Spotify Release Info

Album Art

Track: Johnny Was
Artist: Stiff Little Fingers
Album: Inflammable Material

Deezer Amazon YouTube

Artist Bio

Stiff Little Fingers Image

Name: Stiff Little Fingers
Spotify Genres: punk, proto-punk, celtic punk
Followers: 224,902
Popularity:

46/100

Biography

Northern Irish punk band formed around 1977, the original members being Jake Burns, Ali McMordie, Henry Cluney & Brian Faloon. This version of the band recorded their first LP "Inflammable Material" which included their signature songs about life in Belfast "Alternative Ulster", "Suspect Device" and "Wasted Life" as well as a musically bold reworking of Bob Marley's "Johnny Was". Moving to London in 1979, the band lost Brian Faloon who was replaced on drums by Jim Reilly. They recorded the LP "Nobody's Heroes" for Chrysalis, an LP which was more pop than "Inflammable Material" but continued exploring similar themes. A cover of The Specials' "Doesn't Make It Alright" was included, though less successfully than "Johnny Was". "Nobody's Heroes" was followed by the live LP "Hanx" as well as the pure power pop of the LPs "Go For It" and "Now Then" (featuring new drummer Dolphin Taylor, previously of [a=Tom Robinson Band]), which failed to satisfy their fans. In 1983 the band decided to call it a day. In 1987, Burns reformed the band with McMordie, Cluney and Taylor. When McMordie left in 1990, he was replaced on bass by Bruce Foxton, previously of [a=The Jam], though McMordie rejoined in 2006. The current incarnation of SLF, which still tours, includes Burns, bassist Ali McMordie, guitarist Ian McCallum and drummer Steve Grantley. 2015 marked the first release of [a5142163], a band featuring both Cluney and Reilly ex-SLF (hence the name) as well as two other musicians. Reilly has since left due to health reasons, although the band still appears to be active.

Source: Discogs

Special Offer

Stiff Little Fingers on Amazon

Check this out

Popular Tracks on Spotify

Discogs Release Info

Release Cover

Release: Stiff Little Fingers - The Peel Sessions
Year: 1986
Genres: Rock
Styles: Punk

SEE ALSO

Related Artists

Related Works

No additional relationship information found.

Source: MusicBrainz

LYRICS

[Originally by Bob Marley]
Woman hold her head and cry
Cause her son had been shot down in the street and died
From a stray bullet
Woman hold her head and cry
Accompanying her was a passerby
Who saw the woman cry

Wondering can she work it out
Now she knows that the wages of sin is death
The gift of God is life

Oh, oh, oh, oh
Johnny was a good man
oh yeah

Woman hold her head and cry
Cause her son had been shot down in the street and died
Just because of the system

Woman hold her head and cry
Comforting her I was passing by
And I saw the woman cry

She cried, oh, oh, oh, oh
Johnny was a good man
Never did a thing wrong

Take it down

Johnny went out on a Saturday night
Never hurt anybody never started no bar room fight
Johnny never did nobody no wrong
Never hurt anybody never hurt anybody
Johnny was a good man
Johnny, Johnny, Johnny...

Johnny was a good man
[Repeat]

In a top floor flat in the middle of the night
There's a man with rifle and Johnny in his sight,
I said oh no, we can't let that kind of thing happen here no more
Oh no
Johnny, Johnny, Johnny...

A single shot rings out in a Belfast night and I said oh
Johnny was a good man

Can a woman's tender care
Cease towards the child she bears

Johnny [Repeat]