Johnny, no sabe porque (Johnny, You Don't Know Why)

Annotation — Peace, Protest, & Anti-War Songs

Thirdly, this LP had the song "Johnny, no sabe por qué" ("Johnny, Don't You Know Why?") by Noel Nicola - born on 7 October 1946 in Havana, Cuba. He died on 7 August 2005. He was also a member of the Cuban group Grupo de Experimentación Sonora del ICAIC, discussed above. This song told the story of a US soldier killed in action (K.I.A.). It started with a boy growing up in the US, smoking marijuana, kissing girls and thinking that the "world is my home". He then volunteered to join the army, as it called for men to send to Asia, thinking that he had the protection of "Superman and Batman", an interesting use of American pop culture. Then the man was in an "alien jungle", feeling thirsty. On the hunt for water he fell into a booby trap, and was killed.

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

Lyrics

English: "Born in a waterfront neighboorhood / He wet his feet there one morning / And told himself, 'the whole world is my home!' / Thousands of rocks at the windos / Kisses under foreign stairways / Maybe a little marijuana... / And a pocket knife / Johnny, you don't know why... / Billy...Willy / He went to look for an old man with whiskers / With blue and white striped suit, who told him / 'The army is calling you, Asia' / He was sure that Superman and Batman would always save face for him / And everything would be like a day at the beach / The alien jungle is now his home / And feeling thirsty there one morning, he was going towards a well full of water / And fell into pit full of bamboo pricks"

About the artist

born on 7 October 1946 in Havana, Cuba. He died on 7 August 2005. He was also a member of the Cuban group Grupo de Experimentación Sonora del ICAIC

Themes

Anti-War · Soldier's Perspective · Batman · Superman · Combat · K.I.A.

In collections

Latin & Central American, & Caribbean Music · Peace, Protest, & Anti-War Songs [War Years]