Addiction's hard rock manifesto "Mountain Song", which was the second single from their revolutionary album Nothing's Shocking. Mountain song was first recorded in 1986 and appeared on the soundtrack to the film Dudes starring Jon Cryer. The version on Nothing's Shocking was re-recorded in 1988.
"'Mountain Song' was actually about... I hate to say it but... drugs. Climbing this mountain and getting as high as you can, and then coming down that mountain," reveals Farrell. "What it feels to descend from the mountain top... not easy at all. The ascension is tough but exhilarating. Getting down is... it's a real bummer. Drugs is not for everybody obviously. For me, I wanted to experience the heights, and the lows come along with it."
"There's a part - 'Cash in now honey, cash in Miss Smith.' Miss Smith is my Mother; our last name was Smith. Cashing in when she cashed in her life. So... she decided that, to her... at that time, she was desperate. Life wasn't worth it for her, that was her opinion. Some people think, never take your life, and some people find that their life isn't worth living. She was in love with my Dad, and my Dad was not faithful to her, and it broke her heart. She was very desperate and she did something that I know she regrets."
Magical
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
How would you describe the feeling of being in love? For Ed Sheeran, the word is “Magical.” in HIS three-minute album opener, he makes an attempt to capture the beauty and delicacy of true love with words. He describes the magic of it all over a bright Pop song produced by Aaron Dessner.
Head > Heels
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Head > Heels” is a track that aims to capture what it feels like to experience romance that exceeds expectations. Ed Sheeran dedicates his album outro to a lover who has blessed him with a unique experience that he seeks to describe through the song’s nuanced lyrics.
I've liked this song ever since I first saw Short Circuit. Then there was the subsequent video for it (courtroom scene with El DeBarge and Ally Sheedy, with #5 sort-of making appearances and causing mischief.) Brings back lots of good memories.
However, listening to the song now, I get a little bit confused. I understand that it's a girl toying with her guy (though at the end it sounds like she actually leaves him.) But I'm confused about some of the details.
I THINK what it's getting at is this -- the singer is "Johnny", and the girl's pretending she doesn't know who he is. ("That girl's pretending she can't remember my name.") He calls her up or sees her on the street and she pretends, "Who are you?" "You remember me. I'm Johnny!" "Who's Johnny?" but she smiles and winks when she says it.
But if that's the case, what's with the "You know I love you" line? "I don't know who you are, but I love you anyway"?!?! I'm confoozed ...
At any rate -- good song!