Joey Joey
Johnny Thunders Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Born in Red House Brooklyn
In the year of who knows when
Opened up his eyes
To accordion

Joey Joey Joey
King of the streets
Joey Joey Joey
Can’t get no relief

Larry was the oldest
Joey was next
They tried to get Larry
Joey got so upset

Joey Joey Joey
King of the streets
Joey Joey Joey
Can’t get no relief

They tried, to tell him
He was doing wrong
Dealing with some colored’s
Boy you’re doing so wrong

Joey Joey Joey
King of the streets
Joey Joey Joey
Can’t get no relief

Joey Joey Joey
What’d you do?
You got it Umberto’s poor you
Bullets still in the door
Where they got you got you more
Blood in the streets
Now there’s no relief for Joey

Joey Joey Joey




King of the streets
Joey Joey Joey

Overall Meaning

The song "Joey Joey" by Johnny Thunders is a tribute to the late New York Dolls guitarist Johnny Thunders' friend, former bandmate and lead singer of the Ramones, Joey Ramone. The lyrics detail Joey's childhood in Brooklyn, opening his eyes to the sound of the accordion, and growing up as one of the "kings of the streets". The song also touches on a moment of conflict between Joey and his older brother Larry, and Joey's involvement in the New York drug scene, which eventually leads to his murder at the Italian restaurant, Umberto's Clam House in Little Italy.


The chorus repeats "Joey Joey Joey, King of the streets, Can't get no relief" as Johnny Thunders sings about the trials and tribulations of Joey's life. The line "Dealing with some colored's, Boy you're doing so wrong" reflects the racial tension of the time and potentially the racism Joey faced. The line "You got it Umberto's poor you, Bullets still in the door, Where they got you got you more, Blood in the streets, Now there's no relief for Joey" narrates his murder and the aftermath, with the bullets left in the door of the restaurant and the resulting escalation of violence in the streets.


Overall, the song is a poignant tribute to the charisma and tragedy of Joey Ramone's life, as well as a reflection on the violent underbelly of New York City in the 70s.


Line by Line Meaning

Born in Red House Brooklyn
Joey was born in Red House Brooklyn, though the exact year of his birth is uncertain.


In the year of who knows when
The exact year of Joey's birth is unknown.


Opened up his eyes
Joey was born.


To accordion
Joey's first instrument was an accordion.


Joey Joey Joey
A chorus exclamation of Joey's name, almost a chant.


King of the streets
Joey was a prominent figure in the streets, with a large presence and influence upon others.


Can’t get no relief
Joey was unable to find peace or comfort in his life despite his power and influence.


Larry was the oldest
Joey had an older brother named Larry


Joey was next
Joey was the younger of the two siblings


They tried to get Larry
Someone or group targeted Larry, likely with intent to harm or cause trouble.


Joey got so upset
Larry's troubles deeply affected Joey and he became very distressed over it.


They tried, to tell him
Someone tried to talk to Joey about his involvement in illegal activities.


He was doing wrong
Joey was engaging in activities that were morally and/or legally questionable.


Dealing with some colored’s
Joey was associating with people of color, which was frowned upon by society at the time.


Boy you’re doing so wrong
Joey was scolded and reprimanded for his involvement in illegal activities and association with people of color.


What’d you do?
A question directed at Joey, asking about his actions and choices that led to his current situation.


You got it Umberto’s poor you
Joey was shot and killed at Umberto's Clam House, an event that led to his demise.


Bullets still in the door
There were still physical remnants of the shooting at the scene, specifically the bullet holes in the door.


Where they got you got you more
Joey was hit multiple times by the bullets, causing greater damage and ultimately leading to his death.


Blood in the streets
The shooting caused bloodshed and chaos in the streets of New York.


Now there’s no relief for Joey
Joey's death brought an end to his life and with it, any possibility of finding peace or comfort.




Contributed by William S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Comments from YouTube:

Mitch Gawlik

The sax adds so much to this. Really good tune.

Peacefully

Hes so great. A rarity. Just listen to this gem. It shines in his voice, guitar playing, lyrics and how he just doesnt give a shit while he trips out.

filolovejoy

this is what I love about music. You don't need an incredible voice, you don't have have to be SRV on the guitar, but if you gots the talent and the stage presence, like this guy certainly did, it shines through like a diamond. This is excellent....

Leah Stumpf

Jealousy is a sin! Johnny was a genius! All the greats are troubled can't you see?! RIP Johnny.

ResurrectedJimi

this dude could play the guitar deaf dumb and blind let alone stoned out on smack or methadone. chinese rocks & he tore the shit out of "the ventures" surf music classic "pipeline" is proof of that...a great voice, too. he sounds a bit like neil young. he needs more respect. 1 of his last gigs.

Cold Star

Better than fucking Neil Young.

Devin Appleton

He's got my respect and as much as I enjoy his music the general public especially today wouldn't jump on it like other lost artists...my gf for example is always open to new and different music, but she can not stand Johnny Thunders lol

Minor snow

Barely

Tate Thompson

This was almost a year before his death to the day, not one of his last shows at all.

Hurricane Jones

His version of Pipeline is fucking great. JT was the man. Wish he would have hung around down here for a while, though!

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