At this stage, 77 Bombay Street is more than just an insider tip. 77 Bombay Street is all about the joy of making music, musical talent, intensity, and authenticity. With the songs '47 Millionaires' and 'Long Way', they have conquered the radio waves and are getting both positive media reviews and encouraging feedback. The band's fan community is growing steadily. 77 Bombay Street have already played over 100 live shows in their as yet short career. Their debut album, Up In The Sky, features 12 characteristic and unmistakeable folk-rock gems. There isn't a note too many, the songs are not overloaded with ideas, every word counts ... in fact, every one of the songs is straightforward, direct, and goes straight to the heart.
Johnny
77 Bombay Street Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Scared of going home
His daddy said he's gonna beat him so he waits until he's sleeping
On a bed of stone
When Johnny sings everything is changing colors
And the sorrow's getting smaller
And it's warm around your soul
Cause he's got the looks of Elvis
And he just makes you feel fine
Johnny often stays with Mary, Mary isn't really caring
And has hardly time
She didn't notice Johnny's missing then one day the cops came knocking
On her wooden door
When Johnny sings everything is changing colors
And the sorrow's getting smaller
And it's warm around your soul
When Johnny smiles all the angels must get jealous
Cause he's got the looks of Elvis
And he just makes you feel fine
And Mary's struggling on her own, nothing's right and nothing's wrong
She was far too young and feeling left alone
When they were knocking on her door, tears were falling on the floor
A little bird was flying to another shore
When Johnny sings everything is changing colors
And the sorrow's getting smaller
And it's warm around your soul
When Johnny smiles all the angels must get jealous
Cause he's got the looks of Elvis
And he just makes you feel fine
When Johnny sings, when he smiles
When Johnny sings, and when he smiles
The song "Johnny" by 77 Bombay Street is a heartfelt narrative about a boy named Johnny who lives in fear of his abusive father. He hides in the bushes and is afraid to go home because he knows his father is going to beat him. One day, the cops come knocking on Mary's door, the woman Johnny sometimes stays with, and she realizes he's missing. As she struggles to cope on her own, Johnny's singing becomes a source of comfort for her. When Johnny sings, everything changes to colors and the sorrow in the world seems to get smaller, giving warmth to the soul. When Johnny smiles, it's enough to make angels feel jealous, as he possesses the looks of Elvis and has a way of making you feel fine. At the end of the song, it's clear that Johnny has flown away like a little bird to escape his abusive home life.
Line by Line Meaning
Johnny is hiding in the bushes in the dirt with his new blue shoes
Johnny is fearful of going home because his father threatened to beat him so he is hiding in the bushes wearing his new blue shoes
Scared of going home
Johnny is afraid of going home
His daddy said he's gonna beat him so he waits until he's sleeping
Johnny's father threatened him with a beating, so he waits until his father is sleeping
On a bed of stone
Johnny is sleeping on a hard surface, possibly afraid to go home
When Johnny sings everything is changing colors
Johnny's singing has an impact on his surroundings, making colors brighter and things more vibrant
And the sorrow's getting smaller
The sadness of those around Johnny seems to diminish when he sings
And it's warm around your soul
Johnny's singing has a comforting effect on others
When Johnny smiles all the angels must get jealous
Johnny has a smile that seems almost angelic, so much so that even angels would be envious
Cause he's got the looks of Elvis
Johnny's smile resembles that of the famous singer, Elvis Presley
And he just makes you feel fine
Johnny's presence and personality have a positive impact on others, making them feel good
Johnny often stays with Mary, Mary isn't really caring
Johnny frequently spends time with someone named Mary, who appears to be a disinterested or unsympathetic person
And has hardly time
Mary seems to be busy with other things most of the time
She didn't notice Johnny's missing then one day the cops came knocking
Mary didn't realize that Johnny was missing until the police came to her door looking for him
On her wooden door
The police knocked on Mary's door, which was made of wood
And Mary's struggling on her own, nothing's right and nothing's wrong
Mary is having a difficult time on her own, with no clear sense of what is right or wrong
She was far too young and feeling left alone
Mary was likely too young to handle the situation and feels abandoned
When they were knocking on her door, tears were falling on the floor
When the police came to Mary's door, tears were streaming down her face
A little bird was flying to another shore
During this emotional scene, a bird flies away, perhaps representing Johnny's departure or escape
Contributed by Oliver C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.