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.
Since I Lost My Tooth
Daniel Johnston Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When I been between I just been hangin' around.
Things are quite different
And life ain't the same
Since I lost my tooth.
Now the women they treat me rude,
Not that they ever really treated me that good
What it's like and how it feels to be a negro.
doo doo doo doo
It's gettin' down to the nitty gritty
If you can't smile nice and you can't smile pretty
They don't wantchya around they say you look sloppy
When you eat
Well.
I've been up and I been down
When I been between I just been hangin' around.
Things are quite different
And life ain't the same
Since I lost my tooth.
The song "Since I Lost My Tooth" by Daniel Johnston appears to be about the changes in life that the singer is experiencing due to losing a tooth. The opening lines describe the ups and downs of life, and the sense of being stuck in limbo. However, the loss of a tooth seems to have exacerbated the sense of instability and difference in the singer's life. The second verse speaks specifically to the way that women are treating the singer, which has changed for the worse since the loss of the tooth. The singer compares his experience to that of a "negro," which suggests a sense of marginalization and vulnerability.
The third verse focuses more specifically on the physical effects of losing a tooth. The imagery of eating and the idea of being "sloppy" suggest that the singer is struggling with basic tasks that were once easy for him. Overall, the song seems to explore themes of change, loss, and marginalization. Although the lyrics are somewhat cryptic, the sense of isolation and difficulty is palpable throughout the song.
Line by Line Meaning
I've been up and I been down
I have experienced both good and bad times.
When I been between I just been hangin' around.
During times of uncertainty, I have just been existing without much purpose or action.
Things are quite different
My current situation has drastically changed.
And life ain't the same
My life is no longer the way it used to be.
Since I lost my tooth.
This change is due to me losing a tooth.
Now the women they treat me rude,
Women now show me disrespect.
Not that they ever really treated me that good
To begin with, women did not treat me well.
I'm a minority and now I know
Being in a disadvantaged position has given me a new perspective.
What it's like and how it feels to be a negro.
I now have insight into the struggles of the Black community.
doo doo doo doo
This is just a nonsensical, musical interlude.
It's gettin' down to the nitty gritty
Things are getting serious or intense.
If you can't smile nice and you can't smile pretty
If you do not have a perfect smile or appearance, people may judge you or treat you poorly.
They don't wantchya around they say you look sloppy
Because of my appearance, people do not want me around and deem me unkempt.
When you eat
This trait is highlighted when I eat in front of others.
Well.
This is just a filler word to transition into the repetition of the first verse.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: DANIEL JOHNSTON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind