Skip de skip, up the road
Off to school we go
"Don't you be a bad boy Johnny
Don't you slip up

Or play the fool"
"Oh no Ma, Oh no Da,
I'll be your golden boy
I will obey ev'ry golden rule"

Get told by the teacher
Not to day-dream
Told by my mother:

Be good Be good
Be good be good be good
Be good be good be good be good (Johnny)
Be good be good

Be good be good be good
Be good be good be good
Be good be good be good
Be good (Johnny)
Be good be good.

"Are you going to play football this year, John?"
"No!"
"Oh, well you must be going to play cricket this year then,
Are you Johnny?"
"No! no! no!"
"Boy, you sure are a funny kid, Johnny, but I like you! So tell me,
What kind of a boy are you, John?"

I only like dreaming
All the day long
Where no one is screaming

Be good be good
Be good be good be good
Be good be good be good be good (Johnny)
Be good be good

Be good be good be good
Be good be good be good
Be good be good be good
Be good be good be good

Be good be good be good
Be good be good be good
Be good be good be good
Be good be good be good

Be good be good be good
Be good be good be good
Johnny!


Lyrics submitted by weezerific:cutlery

Be Good Johnny Lyrics as written by Colin James Hay Gregory Ham

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

Be Good Johnny song meanings
Add Your Thoughts

6 Comments

sort form View by:
  • +2
    General Comment

    There's one little brilliant thing about this song. My thoughts.

    A kid is told to "be good" through repetition. Simple enough. Millions of things that could mean, the repetition is the important part. Kid promises to be good, who doesn't want their parent's approval. Then, we learn the kid doesn't care about any of that. Johnny talks about how he only likes dreaming, something he was specifically told wasn't good. The "be good be good" comes back after this for a round. Johnny repeats what he said about dreaming.

    This is the interesting part. Something you won't see in the lyrics--the lack of them. The tune kicks back in again, but the "be good be GOOD" is gone. I don't know about you, but at this point, I can't NOT hear the "be good be good" repeated somewhere in the back of my mind, for a few bars at least. It shows how being told something again and again can stick around in your mind, even when no one's saying it anymore. Even if you don't want it there.

    Yudamanon February 18, 2017   Link

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

Album art
Bron-Y-Aur Stomp
Led Zeppelin
This is about bronies. They communicate by stomping.
Album art
Holiday
Bee Gees
@[Diderik:33655] "Your a holiday!" Was a popular term used in the 50s/60s to compliment someone on their all around. For example, not only are they beautiful, but they are fun and kind too ... just an all around "holiday". I think your first comment is closer to being accurate. The singer/song writers state "Millions of eyes can see, yet why am i so blind!? When the someone else is me, its unkind its unkind". I believe hes referring to the girl toying with him and using him. He wants something deeper with her, thats why he allows himself to be as a puppet (even though for her fun and games) as long as it makes her happy. But he knows deep down that she doesnt really want to be serious with him and thats what makes him.
Album art
Magical
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.
Album art
Head > Heels
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.
Album art
Midnight
Ed Sheeran
“Midnight” is a song about finding a love that is so true that it provides a calming feeling through every storm. Ed Sheeran reflects on his good fortunes in landing someone with such peace and support and speaks of not fearing the dark days because he knows they’ll all end in the safety nets of her arms. “Well, good morning there / What a way to start the day / With everything laid bare,” Ed Sheeran sings in the first verse, enthusiastic to be waking up beside his woman. He apologizes for missing her calls in the second verse and promises to return them because for him, speaking to her is the most important thing. “Well, I get lost inside my head / In this chaos, you’re my calm / And I will find my feet again / ‘Cause еven the worst days of my life will always еnd / At midnight in your arms,” sings Ed Sheeran in the chorus, revelling in his good luck.