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I'm Straight Lyrics
I called this number three
times already today
But I, I got scared, I put it back in place
I put my phone back in place
I still don't know if I
should have called up
Look, just tell me why don't you
If I'm out of place
'Cause here's your chance to make me feel awkward
And wish that I
had never even called up this place
I saw you though today
walk by with hippie Johnny
I had to call up and say how I want to take his place
So this phone call today concerns
hippie Johnny
He's always stoned, he's never straight
I saw you today, you know, walk by with hippie Johnny
Look, I had to call up and say, I want to take his place
See he's stoned, hippie Johnny
Now get this, I'm straight
And I wanna take his place
Now look, I like him too, I like
hippie Johnny
But I'm straight
And I want to take his place
I said, I'm straight
I said, I'm straight
I'm proud to say
Well I'm straight
And I wanna take his place
Now I've watched you walk around here
I've watched you meet
these new boyfriends, I know
And you tell how they're deep
Look but, if these guys, if they're really so great
tell me, why can't they at least take this place and take it straight?
Why always stoned, like hippie Johnny is?
I'm straight and I want to take his place
Oh I'm certainly not stoned, like hippie Johnny is
I'm straight and I want to take his place
I said, I'm straight
I said, I'm straight
I'm
I'm straight and I want to take his place
All right you Modern Lovers what do you say?
(I'm straight!)
Tell the world now
(I'm straight!)
That's it
(I'm straight!)
Yeah I'm straight and I want to take his place
times already today
But I, I got scared, I put it back in place
I put my phone back in place
I still don't know if I
should have called up
Look, just tell me why don't you
If I'm out of place
'Cause here's your chance to make me feel awkward
And wish that I
had never even called up this place
walk by with hippie Johnny
I had to call up and say how I want to take his place
So this phone call today concerns
hippie Johnny
He's always stoned, he's never straight
I saw you today, you know, walk by with hippie Johnny
Look, I had to call up and say, I want to take his place
See he's stoned, hippie Johnny
Now get this, I'm straight
And I wanna take his place
hippie Johnny
But I'm straight
And I want to take his place
I said, I'm straight
I said, I'm straight
I'm proud to say
Well I'm straight
And I wanna take his place
I've watched you meet
these new boyfriends, I know
And you tell how they're deep
Look but, if these guys, if they're really so great
tell me, why can't they at least take this place and take it straight?
Why always stoned, like hippie Johnny is?
I'm straight and I want to take his place
Oh I'm certainly not stoned, like hippie Johnny is
I'm straight and I want to take his place
I said, I'm straight
I said, I'm straight
I'm
I'm straight and I want to take his place
All right you Modern Lovers what do you say?
(I'm straight!)
Tell the world now
(I'm straight!)
That's it
(I'm straight!)
Yeah I'm straight and I want to take his place
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yea, upthera44, I agree. Apparently Hippie Johnny refers to on-and-off Modern Lovers guitarist John Felice. This message still stands true today. My mates are all clever but hide behind the fake auspices of shitly-mixed drugs at parties. "I'm proud to say I'M STRAIGHT!" - must have been a controversial thing just after the '60s. Also, a lot of (citation needed) people in the UK think that this song refers to JR's sexual orientation. Ahh, the Atlantic...
One comment! really, this is the greatest song, I actually keep it in my velvet underground playlist, b/c it reminds me so much of them. I could listen to this a million times
one of the best albums ever made
this song, ironically, is great to listened to while stoned/yayed out.
Ok, maybe I'm out on the deep end with this one but... Does anyone feel like this song could possibly be a sort of multiple personality type thing? Like, Hippy Johnny is actually the person singing, at least, another side of him. Therefore, the person who's "Straight" is the other side of him, and this side wants to "take the place" of "Hippy Johnny." I dunno, just a theory.
"I'm Straight" refers to being sober from alcohol and drugs.The song is pretty clear. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Straight_edge
I've always thought "hippie Johnny" actually was John Lennon. And I want to take his place would basically mean "take his place at the top of the charts" or something. Give this idea a try and you may find this song even better!
please please go out with weirdo me, because I'm not on drugs. isn't that a good enough reason for you? that guy's neat, I guess, but like, he does drugs, so date me.
I really interpreted this as being a song about homosexual prostitution. A "straight" guy calls up a hooker he's seen recently, and had a very awkward and defensive conversation.