Johnny Thunders, born John Anthony Genzale, Jr (July 15, 1952 - April 23, 1… Read Full Bio ↴Johnny Thunders, born John Anthony Genzale, Jr (July 15, 1952 - April 23, 1991), was a rock and roll guitarist and singer, first with the New York Dolls, the proto-punk glam rockers of the early '70s. During the late '70s, he was a familiar figure on the New York punk scene, both with The Heartbreakers and as a solo artist. His screeching, penetrating guitar sound is distinctive and highly influential in punk rock music. Thunders tangled with the demons of fame and drug addiction until his death on April 23, 1991 of a methadone overdose. Some suspect foul play. The theory is that two hustlers met Thunders in a bar and they hung out in his room where they proceeded to kill Thunders, steal his belongings, and spike him with methadone to make it seem like an overdose. This theory arose when Thunders' sister Mariann requested to see the police report and half of the report was missing. The autopsy also showed no evidence of alcohol in his system, which is perplexing because many witnesses say that they saw Thunders drinking with the two men the night before he was killed. Johnny Thunders was 38.

Blame It Mom
Johnny Thunders Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Well maybe your Mother never told you
Maybe your Father's too kind
Well I'm gonna tell you baby
I think it's just a waste of time
Oh baby waste my time

Well baby baby what do you know
I think it's time to go

All the things that you say
Baby it's the other way
Oh leave me alone
I wanna go home

*repeat

Oh baby waste my time...(repeat)

Overall Meaning

In "Blame It on Mom", Johnny Thunders seems to be addressing someone who has been sheltered and coddled by their parents, perhaps to the point of being oblivious to certain harsh realities of life. Thunders begins by suggesting that maybe the person's mother and father never warned them about these things, and then proceeds to dismiss the idea of this sheltering as a "waste of time". The repetition of "Oh baby waste my time" seems to emphasize this and maybe suggest that the person has been wasting their time not facing reality.

As the song goes on, Thunders becomes more frustrated with this person, telling them that they have things backwards and that whatever they are saying is "the other way". He then reiterates his desire to be left alone and go home. All in all, it seems that Thunders is advocating for a more realistic and honest approach to life, one that does not shy away from the tough stuff.

Line by Line Meaning

Well maybe your Mother never told you
Perhaps your Mother never felt the need to caution you

Maybe your Father's too kind
Maybe your Father wasn't tough enough when raising you

Well I'm gonna tell you baby
However, I'll be frank with you, dear

I think it's just a waste of time
I find it pointless to contemplate these things

Oh baby waste my time
Just keep me busy, dear

Well baby baby what do you know
Well, sweetheart, what insight do you possess?

I think it's time to go
I trust it's time for me to depart from here

All the things that you say
The things that you express

Baby it's the other way
However, they hold a different connotation

Oh leave me alone
Kindly refrain from bothering me

I wanna go home
I crave to be in my place of refuge