Johnny Run Away – English Lyrics

• By: Tones and I
• Album: The Kids Are Coming

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into Tones and I's impactful debut single, "Johnny Run Away," a vibrant electropop track that offers a poignant story of acceptance and self-discovery. Through its compelling narrative and raw emotion, this song is an excellent way to connect with modern English, explore themes of identity and overcoming adversity, and appreciate the power of music as a form of empathy and advocacy. Its clear storytelling and relatable emotional core make it a special song for language learners to unpack.

[English]

Johnny was a young boy, he liked playing at the park

And Johnny said, oh-ooh, dad can you take me now?

Johnny was young, never hurt no-one, too early for that

He was at the park, he met a boy named Jimmy

He's a cutie

And he chose him, oh

Take my heart, take my soul

Share my crayons, share my goals

His daddy walked by with a sigh

Said Johnny sit by my side

I'm gonna give you the best advice

You've ever heard in your life

See that boy named Jimmy, yeah, he's a cutie

But no-no, Johnny, no-no, no-no, ah-ah, ow

Johnny run away, run away, now, Johnny now

Johnny run away, run away, now, Johnny now

You get picked on by another

Better go and run for cover

Johnny run away, run away, now, Johnny now

Johnny run away, run away, now, Johnny now

You get picked on by another

Better go and run for cover

Johnny started high school at the front of the bus

Some boys yelled, oh-oh-oh, man come sit with us

Johnny found a seat with a boy named Pete and felt it again

As he was trying to play pretend

The feelings came rushing in

And he thought

Johnny run away, run away, now, Johnny now

Johnny run away, run away, now, Johnny now

You get picked on by another

Better go and run for cover

Johnny run away, run away, now, Johnny now

Johnny run away, run away, now, Johnny now

You get picked on by another

Better go and run for cover

And I don't want to talk about the trap, I've dreamed big

Real big since I've been on daddy's lap

Got my dreams by my side

Keep them in my pocket so that when I get the chance

I can rip it out and rock it

It's like my golden ticket, it's the reason that I'm here

Everybody has a dream, but they're frozen by fear

We won't dance in the rain, we go and run for cover

All that is to blame is getting picked on by another

So we go and find someone that will love and support us

Says they adore us, maybe fought for us

Then, we forget about ambitions and decisions were changed

I think that I was only seven when, oh

Johnny run away, run away, now, Johnny now

Johnny run away, run away, now, Johnny now

You'll get picked on by another

Better go and run for cover, yeah

Johnny run away, run away, now, Johnny now

Johnny run away, run away, now, Johnny now

You'll get picked on by another

Better go and run for cover

Johnny run away, run away, now, Johnny now

You'll get picked on by another

Better go and run for cover, nah, no, nah, no

Johnny run away, run away, now, Johnny now

You'll get picked on by another

Better go and run for cover, nah, no, nah, no

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
Johnny /ˈdʒɒni/ A1	proper noun - a male given name
run /rʌn/ A1	verb - to move quickly on foot noun - a short period of fast movement
away /əˈweɪ/ A2	adverb - at a distance; not here
boy /bɔɪ/ A1	noun - a male child
park /pɑːk/ A1	noun - a public green area for recreation
hurt /hɜːt/ A1	verb - to cause pain or injury adjective - in pain; wounded
cutie /ˈkjuːti/ B1	noun - a cute or attractive person
heart /hɑːrt/ A1	noun - the organ that pumps blood; also the centre of emotions
soul /soʊl/ B1	noun - the spiritual or immaterial part of a person
dreams /driːmz/ A2	noun - thoughts, images, or emotions occurring during sleep; aspirations
fear /fɪər/ B1	noun - an unpleasant emotion caused by danger or threat
cover /ˈkʌvər/ B1	verb - to place something over or upon noun - something that protects or hides
school /skuːl/ A1	noun - an institution for education
pick /pɪk/ A2	verb - to choose or select
love /lʌv/ A1	noun - deep affection or strong feeling of attachment verb - to feel deep affection for
support /səˈpɔːrt/ B2	verb - to give assistance or encouragement noun - assistance or backing
advice /ədˈvaɪs/ B1	noun - guidance or recommendation concerning a future action
feelings /ˈfiːlɪŋz/ B1	noun - emotions or sensations
ambitions /æmˈbɪʃənz/ C1	noun - strong desires to achieve something