Where
Shawn Mullins Lyrics

Young Johnny
Introducing Johnny as a young person at the beginning of his life.

He really had a way
Johnny had a unique personality and charm.

He did his homework on the school bus
Johnny was a dedicated student and used his time efficiently.

And always got an A
Johnny consistently achieved high grades in his studies.

And the girls like Johnny
Johnny was popular with girls.

More than anyone except maybe Elton John
Johnny was exceptionally popular with girls but not quite as popular as Elton John.

Later on in high school
Referring to a later period in Johnny's life.

He couldn't keep his red suspenders on
Johnny became rebellious and stopped conforming to societal norms.

Oh where's Johnny
Asking where Johnny has gone.

Has he gone away
Rhetorical question asking if Johnny has left permanently.

Will he back back someday
Curiosity expressed about whether Johnny will return.

He had a room full of trophies
Johnny had a lot of achievements and was successful in sports.

From the track meets and tennis games he'd win
Specifically mentioning the areas in which Johnny excelled.

He was a full blown whiz kid
Johnny was very intelligent and talented in multiple areas.

Bound to be a Renaissance man
Johnny had the potential to be a well-rounded and diverse person.

Then he went on off to college
Johnny continued his education.

Got his head stuck in a different state of mind
Johnny became distracted and lost his focus.

When they asked him was it alcohol
People asked if Johnny's issues were caused by drinking.

He told 'em it was nothin' of the kind
Johnny denied that alcohol was the cause of his problems.

Just life
Johnny attributes his issues to the ups and downs of life.

Just life Mom
Clarifying that Johnny is explaining this to his mother.

But Johnny's alright
Johnny is coping with his troubles.

He just turned out his lights
Johnny withdrew and chose to be alone.

They'd have paid it no mind
If Johnny had not been successful in the past, people would not be as concerned about him now.

Had he not been so bright
Johnny's past achievements made people concerned about him.

He opened up his eyes
Johnny gained a new perspective.

And snapped out in a groove
Johnny got into a good mental rhythm.

He saw both sides of everything
Johnny gained a new perspective that was open to multiple viewpoints.

And found he could not move
Johnny became paralyzed by his newfound viewpoint.

Johnny moved back home
Johnny returned to his childhood home.

Now he reads a lot of poetry and plays
Johnny spends his time immersing himself in art and culture.

He'll sit out in the backyard
Johnny enjoys being alone and quiet.

And not say a word to anyone for days
Johnny is content with being silent for extended periods of time.

And his folks gave up
Johnny's parents stopped trying to change him or fix his problems.

They no longer even bother gettin' through
Johnny's parents are no longer able to communicate with their son.

He's 30 odd years old
Johnny is now in his thirties.

I guess they figured there's just so much you can do
Johnny's parents give up trying to help him and accept that they can't fix everything.

His mother keeps his pictures
Johnny's mother holds onto memories of her son.

In the scrapbook in the drawer with her pearls
Clarifying where Johnny's pictures are kept and how they are valued.

And she polishes the trophies
Johnny's mother takes care of the trophies her son won.

That he won back when they thought he'd save the world
Referring to Johnny's past achievements and the unrealistic expectations placed on him.

She wonders where's her little boy
Johnny's mother is still attached to the memory of her son as a child.

With the braces and the red suspenders gone
Johnny's mother misses his youth and the things that defined him as a child.

Just life
Reiterating Johnny's explanation that life is responsible for his issues.

Just life Mom
Clarifying that this is a discussion between Johnny and his mother.

Just life
Ending the song with the same refrain that Johnny repeats to his mother.