Catatonia was formed in 1992, reputedly after songwriter Mark Roberts heard Cerys busking in Cardiff city centre. They had considerable success, their most famous hits being "Mulder and Scully", "Road Rage" and "Dead From The Waist Down". In September 2001, Cerys announced her departure from Catatonia after bouts of exhaustion and anxiety. Her departure was followed shortly by the breakup of the group.
Cerys is now performing her solo material (which is more folk/ country influenced) .
Not to be confused with the Swedish metal band Katatonia.
Cerys now has a solo album and is working as a DJ for Alternative radio Station BBC 6 Music.
Johnny Come Lately
Catatonia Lyrics
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You could have seen him, so weathered and dated
He was a Johnny come lately
And I know that you would hate him
If you'd seen his botanical leanings
First prize exhibit and all down to good spirit
He was a Johnny come lately
And I know that you would hate me
How I envied the things that he thought of
He was a Johnny come lately
And I know that you would hate me
If I told you that I made some time and stayed behind
To find out how to make a garden grow
Where the sun no longer shines
If I asked too many questions and I stayed behind
To find out how to make a garden grow
But he never ever gave away the secret of this godforsaken soil
He didn't need us, just tempted and teased us
You could have been here, wishing you were here
This was a Johnny come lately
And I know that you would hate me
He was a Johnny come lately
And I know that you would hate me
If I told you that I made some time and stayed behind
To find out how to make a garden grow
Where the sun no longer shines
He assured me that the seeds you sold were sound
But I must have cast them all on stony ground
And now the sun won't shine
I must have asked too many questions d
And stayed behind to find out how to make a garden grow
But he never ever gave away the secret of this godforsaken soil.
The song "Johnny Come Lately" by Catatonia explores envy, disappointment, and the search for a deeper purpose in life. The singer apologizes to someone for not being able to introduce them to someone referred to as "Johnny," who is described as weathered, dated, a botanical enthusiast, and a Johnny come lately. This person seems to have inspired envy in the singer, who wishes they could have spoken of the same things and had the same thoughts as Johnny. However, the singer also realizes that if they had come into contact with Johnny, the other person would have disliked him.
The second verse of the song takes a more introspective turn, as the singer admits to staying behind to try and learn from Johnny about how to make a garden grow in soil that is barren. The singer becomes frustrated, though, as Johnny only teases and tempts them, refusing to give away the secret of the soil. The sun no longer shines on the singer's attempts to cultivate a garden, and they reflect on their own failure and disappointment.
Overall, "Johnny Come Lately" is a song about the desire to find meaning and purpose in life, and the frustration that comes when those desires are not fulfilled. It also touches on the complex emotions surrounding envy and jealousy, and the difficulty of reconciling those emotions with a sense of empathy and understanding for others.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm sorry you couldn't make it
I regret that you were unable to attend
You could have seen him, so weathered and dated
You would have witnessed his aged appearance
He was a Johnny come lately
He arrived late to the scene
And I know that you would hate him
You would dislike him if you knew him
If you'd seen his botanical leanings
If you witnessed his interest in plants
First prize exhibit and all down to good spirit
He won a competition due to his positive attitude
He was a Johnny come lately
He was a newcomer
And I know that you would hate me
You would dislike me if you knew what I was thinking
If I envied the things that he spoke of
If I coveted his words
How I envied the things that he thought of
How I coveted his thoughts
He was a Johnny come lately
He was a latecomer
And I know that you would hate me
You would dislike me if you knew what I was doing
If I told you that I made some time and stayed behind
To find out how to make a garden grow
Where the sun no longer shines
If I admitted to lingering to learn how to garden in difficult terrain
If I asked too many questions and I stayed behind
To find out how to make a garden grow
If I inquired too much to gain gardening knowledge
But he never ever gave away the secret of this godforsaken soil
But he never revealed the key to successful gardening in this difficult soil
He didn't need us, just tempted and teased us
He didn't require our assistance, only allured and taunted us
You could have been here, wishing you were here
You could have attended and longed to be present
He assured me that the seeds you sold were sound
He promised me that the seeds you provided were good
But I must have cast them all on stony ground
And now the sun won't shine
However, it appears that I planted them in inhospitable soil resulting in poor growth
I must have asked too many questions and stayed behind
To find out how to make a garden grow
I must have inquired too much and stayed too long to learn how to garden
But he never ever gave away the secret of this godforsaken soil.
He never told us how to properly cultivate plants in this unforgiving soil.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JONES, MATTHEWS, POWELL, RICHARDS, ROBERTS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind