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Bob Marley Johnny Was Lyrics
Total views: 2 times this week / Rating: 7.91/10 [11 votes]Album: Rastaman Vibration / Original Release Date: 1976-04-30Genre: ReggaeSong Duration: 3 min 47 sec
BOB MARLEY
- Johnny Was Lyrics / with translations(Wo-o-o-o! Wo-o-o-o! Wooo!)
Woman hold her head and cry,
'Cause her son had been shot down in the street and died
From a stray bullet.
Woman hold her head and cry;
Explaining to her was a passerby
Who saw the woman cry (cry)
Wondering how can she work it out,
Now she knows that the wages of sin is death, yeah!
Gift of Jah is life. (life)
She cried: Ah-um, I - I know!
"Johnny was a good man," I - I know! (never did a thing wrong)
"Johnny was a good, good, good, good, good, good, good, good,
good, good, good man", (Johnny was good man)
she cried - she crie-ie-ie-ie-ie-ie-ie-ied!
Wo-ooh! Woman hold her head and cry,
As her son had been shot down in the street and died
Just because of the system. (system)
Woman hold her head and cry;
Comforting her I was passing by.
She complained, then she cry:
Oh-ooh-wo-ah, cry (ah-ah), yeah, I know now (ah-ah),
no I know, I know now: (Johnny was a good man)
Said I know, mm-mm-mm-mm-mm. (Never did a thing wrong)
Ah! Ah! (Johnny was a good man)
Can a woman tender care, she cried, (Never did a thing wrong)
Cease towards the child she bear? (Johnny was a good man)
Wo-ho-ho-ooh! Woman cry, woman - (Never did a thing wrong)
She cried, wo-oh! She cried, yeah! (Johnny was a good man)
Can a woman tender care
Cease towards the child she bear? (Never did a thing wrong)
Wo-now, cry! (Johnny was a good man)
Woman hold her head and cry,
'Cause her son had been shot down in the street and died
From a stray bullet.
Woman hold her head and cry;
Explaining to her was a passerby
Who saw the woman cry (cry)
Wondering how can she work it out,
Now she knows that the wages of sin is death, yeah!
Gift of Jah is life. (life)
She cried: Ah-um, I - I know!
"Johnny was a good man," I - I know! (never did a thing wrong)
"Johnny was a good, good, good, good, good, good, good, good,
good, good, good man", (Johnny was good man)
she cried - she crie-ie-ie-ie-ie-ie-ie-ied!
Wo-ooh! Woman hold her head and cry,
As her son had been shot down in the street and died
Woman hold her head and cry;
Comforting her I was passing by.
She complained, then she cry:
Oh-ooh-wo-ah, cry (ah-ah), yeah, I know now (ah-ah),
no I know, I know now: (Johnny was a good man)
Said I know, mm-mm-mm-mm-mm. (Never did a thing wrong)
Ah! Ah! (Johnny was a good man)
Can a woman tender care, she cried, (Never did a thing wrong)
Cease towards the child she bear? (Johnny was a good man)
Wo-ho-ho-ooh! Woman cry, woman - (Never did a thing wrong)
She cried, wo-oh! She cried, yeah! (Johnny was a good man)
Can a woman tender care
Cease towards the child she bear? (Never did a thing wrong)
Wo-now, cry! (Johnny was a good man)
Facts about Johnny Was
✔️
Johnny Was is written and performed by Bob Marley.
✔️
It is first released on April 30, 1976 as part of Bob Marley's album "Rastaman Vibration" which includes 11 tracks in total. This song is the 2nd track on this album.
✔️
When we consider what the writer meant by those haunting lines, in the song 'Johnny Was' by Bob Marley, the protagonist is a mother who cries for her son, who has fallen victim to violence, and reflects on the dead man's character. The writer of the song chooses to take a very somber approach, mentioning these topics throughout the song: heartbreak, despair, angst, social commentary and, eventually, anger. The other side of the coin is represented by the author's insistence upon the importance of grief and loss, injustice and violence, and memory or legacy. The lyrics picture the reality of violence and loss, especially that of the child taken away by the gun. There are no excessive or explicit words used in the song, nor is there any graphic content, but the emotional burden and the mature themes might not be appropriate to kids under 13 years old unless the parents are around.
✔️
Johnny Was falls under the genre Reggae.
✔️
Johnny Was song length is 3 minutes and 47 seconds.
Who wrote Johnny Was lyrics?
Johnny Was is written and performed by Bob Marley.
✔️
When was Johnny Was released?
It is first released on April 30, 1976 as part of Bob Marley's album "Rastaman Vibration" which includes 11 tracks in total. This song is the 2nd track on this album.
✔️
What is the meaning behind Johnny Was lyrics?
When we consider what the writer meant by those haunting lines, in the song 'Johnny Was' by Bob Marley, the protagonist is a mother who cries for her son, who has fallen victim to violence, and reflects on the dead man's character. The writer of the song chooses to take a very somber approach, mentioning these topics throughout the song: heartbreak, despair, angst, social commentary and, eventually, anger. The other side of the coin is represented by the author's insistence upon the importance of grief and loss, injustice and violence, and memory or legacy. The lyrics picture the reality of violence and loss, especially that of the child taken away by the gun. There are no excessive or explicit words used in the song, nor is there any graphic content, but the emotional burden and the mature themes might not be appropriate to kids under 13 years old unless the parents are around.
✔️
Which genre is Johnny Was?
Johnny Was falls under the genre Reggae.
✔️
How long is the song Johnny Was?
Johnny Was song length is 3 minutes and 47 seconds.
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Songwriter(s): Bob MarleyRecord Label(s): 2001 The Island Def Jam Music Group
Official lyrics by
Meaning to "Johnny Was" song lyrics
Johnny Was
Bob Marley
Bob Marley
