Johnny Make Believe
Golden Earring Lyrics


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Waitress, more wine
We celebrate, the life and times of Johnny Make Believe
He was the greatest liar, of all mankind
The biggest drunk, you ever saw alive
He was a devil, undisguised
He will be sorely missed tonight

And the next day, will never be the same
Without the beautyful Johnny Make Believe

So let's get high, laugh till we cry
Always remember, his last words:
â??farewell cruel world, all you pretty girls,
Don't send me flowers, hold me in your dreamsâ??
And then the spirit in the bottle
Took our Johnny for a ride
Come on waitress, pour us more wine
To drown our grief, for Johnny Make Believe

He tattooed my heart, branded my soul
He said: â??Go for true love, not for fool's gold





La, la, la, la
La, la, la, la, la, etc., etc.

Overall Meaning

The song "Johnny Make Believe" by Golden Earring is a tribute to a man who was larger than life. He was a notorious liar and alcoholic, but he had a charisma that people couldn't resist. The song is a celebration of his life and the impact that he had on those around him.


The lyrics describe Johnny as a devil in plain sight who will be sorely missed. The next day will never be the same without him. The singer urges everyone to get high and laugh until they cry in remembrance of him. Johnny's last words were "farewell cruel world, all you pretty girls, don't send me flowers, hold me in your dreams." The song describes how the spirit in the bottle took him away, leaving those who knew him behind to drown their grief in more wine.


The chorus of the song is a repetition of "La, la, la, la" which creates a sense of both celebration and melancholy. The final lines of the song, "He tattooed my heart, branded my soul, he said: 'Go for true love, not for fool's gold'" suggest that Johnny may have imparted some wisdom on those close to him, despite his wild ways.


Line by Line Meaning

Waitress, more wine
Requesting for more wine to celebrate the life of Johnny Make Believe


We celebrate, the life and times of Johnny Make Believe
Honoring Johnny Make Believe's life and memories


He was the greatest liar, of all mankind
Johnny Make Believe was notorious for his lies


The biggest drunk, you ever saw alive
Johnny Make Believe had a reputation for being a heavy drinker


He was a devil, undisguised
Johnny Make Believe had a wicked and sinful nature


He will be sorely missed tonight
Everyone will feel the loss of Johnny Make Believe


And the next day, will never be the same
Johnny Make Believe's absence will leave a permanent impact on everyone's lives


Without the beautyful Johnny Make Believe
Life will be less colorful without Johnny Make Believe


So let's get high, laugh till we cry
To cope with the loss, the group chooses to get high and share memories together


Always remember, his last words:
Johnny Make Believe's last words are to be held close and remembered


farewell cruel world, all you pretty girls, Don't send me flowers, hold me in your dreams
Johnny Make Believe bids a farewell to the world and asks that the girls hold him in their dreams instead of sending flowers


And then the spirit in the bottle
The alcohol consumed to mourn Johnny Make Believe's loss


Took our Johnny for a ride
The alcohol consumption led to a state of drunkenness that Johnny Make Believe would have enjoyed


Come on waitress, pour us more wine
As the group consumed more alcohol, they asked the waitress to keep pouring wine


To drown our grief, for Johnny Make Believe
The group is drinking to forget their pain and grief over the loss of Johnny Make Believe


He tattooed my heart, branded my soul
Johnny Make Believe left a permanent impact on the songwriter's life


He said: â??Go for true love, not for fool's gold
Johnny Make Believe advised the songwriter to look for genuine and pure love instead of materialistic and superficial things


La, la, la, la
An instrumental part of the song


La, la, la, la, la, etc., etc.
An instrumental part of the song




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BARRY HAY, GEORGE KOOYMANS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

Jean

Every year I go to the Golden Earring live. So good and with a lot of enthousiasm. Every time a big party.

Steve Ness

My favorite Golden Earring song. I've seen a few other absolutely excellent performances but this one is just fantastic. Thanks for uploading!!!

Matthew Austin

W

George Tempest

set aside radar love, this is by far the best piece these guys came up with!

TVV Music

No

FSBS Kanal

What a great song! What a great time!

André Verhage

geweldige song en gitaarwerk!

Crazyrockgirl 101

VANAVOND GA IK JULLIE EINDELIJK LIVE HOREN KOOY HEB IK VAAK GENOEG LIVE GEHOORD MAAR NU MET DE GOLDEN EARRING BEN ZO GESPANNEN EN BENIEUWD IK KAN WEL HUILEN VAN GELUK

dave cawkwell

Another hit...great video.

bjorn kok

helemaal te gek nog steeds!!!!!yeah, dikke dank je wel Mike, super man

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