Many Texan music fans met Cody Johnsonâs honest style through the radio singles from his "Six Strings, One Dream" album: "Nobody to Blame" (#6 on the Texas music charts in 2009); #1"Pray for Rain" (2009 - 2010); and "Texas Kind of Way" (#6, late 2010 â 2011).
At first he opened for other artists, but Cody has also taken the Texas dance-halls by storm. Increasingly, the Cody Johnson Band is the attraction, and an honest-to-goodness one.
Codyâs childhood, though, was different from his rowdy onstage personality. Growing up, home was Sebastopol, a speck on the East Texas piney woods map, the perfect setting for that country boy to roam the woods, hunt, and fish. Home-schooling and family times around the piano provided the kind of life the kind many folks envy. Even Cody's music training started when dad Carl taught him the chords to âIâll Fly Away,â a southern gospel favorite.
Starting public school as a freshman, Cody expanded beyond playing the guitar and drums at church. When his AG science teacher overheard Cody playing an original song, he convinced Cody to form a band with other FFA (Future Farmers of America) members. A few months later, Cody's band placed runner-up in the highly-competitive Texas State FFA talent contest.
Cody left the contest realizing he was in love for life: in love with the music, the crowd, and the energy of performing onstage. Beginning in small honky-tonks and bars, he tried different musical styles. Discarding many, today Cody's shows still keep a Garth Brooks-level of energy and a Ronnie Van Zant-outlaw dedication to individual style. Like the late Chris LeDoux's musical beginnings, âCoJoâ sold his acoustic CDs from the back of his truck during three years of bull-riding. Cody still shows up today as the true cowboy he is.
After graduation, Johnson worked for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice in Huntsville. There, supervising prison inmates, Cody confides, "I developed an even greater appreciation for family and friends. Seeing how easy it was to go to prison set me on the 'straight and narrow.'"
Also in Huntsville, Cody met Nathan Reedy, who became his new drummer. With Carl Johnson playing bass, the trio began traveling as the Cody Johnson Band. Their first CD, "Black & White Label," provided funding for travel and radio promotionâand the assurance that the music dream was real.
Along the way, several popular artists have shared their friendship, fans, and wisdom with Cody. Some gave business advice and warned him of issues musicians face on the road. The common thread is that other professionals respect Cody as a performer, songwriter, and individual. In turn, Cody Johnson earns that respect, giving as much effort to an audience of 30 or 30,000. As he states, âI like the crowd to sing along, yell, or whatever makes them feel part of the show. I love big crowds because of the energy and showmanship I can exhibit. I love acoustic shows because of the intimacy and how candid they are. Acoustic shows are like sittinâ around the living room pickin' and grinnin'."
Winning the Texasâ Regional Music Awards as âNew Male Vocalist of the Year 2011â caused Cody to choose whether leave the security of state employment to chase his dreams. He followed his own advice to "Always pray for direction, and know that no matter what... the good Lord has a plan."
The answer to that prayer came when Cody's wife Brandi gave her âthumbs-up.â As Cody puts it, "When the woman I loveâand plan to spend the rest of my life withâtold me that she 'stands by her man' and believes in me 100%, I believed even more confidently that I could live my dream. Though I've had lots of people believe, contribute, push and pull me along, no one's efforts affected my decision emotionally the way Brandi's faith in me did."
Cody indeed left his "day job" for the more-than-full-time music career. But, thatâs where the story really begins.
Expanding his boundaries beyond Texas, he flew to Nashville to record a new CD with Nashville studio musicians hand-picked by his "big brother," Nashville-based fellow Texan, Trent Willmon, producer of the new album, A Different Day (released October 31, 2011).
Though new to Nashville recording ways, Johnsonâs musical confidence showed in the Music City recording studio. Together, he and the studio musicians tweaked songs to obtain the exact intended effect. Listening to the Music City veterans, Cody adopted suggestions when they felt right, and would "hang tough" when he felt the music differently.
According to CoJo, "I don't want to be labeled as 'Texas' or 'Nashville.' I am me: Texas, outlaw, cowboy, country, and a God-fearing man using the gift He gave me."
- Billie Willmon Jenkin
Long Haired Country Boy
Cody Johnson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Well, people say I ain't no good
And I'm crazy as a loon
'Cause I get stoned in the mornin'
And I get drunk in the afternoon
I'm kinda like my old bluetick hound
I like to lay around in the shade
But I damn sure got it made
And I ain't askin' nobody for nothin'
If I can't get it on my own
(That's the way it's been, that's the way it's gonna stay, ol' son)
If you don't like the way I'm livin'
Just leave this long haired country boy alone (hey)
Well, I seen the preacher man talkin' on TV
Was puttin' down rock 'n' roll
He wants me to send a donation
'Cause he's worried about my soul
He said Jesus walked on the water
And y'all know that this is true
Well, sometimes I think that ol' preacher man
Sure'd like to do a little walkin' too
'Cause I ain't askin' nobody for nothin'
Yeah, if I can't get it on my own (hey)
If you don't like the way I'm livin'
Just leave this long haired country boy alone
(Where's all my American patriots at tonight?)
Well, I said the poor girl wants to marry
And the rich girl wants to flirt
The rich boys went off to college
While all of us poor boys came to work
The drunkard wants another drink of wine
And the politician wants your vote (nope)
Me I don't want much of nothin' at all
But I will take another toke
'Cause I ain't askin' nobody for nothin'
Yeah, if I can't get it on my own
If you don't like the way I'm livin'
Just leave this long haired country boy alone
Well, I said, I said
If you don't like it how I'm livin'
Just leave this long haired country boy alone
(Make some noise for the boys in the rockin' CJB from Texas)
Cody Johnsonâs song âLong Haired Country Boyâ is a litany of reasons why heâs different from peopleâs expectations of what a country boy should be. It starts with the fact that people say he âainât no goodâ and that heâs crazy. Johnson is unapologetic about his vices, stating that he gets stoned in the morning and drunk in the afternoon. Itâs almost as if heâs trying to say that heâs the opposite of what people expect him to be. He likens himself to his old bluetick hound and likes to lay around in the shade with no money, but according to him, heâs got it made.
The second verse of the song stating that the preacher man talks down ârock n rollâ seems to be symbolic of the fact that Johnsonâs lifestyle isnât acceptable in polite society. The preacher wants a donation from him because heâs worried about his soul, stating that Jesus walked on water. Johnson thinks the preacher man would like to âdo a little walking too.â This verse lends credence to the fact that Johnson is trying to say that heâs not like people's expectations of what a country boy should be. He doesnât follow the norm and agrees that he doesn't fit in the mold of what society thinks a country boy should be.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, people say I ain't no good
People have a negative opinion about me
And I'm crazy as a loon
People also believe that I'm insane
'Cause I get stoned in the mornin'
I smoke marijuana early in the morning
And I get drunk in the afternoon
I drink alcohol during the daytime
I'm kinda like my old bluetick hound
I'm laid-back and enjoy relaxing in the shade
I like to lay around in the shade
I appreciate and enjoy the simple things in life
I ain't got no money
I don't have a lot of money
But I damn sure got it made
Despite my monetary limitations, I have figured out how to be content with what I have
And I ain't askin' nobody for nothin'
I'm self-sufficient and don't need anyone's help
If I can't get it on my own
If I can't obtain something independently, I don't want it
(That's the way it's been, that's the way it's gonna stay, ol' son)
This is my outlook on life and I won't be changing it anytime soon
If you don't like the way I'm livin'
If you have an issue with my lifestyle
Just leave this long haired country boy alone
Please don't bother me with your opinions or criticisms
Well, I seen the preacher man talkin' on TV
I watched a preacher speak on television
Was puttin' down rock 'n' roll
He was condemning rock and roll music
He wants me to send a donation
The preacher was asking for money
'Cause he's worried about my soul
He believed that I needed spiritual guidance
He said Jesus walked on the water
The preacher recounted the biblical story of Jesus' miraculous walk on water
And y'all know that this is true
The preacher assumes that his audience believes in this story
Well, sometimes I think that ol' preacher man
At times, I feel that the preacher himself
Sure'd like to do a little walkin' too
Would like to experience a miraculous feat like walking on water
Where's all my American patriots at tonight?
Asking for a response from his patriotic fans
Well, I said the poor girl wants to marry
I observed that the less fortunate girl wants to get married
And the rich girl wants to flirt
While the wealthier girl wants to engage in romance for fun
The rich boys went off to college
The wealthy boys went to college
While all of us poor boys came to work
Meanwhile, less fortunate boys had to immediately enter the workforce instead of pursuing a higher education
The drunkard wants another drink of wine
An alcoholic desires another serving of alcoholic beverage
And the politician wants your vote (nope)
A politician is asking for people's support in an upcoming election, but I'm not interested
Me I don't want much of nothin' at all
Personally, I don't desire or need much in life
But I will take another toke
However, I will indulge in smoking marijuana
If you don't like it how I'm livin'
If my lifestyle bothers you
Just leave this long haired country boy alone
Please don't criticize me or try to change me
Lyrics Š Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Charles Edward Daniels
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
sally c
CODY JOHNSON (2019) â LONG HAIRED COUNTRY BOY (TraducciĂłn)
People say I ain't no good
La gente dice que no soy bueno
And I'm crazy as a loon
Y que estoy como una cabra
'Cause I get stoned in the mornin'
Porque me âcolocoâ por la maĂąana
And I get drunk in the afternoon
Y me emborracho por la tarde
I'm kinda like my old bluetick hound
Soy un poco como mi viejo perro
I like to lay around in the shade
Me gusta holgazanear a la sombra
I ain't got no money
No tengo dinero
But I damn sure got it made
Pero estoy condenadamente seguro de que lo hice
And I ain't askin' nobody for nothin'
Y no pido nada a nadie
If I can't get it on my own
Si no puedo conseguirlo por mĂ mismo
If you don't like the way I'm livin'
Si no te gusta la manera en que vivo
Just leave this long haired country boy alone
Simplemente deja en paz a este melenudo chico de campo
Well I've seen a preacher man talkin' on TV
Vaya he visto a un predicador hablando por la tele
Was puttin' down rock 'n' roll
Estaba menospreciando el rock ´n´ roll
He wants me to send a donation
Quiere que envĂe un donativo
'Cause he's worried about my soul
Porque estĂĄ preocupado por mi alma
He said Jesus walked on water
Dijo que JesĂşs caminĂł sobre el agua
And y'all know this is true
Y sabĂŠis que es verdad
Well sometimes I think that old preacher man
Vaya algunas veces creo que ese viejo predicador
Should like to do a little walkin' too
DeberĂa darse un pequeĂąo paseo tambiĂŠn
'Cause I ain't askin' nobody for nothin'
Porque no pido nada a nadie
Yeah, if I can't get it on my own
SĂ, si no puedo conseguirlo por mĂ mismo
If you don't like the way I'm livin'
Si no te gusta la manera en que vivo
Just leave this long haired country boy alone
Simplemente deja en paz a este melenudo chico de campo
Oh, here it goes
Oh, ahĂ va
Well I said poor girl wants to marry
Bueno dije que la chica pobre quiere casarse
And the rich girl wants to flirt
Y la chica rica quiere flirtear
The rich boys went off to college
Los chicos ricos se marcharon a la universidad
And all of us poor boys came to work
Y todos nosotros, los chicos pobres, vinimos a trabajar
The drunkard wants another drink of wine
El borracho quiere otro trago de vino
And the politician wants your vote
Y el politico quiere tu voto
And me I don't want much of nothin' at all
Y yo no quiero nada en absoluto
But I will take another toke
Pero darĂŠ otra calada
But I ain't askin' nobody for nothin'
Pero no pido nada a nadie
Yeah, if I can't get it on my own
SĂ, si puedo conseguirlo por mĂ mismo
If you don't like the way I'm livin'
Si no te gusta la manera en que vivo
Just leave this long haired country boy alone
Simplemente deja en paz a este melenudo chico de campo
Well I said, I said
Bueno dije, dije que
Si no te gusta la manera en que vivo
Just leave this long haired country boy alone
Simplemente deja en paz a este melenudo chico de campo
Get 'em boys
A por ellos chicos
Joseph Ruff
The talent this man possesses is absolutely mind blowing you nailed it again! đ
Don Chukno
Cody you Are what country is suppose to be . Keep doing you!!! Love all your music!!!đ¤đ¤đ¤
Fancy Daze
This once was my account!!!
Renea McCollum
@Fancy Daze what do you mean??
Joshua Peterson
I just went to this guy's concert in Fresno this year. I was hoping he would play this song and he did, it was awesome to see him live! CoJo is definitely one of the greats in country music and he deserves more respect!
lisa
Those 64 ppl that put a thumbs down on this video... must not be true country music fans LOL Love everything Cody Johnson sings!!!!!!
WolfBane69
Sorry buddy but Charlie daniels did the only version that needs to be on the air.
Renea McCollum
@WolfBane69Sorry buddy but I think you lost your mind!! And by the way if Charlie Daniels is the one that you like the most why are you here!!
Richard Biggs
I like Cody
Frisky Dingle
Dad how old are you? Old enough that I used to be able to see the number of dislikes on a YouTube video.