In the early '70s, Television began as the Neon Boys, a group featuring guitarist/vocalist Tom Verlaine, drummer Billy Ficca, and bassist Richard Hell. At the end of 1973 in New York City, New York, the group reunited under the name Television, adding rhythm guitarist Richard Lloyd. The following year, the band made its live debut at New York's Townhouse theater and began to build up an underground following. Soon, their fan base was large enough that Verlaine was able to persuade CBGB to begin featuring live bands on a regular basis; the club would become an important venue for punk and new wave bands. Television was the first punk/new wave bands to play at CBGB. That year, Verlaine played guitar on Patti Smith's first single, "Hey Joe"/"Piss Factory," as well as wrote a book of poetry with the singer.
Television recorded a demo tape for Island Records with Brian Eno in 1975, yet the label decided not to sign the band. Hell left the band after the recording of the demo tape, forming the Heartbreakers with former New York Dolls guitarist Johnny Thunders; the following year, he began a solo career supported by the Voidoids, releasing a debut album, Blank Generation, in 1977. Hell was replaced by ex-Blondie bassist Fred Smith and Television recorded "Little Johnny Jewel," releasing it on their own Ork record label. "Little Johnny Jewel" became an underground hit, attracting the attention of major record labels. In 1976, the band released a British EP on Stiff Records, which expanded their reputation. They signed with Elektra Records and began recording their debut album.
Marquee Moon, the group's first album, was released in early 1977 to great critical acclaim, yet it failed to attract a wide audience in America; in the U.K., it reached number 28 on the charts, launching the Top 40 single "Prove It." Television supported Blondie on the group's 1977 tour, but the shows didn't increase the group's following significantly.
Television released their second album, Adventure, in the spring of 1978. While its American sales were better than those of Marquee Moon, the record didn't make the charts; in Britain, it became a Top Ten hit. Months later, the group suddenly broke up, largely due to tensions between the two guitarists. Smith rejoined Blondie, while Verlaine and Lloyd both pursued solo careers; Lloyd also played on John Doe's first solo album, as well as joined Matthew Sweet's supporting band with the 1991 album Girlfriend.
Nearly 14 years after their breakup, Television re-formed in late 1991, recording a new, self titled album for Capitol Records. The reunited band began its comeback with a performance at England's Glastonbury summer festival in 1992, releasing Television a couple months later. The album received good reviews, as did the tour that followed, yet the reunion was short-lived — the group disbanded again in early 1993. In 2001, Television again reunited for a handful of shows in the U.K., as well as an appearance at the Noise Pop Festival in Chicago.
Little Johnny Jewel
Television Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Oh, he's so cool,
He has no decision,
He's just trying to tell a vision.
Some thought that this was sad,
And others thought it mad,
They just scratching the surface,
Was he on display?
No, no, not today.
All that guy ever said,
He said, "I want my little wing-head."
He half-asleep at night
Over his head, sensation of flight.
And he wake up dreaming,
Dreaming...
And he run down to the airport,
The rush, the roar,
And he crouched down behind a fence,
With a chest full of lights,
Then,
He loses his senses...
Oh Little Johnny Jewel,
He's so cool,
But if you see him looking lost
You ain't gotta come on so boss!
And you know what he's paid,
You know that he's paid the price,
All you gotta do for that guy
Is wink your eye.
The lyrics of Television's song Little Johnny Jewel describe a young man named Johnny, who has an unusual and quasi-spiritual connection with the world around him. The song portrays Johnny as a free-spirited, non-conformist individual who has given up the trappings of material possessions and societal expectations in pursuit of something greater than himself. The line "He has no decision, he's just trying to tell a vision" suggests that Johnny is on a quest to find meaning and purpose in his life and is willing to sacrifice everything to achieve his goal. The refrain "Oh Little Johnny Jewel, he's so cool" reinforces the idea that Johnny is a unique and charismatic person who stands out from the crowd.
The lyrics of Little Johnny Jewel are open to interpretation and have been the subject of much discussion among fans and critics. Some have argued that the song is a tribute to the counterculture of the 1960s, while others see it as a commentary on the commodification of youth culture. The line "All that guy ever said, he said, 'I want my little wing-head'" has been interpreted as a reference to drugs, while the lines "Was he on display? No, no, not today" have been seen as a commentary on the media's treatment of countercultural figures. Overall, the song paints a picture of a complex and enigmatic character who is both admired and misunderstood.
Line by Line Meaning
Now Little Johnny Jewel,
This song is about a guy named Little Johnny Jewel and his life.
Oh, he's so cool,
Little Johnny Jewel is considered cool by those around him.
He has no decision,
He doesn't have much control over his life or its direction.
He's just trying to tell a vision.
He's trying to create an image or tell a story through his actions.
Some thought that this was sad,
Some people saw his actions as depressing.
And others thought it mad,
Others saw his actions as crazy.
They just scratching the surface,
These people only have a superficial understanding of Little Johnny Jewel's life.
JJ can do the floor kiss.
Little Johnny Jewel has a distinct dance move that he's known for.
Was he on display?
People wonder if Little Johnny Jewel was putting his life on display.
No, no, not today.
Little Johnny Jewel wasn't trying to make a statement on this particular day.
All that guy ever said,
Little Johnny Jewel didn't do much talking.
He said, "I want my little wing-head."
When he did speak, he had a specific thing he wanted: his little wing-head.
He half-asleep at night
Little Johnny Jewel has trouble sleeping.
Over his head, sensation of flight.
He has dreams where he feels like he's flying.
And he wake up dreaming,
He often wakes up from these dreams still thinking about them.
Dreaming...
He spends a lot of time in his own head, dreaming and imagining things.
And he run down to the airport,
Little Johnny Jewel goes to the airport for some reason.
The rush, the roar,
He's overwhelmed by the sounds and excitement of the airport.
And he crouched down behind a fence,
He tries to hide himself behind a fence.
With a chest full of lights,
He's carrying lights for some reason.
Then,
Suddenly,
He loses his senses...
He becomes disoriented or overwhelmed in some way.
Oh Little Johnny Jewel,
The song keeps coming back to Little Johnny Jewel.
He's so cool,
Even when he's not feeling great, people still think he's cool.
But if you see him looking lost
If you see him struggling or confused,
You ain't gotta come on so boss!
Don't try to control him or act like his boss.
And you know what he's paid,
You know that he's gone through some tough times.
You know that he's paid the price,
He's suffered or made sacrifices in some way.
All you gotta do for that guy
All you need to do to help Little Johnny Jewel is
Is wink your eye.
Give him a small gesture of support, like a wink.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: TOM VERLAINE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@bongisland2762
I'm so slow... I only JUST realized why the band took such a generic band name (which definitely hurt their career).... when I realized the boss' initials are.... TV!!!
Tom Verlaine!
It took me like ten years before I realized "Pearl Jam" meant semen! (They now lie and give a dif story.)
Took me a decade before I realized "Whitesnake" meant penis!
And these days, Robert Fripp claims "King Crimson" does NOT mean Satan! (Yeah right!) If it means royalty... then WHY is so much of your music DARK / MINOR KEY and ya got songs like "The Great Deceiver"?? (He created a new "official" story b/c he didn't foresee a million lousy death metal bands using satanic imagery blah blah 20 years later.)
@sh230968
RIP Tom. Your music will live on. A legend not so widely known.
@danielc81
Finding this gems late in life and high as fuck is an incredible gift of life.
@mikaelsjoberg1894
I can see why!🤩
@evalex71
I'm almost 50, heard this for the first time last night. Incredible
@HelicopterRedFlag
listen to the Siouxsie and the Banshees version
@toddfrendell6837
I had to wait until I turned 60 before reading the book, England's Dreaming: Anarchy, Sex Pistols, Punk Rock, and Beyond by Jon Savage, who mentions this song in chapter 10. Being curious, I listened to it just now for the first time. There as some pretty good used record shops in town, maybe I can find a copy.👍
@learabee
I’m 36- they were hidden when I found em too like13 yrs ago so don’t feel bad this band is an ENIGMA OF AMAZING ❤
@hassanas-sabbagh6562
For me Television are the first post-punk band ever, post--punk before punk.
@jean-louisberlatier3433
So right
@ElectricLabel
They came after The Modern Lovers and Rocket From The Tombs.