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.
favorite darling girl
Daniel Johnston Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She says I?m not allowed
To do this or that
Nothing left to do
Love never comes or goes
Feelings never really show
What will become of us?
No one really knows
Trying to make me smile
I?m lost in the dark
Walking lonely miles
Seems how the years go by
No need to wonder why
Never had a chance to think
It?s all over now?
Memories were wearing thin
I never wore a grin
I guess I just forgot
All had gone to rot
Said she had wrecked my world
My favorite darling girl
Can?t find me a friend
Guess I lost again
The song "Favorite Darling Girl" by Daniel Johnston is a melancholic reflection on a relationship that has gone sour. The first verse implies that the couple has perhaps been arguing or disagreeing, with the girl talking too loudly and telling the singer that he is not allowed to do certain things. Despite this, the singer highlights the fact that love is a constant that does not come or go, but rather persists regardless of external changes. The lack of visible emotions or feelings is also mentioned, perhaps hinting at a communication breakdown or a sense of emotional distance between the couple.
The second verse finds the singer alone, lost in the dark and walking lonely miles. There is a sense of resignation and acceptance of the passage of time, as the years go by without any significant change. The lack of agency or control is apparent, with the singer stating that he never had a chance to think, and it is now all over. Memories are wearing thin, and the singer never wears a grin, suggesting a real lack of joy or happiness in his current situation. The song ends on a sad note, with the girl deemed to be the cause of the singer's world being wrecked, leaving him friendless and feeling like he has lost again.
Overall, "Favorite Darling Girl" is a poignant song about the slow erosion of a relationship and the hopelessness that can come when it has reached its endpoint. The lack of control, agency, and agency of the singer is palpable, as though he is caught in a web of circumstances that do not allow him to break free.
Line by Line Meaning
Just then she talks too loud
She speaks in a manner that is disruptive and bothersome.
She says I'm not allowed
She informs me that I am prohibited from doing something.
To do this or that
I am not permitted to perform any action whatsoever.
Nothing left to do
There are no available options or courses of action for me to take.
Love never comes or goes
Love does not have any consistent presence or absence.
Feelings never really show
Emotions remain largely hidden or unexpressed.
What will become of us?
What will our future look like?
No one really knows
Our destiny cannot be accurately predicted or determined.
She's back in a little while
She will return shortly.
Trying to make me smile
She is making an effort to cheer me up.
I'm lost in the dark
I feel aimless and hopeless, unsure of what to do next.
Walking lonely miles
I continue down a path of solitude and isolation.
Seems how the years go by
Time passes and becomes increasingly elusive.
No need to wonder why
It is pointless to try and rationalize certain phenomena or occurrences.
Never had a chance to think
I have not been given the opportunity to contemplate or ponder anything.
It's all over now?
Is everything finished or concluded?
Memories were wearing thin
My memories or recollections are becoming vague or unclear.
I never wore a grin
I never smiled or showed happiness.
I guess I just forgot
I may have unintentionally disregarded or overlooked something.
All had gone to rot
Everything has decayed, withered or collapsed.
Said she had wrecked my world
She claimed to have caused devastating impact on my world.
My favorite darling girl
The girl whom I loved and cherished greatly.
Can't find me a friend
I am unable to locate a companion.
Guess I lost again
I must finished in defeat or come up short in another situation.
Contributed by Eva R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.