Led by Clare Fader on vocals, the Vaudevillains - Aaron Bachelder (percussion), Brad Cokendolpher (guitar), Mary K. Elinks (cello), and Andy Mabe (bass and backing vocals) - released the album Seventh and Trade in 2003 on the Raconteur Records label, "The Southeast's Most Independent Label" founded by Fader herself.
Prior to Seventh and Trade, Fader released a "solo" album entitled The Elephant's Baby in December, 2000, to which Dirty Linen said, "One of the more unique American recordings I have heard in recent years."
Clare Fader's music has been used in episodes of MTV's The Real World, as well as in Ramin Bahrani's film Man Push Cart. She's also been featured on a "Biddycast," which is a Podcast program started by her friends the Lascivious Biddies.
Johnny
Clare Fader Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A blaze with fireballs
Johnny you're a candy jar
A blaze with fireballs
Well ain't nothin' the matter
Just don't let your glass jaw shatter
Johnny you're a candy jar
A blaze with fireballs
Johnny don't you beat me with your black licorice stick
Johnny don't you whip me with your long licorice whip
Smoking candy cigarettes
Is about as bad as baby gets
So Johnny don't you beat me with your black licorice stick
I'm just a kid in a candy shop
My sticky fingers linger
Because they just can't stop
My mama says the candy spoils my appetite
But he's the candy man that's gonna treat me right
Now Johnny if your sweet the teeth will fall from my head
Johnny if your sweet the teeth will fall from my head
Ain't nothing like a sucker
To make me want to pucker
Johnny if your sweet the teeth will fall from my head
Johnny says green apples give you belly aches and hives
Johnny says green apples give you belly aches and hives
But nothin' cures my stutter
Like Johnny's apple butter
Johnny is my candy boy until the day he dies
The song "Johnny" by Clare Fader is a playful, metaphorical exploration of love and desire in the language of candy. The image of Johnny as a "candy jar a blaze with fireballs" captures the intensity and excitement of the singer's attraction to him. She acknowledges that there may be no problem with this, as long as Johnny is careful not to let his "glass jaw shatter," suggesting a vulnerability that he should protect.
However, the song takes a more cautionary turn when the singer warns Johnny not to "beat" or "whip" her with his "black licorice stick" or "long licorice whip." These lyrics suggest that while the singer is drawn to Johnny's "smoking candy cigarettes," a taste for danger, violence, or cruelty is not what she wants. She wants to enjoy the sweets of love without any harm or abuse, and she playfully threatens that if Johnny is "sweet" enough, the "teeth will fall" from her head, assured that she is in safe hands.
The final section of the song emphasizes the joy and unpredictability that comes with being in love. The singer acknowledges that indulging too much in candy can spoil the appetite or give belly aches and hives. Still, she knows that sometimes it takes a bit of sweetness, like Johnny's apple butter, to cure a stutter or make her want to "pucker." Through playful metaphors and vivid imagery, "Johnny" celebrates the pleasures and perils of love as an adventure in a candy store.
Line by Line Meaning
Johnny you're a candy jar
You are a source of endless sweetness and excitement
A blaze with fireballs
You are full of energy and passion
Well ain't nothin' the matter
Everything is fine and dandy
Just don't let your glass jaw shatter
Be careful not to let yourself break under pressure
Johnny don't you beat me with your black licorice stick
Don't hurt me with your harsh and bitter actions
Johnny don't you whip me with your long licorice whip
Don't lash out at me with your words or actions
Smoking candy cigarettes
Engaging in unhealthy habits
Is about as bad as baby gets
It's not worth the risk and consequences
So Johnny don't you beat me with your black licorice stick
Don't let your vices harm me or our relationship
I'm just a kid in a candy shop
I am young and easily fascinated by the experiences around me
My sticky fingers linger
I am captivated and entranced
Because they just can't stop
I am unable to resist the temptation
My mama says the candy spoils my appetite
My mother warns me that indulging too much can have negative consequences
But he's the candy man that's gonna treat me right
You are the one that I trust to give me what I need and want
Now Johnny if your sweet the teeth will fall from my head
Your sweetness is both enticing and potentially dangerous
Ain't nothing like a sucker
There is nothing like a sweet treat to make me happy
To make me want to pucker
Sweetness makes me crave more
Johnny if your sweet the teeth will fall from my head
Your sweetness is both irresistible and a potential detriment to my well-being
Johnny says green apples give you belly aches and hives
You warn me of potential consequences and dangers
But nothin' cures my stutter
You are the one that can make me feel better
Like Johnny's apple butter
Your love and care is like a healing balm to me
Johnny is my candy boy until the day he dies
I will love and treasure you always, as you are my little piece of sweetness in this world
Contributed by Molly P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
D. Carmona
CORRECTION: "capital" is correct. (my bad!)
But Aurora refers to a city in Canada, not a person.