Johnny Come Home

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"Johnny Come Home"
Fine Young Cannibals-Johnny Come Home.jpg
Single by Fine Young Cannibals
from the album Fine Young Cannibals
B-side "Good Times and Bad" [1]
Released29 May 1985
Recorded1984
Genre New wave, ska
Label London Records [1]
Songwriter(s) David Steele, Roland Gift [1]
Producer(s) Andy Cox, David Steele, Roland Gift [1]
Fine Young Cannibals singles chronology
"Johnny Come Home"
(1985)
"Blue"
(1985)

"Johnny Come Home" is a song by British band Fine Young Cannibals, released as the first single from their debut album, Fine Young Cannibals (1985). It is similar to the style of many other of the band's hits, a mixture of rock and ska with Roland Gift's distinctive vocals, as well as a jazz-type trumpet solo. It was released in 1985 and was one of the group's most popular hits. The song tells the gritty realistic story of a runaway youth, and alternates from the first-person narrative, explaining how his arrival in the big city has not turned out as he expected, to the view of the parents in the chorus, expressing their wish that he would come home.

Contents

Chart performance

Although it failed to reach the top 40 in the United States, stalling at No. 76, [2] along with the track, "Blue", "Johnny Come Home" reached No. 9 on the dance chart. [3] The track was a good start for the group in their native United Kingdom, peaking at No. 8 on the UK Singles Chart in July 1985. [4]

Charts

Chart (1985)Peak
position
Australia (ARIA) [5] 14
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders) [6] 8
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista) [7] 26
Ireland (IRMA)10
Israel (IBA) [8] 6
Italy ( Musica e dischi ) [9] 5
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40) [10] 21
Netherlands (Single Top 100) [11] 10
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ) [12] 13
UK Singles (OCC)8
US Billboard Hot 100 76
West Germany (Official German Charts)16

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References

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  3. Whitburn, Joel (2004). Hot Dance/Disco: 1974–2003. Record Research. p. 98.
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  13. "Johnny come home". TheLondonNobodySings.BlogSpot.co.uk. Retrieved 19 January 2013.