Despite the group's chart success, they had problems with exposure on then-critical MTV, due in part to the band being less than photogenic and "looking like a gang of Hell's Angels." They remained with DGC/Geffen for a sophomore release, Influence in 1992, but neither Rock nor Kalodner continued working with them. By this time, guitarist Apache had left and was replaced with Earl Slick. After Influence failed to match the success of their debut, the group disbanded. They were one of many metal bands whose careers faltered with the early 1990s rise of alternative rock. DGC - initially a label strongly devoted to metal/progressive rock label - began to favor alternative bands. Ron Young later went on to sing in The Four Horsemen, Manic Eden, and Dirt.
The band reformed for some live shows in 2001, and released a new album, Redemption, in 2009. They also introduced new guitar player Joey Brasler (who had played with Etta James, Bob Welch, Cherie Currie) replacing original member Apache. After touring in the US, Europe and the UK during 2010/2011, Little Caesar released their fourth album entitled American Dream on the Unison Music Group label in May, 2012. It was produced by Bruce Witkin. They embarked on a tour of Spain, Germany, Switzerland, Belgium and culminating in Wales in December 2012.
On 25 March 2013, it was announced that band would perform at the Download Festival on the 16 June 2013. Frontman Ron Young explained: “20 years ago we were offered to play the festival when it was called Monsters Of Rock. We had to turn it down because our label would not give us the funds to get there. Today, with no label, manager or big-money supporters, we finally made it. We got there because we have some amazing people that prop us up, inspire us, and bless us with their talent, energies – and most priceless, their friendship. They’ve helped us accomplish what we couldn’t do with a lot of powerful people behind us.”
Studio albums
Little Caesar (1990)
Influence (1992)
This Time It's Different (1998)
Redemption (2009)
American Dream (2012)
Eight (2018)
Ballad of Johnny
Little Caesar Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
well he was a good friend of mine
But the bond it broke down over time
'Cause Johnny thrived on anger,
he was bitter all the time
Someone shoulda stopped and seen the signs
He couldn't pay the cost, he was gettin' lost
Johnny's takin' life too much for granted
Johnny wants to leave it all behind
Well we thought he was a loner,
'cause he pushed us all away
But he really wanted us to stay, yeah
But we took him on the surface,
never lookin' deep inside
Never thought that he would try and hide
What's on the other side,
behind a mask of pride
Wish someone woulda realized
Johnny's takin' life too much for granted
Johnny wants to check out of his mind
Johnny's eaten up inside
Contemplatin' suicide
Johnny wants to leave it all behind
One night while he was sleepin',
well it became so clear
Don't push away the things you hold so dear
Now he's holdin' on, and he's gettin' strong
And he found a new perspective
Johnny took his life too much for granted
Johnny's gonna change his state of mind
Johnny's feelin' good inside
To hell with thoughts of suicide
Johnny's gonna leave that all behind
'Cause on and on, now he's gettin' strong
And he found that life's worth fightin' for
The song Ballad of Johnny, by Little Caesar, tells the story of a friend named Johnny who is struggling with mental health, specifically feelings of anger and bitterness that lead him to contemplate suicide. The lyrics describe how Johnny's friends and loved ones failed to recognize the signs of his declining mental health and instead assumed that he was simply a loner who wanted to push them away. In reality, Johnny was struggling with a deep sense of dissatisfaction and a desire to leave everything behind.
The chorus of the song emphasizes Johnny's feelings of hopelessness and despair: "Johnny's takin' life too much for granted / Johnny wants to leave it all behind / Johnny's eaten up inside / Contemplatin' suicide / Johnny wants to leave it all behind." However, in the final verse, Johnny has a breakthrough and realizes that he needs to hold onto the things that matter to him and fight for his own happiness. The lyrics show how important it is to pay attention to those around us, even when they push us away, and to be willing to offer support and love when someone is struggling with mental health issues.
Line by Line Meaning
Wanna tell ya all 'bout Johnny,
I would like to share the story of Johnny with you all
well he was a good friend of mine
He was my friend and I cared for him
But the bond it broke down over time
However, our friendship weakened as time passed
'Cause Johnny thrived on anger,
Due to his nature, Johnny was always angry
he was bitter all the time
His bitterness didn't leave him
Someone shoulda stopped and seen the signs
If only someone had noticed the signs and helped him
He couldn't pay the cost, he was gettin' lost
He was unable to handle the cost and was getting lost in life
Wish someone noticed
I wish someone had realized it and offered him some help
Johnny's takin' life too much for granted
Johnny is not valuing his life
Johnny wants to leave it all behind
He wants to give up and leave everything behind
Well we thought he was a loner,
We assumed he was a loner and didn't want our company
'cause he pushed us all away
As he pushed us away, we didn't try to reach out to him enough
But he really wanted us to stay, yeah
But in reality, he wanted us around
But we took him on the surface,
We only took his behavior on the surface level
never lookin' deep inside
We never tried to see what was going on inside him
Never thought that he would try and hide
We never thought he had something to hide
What's on the other side,
What is behind the mask?
behind a mask of pride
Behind the pride he held, he was scared and hurt
Wish someone woulda realized
If only someone had seen through his facade
Johnny's eaten up inside
Johnny is struggling internally
Contemplatin' suicide
He's even considering taking his own life
Johnny wants to leave it all behind
He strongly wants to get away from everything
One night while he was sleepin',
One night while he was asleep
well it became so clear
He realized something significant
Don't push away the things you hold so dear
You should never push away the things you love
Now he's holdin' on, and he's gettin' strong
He's holding on to what he loves, and he's becoming a stronger person
And he found a new perspective
He learned to see things differently
Johnny took his life too much for granted
Johnny was not valuing his life earlier
Johnny's gonna change his state of mind
He's now ready to change how he thinks
Johnny's feelin' good inside
He's now feeling positive emotions
To hell with thoughts of suicide
He's done with the negative thoughts about suicide
Johnny's gonna leave that all behind
He's ready to move on from those negative thoughts
'Cause on and on, now he's gettin' strong
He's continuously getting stronger and stronger
And he found that life's worth fightin' for
He discovered that fighting for his life is worth it
Writer(s): Little Caesar
Contributed by Ella J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.