Johnston spent extended periods in psychiatric institutions and has been diagnosed with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. He gathered a local following in the 1980s by passing out tapes of his music while working at a McDonald's in Austin, Texas. His cult status was propelled when Nirvana's Kurt Cobain was seen wearing a T-shirt that featured artwork from Johnston's 1983 album Hi, How Are You. In 2005, Johnston was the subject of the documentary The Devil and Daniel Johnston.
His songs were typically painfully direct, and often display a disturbing blend of childlike naïvete with darker, "spooky" themes. Johnston's singing voice is rather high-pitched, and his performances often seem faltering or uncertain; pitchfork writes that Johnston's recordings range from "spotty to brilliant". He also draws and paints; he is a cult comic book artist and his illustrations have been featured with most of his albums.
Johnston was born in Sacramento, California and grew up in West Virginia, United States, but then moved to Waller, Texas. Johnston suffers from manic depression, and has had varying luck with different treatments. He has been institutionalized for periods.
In the late 1970s, Johnston began recording his songs on a $59 Sony Boombox, singing and playing either guitar, piano or harmonica. He gave tapes of his music to anyone who would take them. Johnston created the comic book inspired art that usually accompanied his own recordings. His debut recording Songs of Pain was released in 1981.
His early songs established a number of themes that would persist through Johnston's career: Unrequited love, Casper the Friendly Ghost, and comic book superheroes, especially Captain America and Jack Kirby's other works. "Joe"—a partly autobiographical character—has been featured in a number of songs. Johnston has cited The Beatles as a prime influence.
A sizable proportion of Johnston's songs throughout the years have dealt with his unrequited love for "Laurie," a girl he became friends with in college, who was the first to encourage him to record his music. The Laurie character quickly assumed the role of the idealized female muse. The real life Laurie Allen married an undertaker, prompting Johnston to write lyrics in which the Laurie figure becomes strongly associated with the imagery of death in addition to her original role as a muse. For example, the song Funeral Home in which Johnston sings that he's "going to a funeral home" represents both the foreknowledge of death and Johnston's desire to be reunited with Laurie, who at the time worked at a funeral home. Laurie Allen has since divorced and filmmaker Jeff Feuerzeig arranged a meeting between Allen and Johnston.
Johnston gained a cult following in Austin, Texas. Some regarded Johnston as little more than a quaint curiosity, but others recognized a genuine talent: Johnston has a knack for creating great, catchy melodies, while his lyrics are evocative and often use clever wordplay. His songs have been covered by a number of admirers.
A 1985 MTV special on Austin brought Johnston wider attention, and a number of record stores outside Texas began selling his cassettes.
His music has been acclaimed by David Bowie, Sonic Youth, and Simpsons creator Matt Groening. Kurt Cobain of Nirvana fame praised Johnston's work, and often wore a t-shirt with a Johnston illustration and a caption reading, "Hi How Are You?"
1994 saw the release of Fun on Atlantic Records. The record was produced by Paul Leary of Butthole Surfers, a group who had long supported Johnston, even inviting him to open a number of concerts for them.
In 1993, Johnston painted a mural of the "Hi, How Are You?" frog, also known as Jeremiah after the Three Dog Night song, on the side of the Austin Sound Exchange music store. The site was converted into a Baja Fresh franchise in 2004. Although initial plans called for the mural to be torn down, public outcry caused restaurant owner John Oudt to let the mural stay, at a price of $50,000 in additional costs and lost revenue.
Fun was Johnston's only major-label release, but he has continued writing and recording songs, as well as drawing pictures.
In September 2004, a 2-disc release compilation entitled The Late Great Daniel Johnston: Discovered Covered. Disc one featured covers of Johnston's songs by such prominent artists as Eels, Beck, Death Cab for Cutie, Tom Waits, The Flaming Lips, Bright Eyes, and TV on the Radio, among others. Disc 2 featured Johnston's original tracks.
The Devil and Daniel Johnston (2005) is a documentary by Jeff Feuerzeig about Johnston's life and music, and won the Director's Award at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival.
In August 2005, it was reported that Johnston had been experiencing mood swings requiring medical attention. This led to cancellation of his touring schedule. On November 25th, 2005, Johnston was hospitalized for what appeared to be Lithium poisioning (Johnston takes lithium to control his manic depression). His father had found him in an incoherent state and unable to walk. Johnston is recovering and is thought to be out of any immediate danger.
On December 8th, 2005, it was reported that his condition remained "very serious", but on December 23rd, Johnston was released from the hospital. Johnston's family had been told that "Daniel would require long-term medical care and permanent dialysis for kidney failure," however his health dramatically and unexpectedly improved. Johnston died on September 10, 2019.
Poor You
Daniel Johnston Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Every morning he got up
Dreading each moment he had to be awake
He'd look at the floor, scribble on gum wrappers
He never found a better way to joke around
The clock would tick and time would slow
There wasn't anywhere he wouldn't go
To avoid having to see anyone
But that didn't seem to matter much at all
But late at night he had a savior
In his sleep, in his dreams
She came to him and she said
"Poor you, poor you
No one understands you
Poor you, poor you"
And every word that everyone would say
Got mumbled up in his head
Like mumble-jumble and everywhere he went
It seemed like everyone was saying to him,
"Blah blah blah"
But late at night, he had a mistress
In his dreams, in his sleep
And she would say "poor you, poor you"
No one understands you
Poor you"
This story, though, not well told
Is not that old
It's not that funny, it's not that great
But I know it to be true
Because late at night, I have an angel
In my dreams, in my sleep
And as she runs her fingers through my hair
As I lay on her lap
And she says, "poor you, poor you
No one understands you, poor you
Poor you"
The lyrics to Daniel Johnston's song "Poor You" depict the struggles of someone who feels misunderstood and disconnected from the world around them. The singer wakes up each morning with a sense of dread, constantly searching for ways to entertain himself and avoid interacting with others. He scribbles on gum wrappers and sits in chairs, but nothing seems to alleviate the underlying sense of loneliness and isolation that he feels.
Throughout the song, Johnston highlights the ways in which the singer's interactions with others are often fraught with confusion and miscommunication. The singer hears words as "mumble-jumble" and feels like everyone is saying "blah blah blah" to him. However, late at night in his dreams, he is visited by a woman who says "poor you" and tells him that no one understands him. This woman serves as his "savior" and his "mistress," offering him comfort and validation in a world that seems indifferent to his struggles.
Overall, "Poor You" is a poignant exploration of the experience of feeling disconnected and alone. It highlights the ways in which communication can break down and evoke feelings of frustration and confusion, while also holding out the possibility of finding solace and connection through dreams and imagination.
Line by Line Meaning
Hi, how are you?
Every morning he wakes up with a feeling of dread.
Every morning he got up
Dreading each moment he had to be awake.
Dreading each moment he had to be awake
He feels anxious and unhappy about facing the day ahead.
He'd look at the floor, scribble on gum wrappers
He would try to distract himself from his worries with little things.
He never found a better way to joke around
He tries to make light of his situation but can't find a way to do it effectively.
The clock would tick and time would slow
The minutes, hours and days seem to go by slowly for him.
There wasn't anywhere he wouldn't go
He would do anything to avoid having to interact with others.
To avoid having to see anyone
His social anxiety is so great that he would rather be alone than face others.
He'd sit in a chair and lean against a wall
He would try and find a way to be physically comfortable.
But that didn't seem to matter much at all
None of his attempts to feel comfortable are effective.
But late at night he had a savior
When he's alone and it's quiet, he has a comforting voice in his head.
In his sleep, in his dreams
Only when he's asleep does he feel truly at peace.
She came to him and she said
He hears a voice in his head that comforts him and lets him know that he's not alone.
"Poor you, poor you
No one understands you
Poor you, poor you"
The voice he hears is offering him sympathy and understanding.
And every word that everyone would say
He has trouble processing what others say to him.
Got mumbled up in his head
It's difficult for him to understand what other people are saying to him.
Like mumble-jumble and everywhere he went
He has trouble understanding what others are saying, no matter where he goes.
It seemed like everyone was saying to him,"Blah blah blah"
His inability to understand what others are saying to him makes what they say seem meaningless.
But late at night, he had a mistress
In his dreams, a voice comforts and consoles him.
And she would say "poor you, poor you"
No one understands you
Poor you"
The voice he hears in his dreams offers him the same comfort and consolation as before.
This story, though, not well told
The song is an attempt to tell a story that isn't easy to explain.
Is not that old
The story is something that is still going on, still affecting the songwriter.
It's not that funny, it's not that great
The situation is not something to be laughed at or celebrated.
But I know it to be true
The songwriter knows this situation all too well.
Because late at night, I have an angel
The songwriter has a comforting voice in his head, just as the singer of the story did.
And as she runs her fingers through my hair
As I lay on her lap
The voice in the songwriter's head is comforting him in a physical and emotional way.
And she says, "poor you, poor you
No one understands you, poor you
Poor you"
The comforting voice tells the songwriter that he is not alone in his struggles.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: DANIEL JOHNSTON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind