Oh Johnny, Oh Johnny, Oh!
"Oh Johnny, Oh Johnny, Oh!" is a popular American song composed by Abe Olman (1887–1984), lyricized by Ed Rose (pseudonym for Edward Smackels, Jr.; 1875–1935),[1] and published by Forster Music Publisher, Inc. The music was copyrighted 7 February 1917 and the copyright was renewed 29 December 1944.[2][3] Under the Copyright Term Extension Act (1998), the sheet music is in the public domain, as is all music published in the U.S. prior to 1923.
Lyrics
- Original lyrics, 1917, by Ed Rose
- 1st verse (16 bars, 2⁄4, E♭ Major)
- All the girls are crazy about a certain little lad,
- Al-tho 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 (32 bars)
- 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!
- 2nd verse
- 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 thru the telephone:
- (chorus)
- World War I patriotic version, 1917, lyrics added by Raymond A. Sherwood
- Verse
- Uncle Sam is calling now for ev'ry mother's son
- To go get behind a gun and keep Old Glory waving on the sea
- Now prepare to be right there to help the cause along
- To every chap you meet when you're on the street
- You can sing this little song:
- Chorus
- Oh, Johnny, oh Johnny, why do you lag?
- Oh, Johnny, oh Johnny, run to your flag
- You're county's calling can't you hear?
- Don't stay behind while others do all the fighting, Start to
- Oh, Johnny! Oh, Johnny! Get right in line,
- And help to crush to foe.
- You're a big husky chap,
- Uncle Sam's in a scrap, You must!
- Go, Johnny! Go, Johnny! Go!
Inspiration for the song
According to an August 1945 United Press article, Ed Rose (lyricist) wrote the song when his friends, Mr. and Mrs. John Hansen of Akron, Ohio, began dating while attending college in Indiana. They were so conspicuously in love that Rose, also their classmate, wrote the song about them and presented them with the original manuscript.[4]
Notable recordings
- Blue Amberol Records, wax cylinder (1917) OCLC 39869865
- The Andrews Sisters with the Vic Schoen Orchestra
- 2840 Decca, 78 rpm; 10 inch (1939) OCLC 166342298
- Recorded November 9, 1939, New York City
- Side A matrix 66498[5][6]
- Audio sample
- Columbia, 78 rpm; 10 inch (1939)
- Recorded August 20, 1939, Los Angeles
- Side A — vocal version by Bonnie Baker
- Side B — instrumental version by Orin Tucker and His Orchestra
- Audio sample
- Pop hit on the Billboard Charts for 14 weeks and sold 1.5 million records in 1940[8][9]
- Peggy Lee with orchestra conducted by Jack Marshall
- Album: I Like Men!
- Capitol Records, 33 1/3 rpm, 12 inch (April 1959) OCLC 26592062 stereo OCLC 10894054 mono
- Recorded 1959
- Audio sample
- Ella Fitzgerald and Her Famous Orchestra
- Kathy Linden released a version of the song as a single in 1958 entitled "Oh Johnny, Oh!".[10]
Filmography
- Oh, Johnny, How You Can Love (1940 film), directed by Charles Lamont, Universal Pictures
- Spotlight Scandals (1943 musical film), directed by William Beaudine
- Starring Billy Gilbert, Bonnie Baker, Harry Langdon
- During the scene when the children are playing hide and seek — when Lucy goes through the wardrobe
Original publications
Sheet music (public domain)
See sheet music collections:
- Indiana University Bloomington — IN Harmony: Sheet Music from Indiana
- University of Southern California — USC Music Library: Sheet Music Catalog
References
- ↑ ASCAP Biographical Dictionary — Listed under "Ed Rose"
- 1st Edition, 1948, pg. 312
- 2nd Edition, 1952, pg. 421
- 3rd Edition, 1966, pg. 621
- 4th Edition, 1980, pg. 429
- ↑ Catalog of Copyright Entries, Part 1, Musical Compositions, New Series, Vol. 12, First Half of 1917
- ↑ Catalog of Copyright Entries, Part 3, Musical Compositions, New Series, Vol. 40, For the Year 1945
- ↑ United Press, August 14, 1945: Classmates Inspiration for Song, 'Oh Johnny, Oh'," Tonawanda News, August 14, 1945, pg. 6, col. 6
- ↑ The Decca labels: A Discography — Vol.2, The Eastern & Southern Sessions (1934–1942), by Michel Ruppli, Greenwood Press (1996) OCLC 59655056
- ↑ Swing It! The Andrews Sisters Story, by John Sforza, University Press of Kentucky (2000), pg. 34 OCLC 40755241
- ↑ Gilliland, John (1994). Pop Chronicles the 40s: The Lively Story of Pop Music in the 40s (audiobook). ISBN 978-1-55935-147-8. OCLC 31611854. Tape 2, side A.
- ↑ 'Wee' Bonnie Baker Gailey, 73, Band Singer of 'Oh Johnny' Hit, by Seth Borenstein Sun-Sentinel, August 14, 1990
- ↑ Bonnie Baker and Baby Face Make New Hits Out of Old Songs, Life, March 4, 1940, pg. 88
- ↑ Kathy Linden, "Oh Johnny, Oh!" single release Retrieved January 22, 2016.
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