| Warren Zevon – Johnny Strikes Up The Band Lyrics | 2 months ago |
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This song is about American consumerism applied to religion,.. rather God being sold as a product. The song is deep with a lot of implications. Johnny is obviously God with THE band. “Dry your eyes my little friend.”Okay, so why are you crying (without context)? Something is heavy. And in full use by Warren are onslaughts of glib American sales slogans - repeatedly and to the point one really must take note of their use as an important part of this song’s analysis. Warren is clearly knocking religion by applying it in this way. He promises and promises us all this jubilee and elation —even down in the “projects” and that we will “walk along the strand” - these are very contrasting places, the strand being an upper crust region of Westminster England. So we’ll ALL be walking along the strand as tho we’re suddenly equal to all —as in Heaven. Even those of us from “the projects”. Johnny is the “main man” and “keeper of the keys”. These are potent words and exult “johnny” beyond band leader or any person, really. But I digress. He makes nothing but promises and not once any glimmer of evidence of it having happened before- “when” johnny strikes up the band. This “WHEN” is crucial and Warren repeats this by saying, “when johnny strikes up the - when johnny strikes up the -when johnny strikes up the…” when the when is upon us, buddy, that’s when johnny strikes it up. We have but one uncertain or unknown time of just “when”. But oh boy, “when” he strikes it up the fruits will land straight into your open hand. This is my favorite song by Warren bc on its face, it seems very vapid, nothing but sensationalized sales verbiage with a lot of promises splattered against a catchy bit of music. Very different than his oft dark, if not black, Warren folk tales, for lack of a better description. But oh, my little friend, it is so much more. |
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