Johnny Boy (song)

"Johnny Boy"
"Johnny Boy"
Song by Twenty One Pilots
from the album Twenty One Pilots
Released	May 4, 2009
Recorded	2009
Studio	Tyler Joseph's home studio, Columbus, Ohio
Genre	Emo; chamber pop;
Length	4:39
Label	Self-released
Songwriter(s)	Tyler Joseph
Producer(s)	Tyler Joseph

"Johnny Boy" is a song by American alternative band Twenty One Pilots. The song was first released on the band's demo tapes, and later officially released on their self-titled debut studio album, Twenty One Pilots (2009).^[2]

Meaning

In a 2020 interview, the father of the band's frontman Tyler Joseph, Chris, revealed the meaning of the song.^[3] Around the time the song was recorded, the United States was going through an economic recession, causing Chris to become unemployed. "I was an admissions director and they said 'Hey, we gotta get rid of this position.' And I was without a job for a while. A lot of people were out of work at that time."^[4]

Reception

Writers from Cleveland.com wrote about the song, saying "(It) remains a fan-favorite for Twenty One Pilots diehards. It's by no means the band's best song, but it feels like Tyler Joseph going for a Jack's Mannequin moment. The song is also the centerpiece of the band's debut."^[5]

Personnel

Tyler Joseph – vocals, organs, piano, keyboards, programming, synthesizers, production
Nick Thomas – guitars, bass, programming
Chris Salih – drums, percussion

References

^ Phillips, Marian (October 20, 2020). "20 scene albums from 2009 that dominated your iPod playlists". Alternative Press. Retrieved November 9, 2020.
^ "twenty one pilots* – twenty one pilots". Discogs. Retrieved January 15, 2023.
^ "Tyler Joseph's dad settles the story behind a twenty one pilots classic". Altpress. May 5, 2020. Retrieved January 12, 2022.
^ "TYLER JOSEPH'S DAD SHARES MEANING BEHIND TWENTY ONE PILOTS' 'JOHNNY BOY'". Call The One. Retrieved January 15, 2023.
^ Nickoloff, Anne; Smith, Troy (July 5, 2019). "All 65 Twenty One Pilots songs ranked from worst to best". cleveland.com. Retrieved January 12, 2022.

[1] Phillips, Marian (October 20, 2020). "20 scene albums from 2009 that dominated your iPod playlists". Alternative Press. Retrieved November 9, 2020.

[2] "twenty one pilots* – twenty one pilots". Discogs. Retrieved January 15, 2023.

[3] "Tyler Joseph's dad settles the story behind a twenty one pilots classic". Altpress. May 5, 2020. Retrieved January 12, 2022.

[4] "TYLER JOSEPH'S DAD SHARES MEANING BEHIND TWENTY ONE PILOTS' 'JOHNNY BOY'". Call The One. Retrieved January 15, 2023.

[5] Nickoloff, Anne; Smith, Troy (July 5, 2019). "All 65 Twenty One Pilots songs ranked from worst to best". cleveland.com. Retrieved January 12, 2022.

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v t e Twenty One Pilots
Tyler Joseph Josh Dun
Studio albums	Twenty One Pilots Regional at Best Vessel Blurryface Trench Scaled and Icy Clancy
Singles	"Holding On to You" "Guns for Hands" "Lovely" "House of Gold" "Fake You Out" "Car Radio" "Fairly Local" "Tear in My Heart" "Stressed Out" "Lane Boy" "Ride" "Heathens" "Heavydirtysoul" "Jumpsuit" "Nico and the Niners" "Levitate" "My Blood" "Chlorine" "The Hype" "Level of Concern" "Christmas Saves the Year" "Shy Away" "Choker" "Saturday" "The Outside" "Overcompensate" "Next Semester" "Backslide" "The Craving"
Promotional singles	"Ode to Sleep" "We Don't Believe What's on TV" "Cancer" "Morph"
Other songs	"Johnny Boy" "The Judge" "Neon Gravestones"
Tours	Emotional Roadshow World Tour The Bandito Tour Takeover Tour The Icy Tour
Related	Discography Awards and nominations List of songs recorded by Twenty One Pilots
Category