A cheery 1917 song about a guy who has a way with women.
words by Ed Rose
music by Abe Olman
patriotic version by Ray Sherwood
He’s not handsome and he’s bad sometimes, but Johnny has attractive loving qualites. ‘Johnny’ is a code name for soldiers as in “When Johnny Comes Marching Home” and “Johnny Get Your Gun.” This song was popular during World War 1 and again in 1940 in the lead up to World War 2. As such it makes a good marching song.
The sheet music:
Accompaniment track:
Lyrics
- All the girls are crazy ’bout a certain little lad
Although he’s very, very bad
He could be, oh, so good when he wanted to
Bad or good he understood ’bout love and other things
For every girl in town followed him around
Just to hold his hand and sing:
Chorus
Oh Johnny, Oh Johnny, how you can love
Oh Johnny, Oh Johnny, heavens above
You make my sad heart jump with joy
And when you’re near I just can’t sit still a minute
I’m so Oh Johnny, Oh Johnny, please tell me dear
What makes me love you so?
You’re not handsome, it’s true, but when I look at you
I just, Oh Johnny, Oh Johnny, Oh
- Johnny tried his best to hide from every girl he knew
But even this he couldn’t do
For they would follow him most everywhere
Then his friends got him to spend a week or two at home
It’s worse now than before, ’cause the girl next door
Hollers through the telephone:
Sung here by Fred Feild: