Johnny and the Hurricanes were an American instrumental rock and roll band … Read Full Bio ↴Johnny and the Hurricanes were an American instrumental rock and roll band from Toledo, Ohio, that had a number of hits, especially in the UK, in the 1950s and early 1960s.

They began as the Orbits in Toledo in 1957. Led by saxophonist Johnny Paris (born John Matthew Pocisk in Walbridge, Ohio, 29 August 1940 - 1 May 2006, Ann Arbor, Michigan), they were school friends who played on a few recordings behind Mack Vickery, a local rockabilly singer.

They signed with Harry Balk and Irving Micahnik of Twirl Records, which led to national engagements in 1959. Johnny and the Hurricanes recorded "Crossfire" in a vacant cinema to provide echo. It became a nationwide U.S. hit, and ranked No. 23 in the U.S. chart in the summer of 1959.

Johnny and the Hurricanes followed with "Red River Rock", an instrumental version of "Red River Valley", on Warwick Records, that became a top ten hit on both sides of the Atlantic (No. 5 in the U.S., No. 3 in the UK), and sold over a million copies. The musicians in the band then were Paris on saxophone, Paul Tesluk on a Hammond Chord organ, Dave Yorko on guitar, Lionel "Butch" Mattice on bass, and Bill "Little Bo" Savich on drums.

They specialised in versions of old tunes with a rock and roll beat. They chose these songs because they were well recognized and easier to accept with the beat. Tunes were credited to 'King, Mack' and usually one other name: King and Mack were in fact pseudonyms for Harry Balk and Irving Micahnik, the band's managers. In 1960, they recorded the United States Army bugle call, "Reveille", as "Reveille Rock", and turned "Blue Tail Fly" into "Beatnik Fly". Both tunes made the Top 40 achieving number 15 and 25 respectively. The band also recorded "Down Yonder" for Big Top Records. In the same year, they recorded "When The Saints Go Marching In" as "Revival", but it ranked in the charts for just one week, peaking at No. 97. The record was flipped over in the UK, where "Rocking Goose" reached No. 3 in the UK Singles Chart.

The band developed a following in Europe. In 1962, they played at the Star-Club in Hamburg, where the Beatles, then a little-known band, served as an opening act. Johnny and the Hurricanes cut records until 1987, with "Old Smokie" (their cover of "On Top of Old Smokey"), and an original tune, "Traffic Jam", both on Big Top Records, being their last releases to chart in America. Johnny Paris, the only constant member of the band, continued to tour with his Hurricanes in Europe and the United States until his death. He had an uncle, a realtor, in Rossford, Ohio, Johnny's home town, who owned a building on the main street and offered Johnny's first wife, Sharon Venier-Pocisk, space for an antique shop. When not on the road he helped out with the antique shop and vending machine business as payment for the store front for his first wife.

Johnny Paris and his band toured Europe occasionally until the end of 2005. He died on 1 May 2006 at the University Clinic of Ann Arbor, Michigan, of hospital-borne infections after an operation. Paris's second wife and widow, the German journalist, novelist and vocalist Sonja Verena (Reuter) Paris, took over his business (Atila Records, Sirius 1 Music and Johnny and the Hurricanes Incorporated) and the rights to his songs and trademarks. Paris claimed that over 300 musicians played in the band in its fifty-year existence.

The band inspired the song "Johnny and the Hurricanes" on the album How I Learned to Love the Bootboys, by the band the Auteurs. They were also namechecked in the Kinks' 1973 song "One of the Survivors", and in "Bridge in Time" on the 1990 Burton Cummings album Plus Signs.

Drummer Bill "Little Bo" Savich died on 4 January 2002. Bassist Lionel "Butch" Mattice died on October 16, 2006. Guitarist David Yorko died on 17 February 2017 at the age of 73.

Rockin' T
Johnny & The Hurricanes Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Workin' that 9 to 5 at Oakdale Feed and seed
Cowboy Capital of the world, T'swhere I park my steed
Visions of Rock and Roll fillin' my head
That's where I should be instead
Got a fire burnin', I can't put it out
Wanna know what it's all about
I'm just a country boy, trapped in a rockstar's body
Music runs through my veins, more than just a hobby

Never mind the hindrances, my song-voice is always found
Literally shakes the ground
Country Boy Rockin
Bucking Hay, sweeping the floor
that ain't meant for me
I'd rather be in a music video airing on CMT
Day in, day out, slaving for snobs
Can't wait to quit my job
What a day that will be,
Just you wait and see
Someday soon
I will be
On my way
To live this dream
The crowd goes for miles
As they're flockin
To see this country boy rockin
I'm just a country boy, trapped in a Rockstars body
Music runs through my veins
more than just a hobby
Nevermind the hindrances, my song-voice is always found
Literally shakes the ground

Country Boy Rockin
Now this country boy's gonna keep it Rockin, yah

Overall Meaning

In Johnny & The Hurricanes’s song Rockin' T, the singer expresses a sense of excitement, desire, and utter absorption with rock and roll. The opening lines "I wanna jump but I'm afraid I'll fall, I wanna holler but the joint's too small" set the tone for the rest of the song. The lyrics are simple, but they explain that the singer wants to engage, dance, and enjoy the power of the music.

The next lines, "Young man rhythm's got a hold of me too, I got the rockin' pneumonia and the boogie woogie flu," describe how the rhythm of the music has taken control over him. The singer is completely consumed and cannot resist the urge to move his body. The phrase "rockin' pneumonia and the boogie woogie flu" is a metaphor for this feverish feeling the singer has. This metaphor also serves as a nod to the many other songs that use sickness metaphors in their lyrics such as Chuck Berry's "Maybellene," which mentions a "motorvatin' fever."

The following lines "I wanna kiss her but she's way too tall, I wanna squeeze her but I'm way too low, I would be runnin' but my feet's too slow," explore the singer's desires and obstacles. The singer wants to embrace someone, but he feels physically inadequate or limited. These lines hint at the idea that the singer's passion for music and movement is so strong that it impacts his physical perception and ability.

Line by Line Meaning

I wanna to jump but I'm afraid I'll fall
I want to dance energetically, but I'm scared of tripping and hurting myself.

I wanna to holler but the joint's too small
I want to shout out in excitement, but this place is too cramped and noisy already.

Young man rhythm's got a hold of me too
The music has taken control of me and I can't resist dancing to it.

I got the rockin' pneumonia and the boogie woogie flu
I'm so engrossed in this music that I've contracted a metaphorical fever that compels me to dance.

Want some other's baby that ain't all
I'm attracted to another woman and I want to dance with her, but that's not all I want from her.

I wanna to kiss her but she's way too tall
I'm so drawn to this woman that I want to kiss her, but she's significantly taller than me and it would be awkward.

I wanna to squeeze her but I'm way too low
I want to hug this woman tightly, but I'm shorter than her and it would be difficult to reach her.

I would be runnin' but my feet's too slow
If I could, I would sprint over to her, but my feet are lagging behind because of my intense dance moves.

Baby comin' now I'm hurryin' home
My significant other is on their way, so I need to leave and go home soon.

I know she's leavin' cause I'm takin' too long
I'm worried that my partner will leave me because I'm staying too long at this event and neglecting my responsibilities.

Rockin' TJohnny & The Hurricanes Lyrics

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Rockin' T
Johnny & The Hurricanes Lyrics