System of a Down: Johnny Meaning

Johnny Lyrics

Hello my name is Johnny
Well Hello, my name is Johnny
I like to exploit myself
and I like to complain in vain
Sweet little boy
Johnny
Sweet little boy
JOHNNY!!!!

Let me show you the ways your mine
Let me show you they ways your...

1. 1TOP RATED

   #1 top rated interpretation:
   anonymous

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   Sep 23rd 2009 !⃝

   I think Johnny stands for America's Attitude. Johnny being the stereotypical common American name. America exploits it's power yet has all the reasons to complain, yet it is in vain because there is not much change from the norm due to the complaints.
   
   "I like to exploit myself
   and I like to complain in vain"
   
   I think Rodger stand for Britain's Attitude. (British Accent) Rodger being a common and also stereotypical British name. Many British people especailly in the Government are viewed as egotistical though it could also be an old drawn stereotype.
   
   "I like to proclaim myself a God
   and likely ordain myself"
   
   "Ordain myself" meaning put your in the position. In this case God.
   
   This song is comparing the Attitude or these two functioning entities.

2. 2TOP RATED

   #2 top rated interpretation:
   IATGOG

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   May 17th 2009 !⃝

   My interpretation for this is song quite simple.
   Its basically two Alternate Egos and Johnny is the nice one;shy, unconfident and calm while Roger is the horrible one; Arrogant, violent and crazy.
   Sweet little boy
   Johnny
   Sweet little boy
   Oh no! It's Roger!
   
   Probably a past life experience thing which must be related to daron or serj.

3. 3TOP RATED

   #3 top rated interpretation:
   anonymous

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   Sep 23rd 2009 !⃝

   I think Johnny stands for America's Attitude. Johnny being the stereotypical common American name. America exploits it's power yet has all the reasons to complain, yet it is in vain because there is not much change from the norm due to the complaints.
   
   "I like to exploit myself
   and I like to complain in vain"
   
   I think Rodger stand for Britain's Attitude. (British Accent) Rodger being a common and also stereotypical British name. Many British people especailly in the Government are viewed as egotistical though it could also be an old drawn stereotype.
   
   "I like to proclaim myself a God
   and likely ordain myself"
   
   "Ordain myself" meaning put your in the position. In this case God.
   
   This song is comparing the Attitude or these two functioning entities.
4. underpressure

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   Jul 13th 2015 !⃝

   1.) Hello, my name is Johnny
   Well 'ello, my name is Johnny
   I like to explain myself
   And I like to complain in vain
   Sweet little boy, Johnny
   Sweet little boy, Johnny
   
   Here, a daemon called Johnny is introducing itself to you. "And I like to complain in vain"... is something that this daemon influences you to commit. ie., it makes you complain in vain to God.
   
   2.) "Let me show you the way to my "... "Let me help you explain your mind"... Here, the daemon is clearly telling you that it is influencing your thoughts.
   
   3.) A new daemon called Roger enters the scene and introduces itself to you. It says that it wants to proclaim itself God.
5. anonymous

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   May 30th 2014 !⃝

   A split personality for sure. The band is political but this jam has some possible roots.
6. fargoking

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   Mar 30th 2011 !⃝

   The song "Johnny" is, in my opinion an open interpertation of the socially inept american youth. And within the youth, could be about the young males' twisted perseption of reality. Always wanting to be the "Alpha" of the group and "proclaiming to be a god, likely ordain themselves". The youth is also looking for ways to get things without alot of work, which is what "I like to complain in vain" means, because once a challenge is handed to a youth, it almost always blown out of proportion. The "let me show you the way to my mind" could likely be the way in which youths are easly influenced by others, and only seem to live in the shadow of trends and corparate advertisments.
7. anonymous

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   Mar 9th 2011 !⃝

   Just putting it out there, maybe the drummer (John) got teased in school by a kid named Roger.
   
   "I like to exploit myself
   and I like to complain in vain"
   
   This is what could be what Roger thinks of Johnny.
   
   "I like to proclaim myself a god
   likely ordain myself"
   
   This could be what Johnny thinks of Roger.
   
   The chorus probably means what happened when one another got into a fight.
8. anonymous

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   Mar 5th 2011 !⃝

   Maybe they were reading jthm... Lol just a thought, but I wouldnt know who rodger is...
9. anonymous

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   Jan 26th 2011 !⃝

   Well I think it's about america, Johnny being america
   
   
   ''I like to exploit myself
   and I like to complain in vain
   Sweet little boy
   Johnny
   Sweet little boy
   JOHNNY!!!!''
   This is the united states, as they say everything is theirs, they exploit ''themselves''' natural resources (iraq, chile, etc...)
   
   ''Let me show you the ways your mine
   Let me show you they ways your mine
   Let me help you explain your mine
   When I help you explain your mine''.
   these could be referring to how america owns the world, and they give reasons of why they exploit natural resources of other countries.
   
   The Roger part maybe referring to Jews, (I like to proclaim myself a god). and as many of you may know the strong relationship between israel and the united states, you may realize they are the same, hence the ''sweet johnny, oh no it's roger!!'' part.
   
   that's my humble opinion lol
10. anonymous

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    Mar 10th 2010 !⃝

    I think System of a Down was trying to tell us how humans can change their personalities from sweet and nice to homicidal and cruel. It can happen in a split second just like it happened in
    
    "Sweet little boy/ Johnny/ Sweet little/ Oh no it's Roger!"
    
    It might be about how DRUGS effect us, or alcohol, or maybe even the human condition and mental instability.
11. anonymous

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    Jan 4th 2010 !⃝

    MAYBE the song doesnt have a complicated well thought out meaning and could just be a comical song that the band put out .
12. anonymous

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    Nov 21st 2009 !⃝

    Not sure if this is even close to being correct, but, the impression I get is that the song is about every human on this planet, and their many conflicting viewpoints. These conflicting opinions of "how the world should be" and how we think we know what's best for each other, usually end in conflict of some sort, or at worst, bloodshed.
    
    Or it could just be a cool song about nothing in particular (comic books, maybe).

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