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Lost Child Lyrics
Picked up by the police, only seventeen
What did he do, what did he say?
His father left him as a little boy
His mother turned tricks just to buy his toys
72 hour evaluation
Immediate psychiatric help
But Johnny wasn't crazy
He was just an angry boy
Years later, nothing much has changed
Liquor, drugs and gangs have made him a man
Living in the streets in a world of his own
He stops and watches his heart turn to stone
He's an important person now
He's running with a wayward crowd
But Johnny wasn't crazy
He was just a lonely boy
The pain got too great, an eventual suicide
Fear and anger were trapped deep inside
If only Johnny could have opened up his heart
Then me and Johnny wouldn't never had to part
He's tired of running the vicious circle
He loaded and cocked his .45
But Johnny wasn't crazy
He was just a frightened boy
Oh,
How many Johnnys must there be?
Oh Johnny
How I wish you were here
What did he do, what did he say?
His father left him as a little boy
His mother turned tricks just to buy his toys
Immediate psychiatric help
But Johnny wasn't crazy
He was just an angry boy
Liquor, drugs and gangs have made him a man
Living in the streets in a world of his own
He stops and watches his heart turn to stone
He's running with a wayward crowd
But Johnny wasn't crazy
He was just a lonely boy
Fear and anger were trapped deep inside
If only Johnny could have opened up his heart
Then me and Johnny wouldn't never had to part
He loaded and cocked his .45
But Johnny wasn't crazy
He was just a frightened boy
How many Johnnys must there be?
Oh Johnny
How I wish you were here
Song Info
Submitted by
dragonflower44 On Dec 18, 2001
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this song is amazing. enough said.
One of the saddest songs ever, one of the saddest by Social Distortion. I dont know if it's a story telling song or about someone from Mike Ness' past... I love how it takes a personal turn at some parts of the song. It shows Johnny from the point of view of an outsider, and then a reminder from the speaker: "But Johnny wasnt crazy, he was just an angry/lonely/frightened boy..." And then at the end, it turns into a spoken narrative about Johnny and how he affected the speaker's life, how maybe the speaker wishes they'd remained close and maybe he coulda helped Johnny had he not been pushed away. The meaning is pretty self-explanitory, but I love the point-of-view shifts that occur during the course of the song. I think this might be the definitive early Social Distortion song.