Men At Work: "Be Good Johnny" (1982)

"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 song also features spoken dialog by keyboardist Greg Ham as he tries to figure out what Johnny is like. The title of the song is a reference to Johnny B. Goode.

Although the song was played moderately 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 song did chart and peaked at #3 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart in the US.

Colin Hay covered a solo version on his album Man @ Work, and this version is used as the theme song of the British and American versions of the reality TV program Supernanny.


- Lyrics:

Skip de skip, up the road
Off to school we go
"Don't you be a bad boy Johnny
Don't you slip up
Or play the fool"
"Oh no Ma, Oh no Da,
I'll be your golden boy
I will obey ev'ry golden rule"
Get told by the teacher
Not to day-dream
Told by my mother:

Be good Be good
Be good be good be good
Be good be good be good be good (Johnny)
Be good be good
Be good be good be good
Be good be good be good
Be good be good be good
Be good (Johnny)
Be good be good.

"Are you going to play football this year, John?"
"No!"
"Oh, well you must be going to play cricket this year then,
are you Johnny?"
"No! no! no!"
"Boy, you sure are a funny kid, Johnny, but I like you! So tell me,
what kind of a boy are you, John?"

I only like dreaming
All the day long
Where no one is screaming

Be good be good
Be good be good be good
Be good be good be good be good (Johnny)
Be good be good
Be good be good be good
Be good be good be good
Be good be good be good
Be good be good be good
Be good be good be good
Be good be good be good
Be good be good be good
be good be good be good
be good be good be good
be good be good be good
Johnny!