Be Good Johnny

"Be Good Johnny" is a 1982 song by Australian band, Men at Work, from their first album, Business as Usual.

The song is written from the viewpoint of a 9-year-old boy who is constantly being told to be good, but prefers to daydream rather than concentrate in class or play sports. Johnny feels like he understands some of his instructions, but also that he is completely misunderstood by the adult world.^[1] The lead singer, Colin Hay, uses his voice in different ways throughout the song to imitate Johnny, Johnny's mother and father, and his teacher. The title of the song is a reference to Johnny B. Goode.

Although the song was played extensively on US radio stations, it did not chart on the Billboard Hot 100 as it was not released in the states as a physical single, a criterion that was still used by the Hot 100 at the time.

The melody of the chorus is used as the theme song of the British and US versions of the reality TV program Supernanny.

References

1. ^ Be Good Johnny Song Facts SongFacts. Retrieved on January 7, 2007.

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