Simply incredible that Jonathan Richman was putting music like this together in the early seventies. Seems so far ahead of its time... even today sounds fresh.
he was heavily influenced by Lou Reed and John Cale... in a good way years later he pretty much said this music represented a time in his life where he was sort of miserable but it was self-inflicted misery anyways I agree with you - it's great in it's own way and certainly a bit different from where he later went
There's a guy at my local bar I have referred to as 'Hippie Johnny' numerous times. Ended up seeing him last night and played him this song. He really liked it.
The Real Kids started in about 1972 or 73 but didn't record until 77. John Felice and Jonathan Richman grew up together in MA, and Felice was actually in the first version of the Modern Lovers but never recorded with them. Both great, great bands.
I've listened it for the first time half an hour ago, and the last half hour I've listened it already 5 times! Really, one of the best songs ever made! And I'm straight!
I can't believe this masterpiece is from the mid 70s - an older cool girl agreed to date me for a few minutes and turned me onto things like this and "The Only Ones" ... My playlists always seem to contain this song.
Don't know if they're on this track, but the Modern Lovers had the drummer from the Cars, and keys from Talking Heads. So many talented players from Boston MA.
@harwicke This is from 1972 and the Modern Lovers were inspired by a lot of 60s music, especially the Velvet Underground and the Stooges. Their own music and attitude marked a transition between the hippee and punk eras. Two of them went on to found the Cars and Talking HEads.
I knew "Hippie Johnnie," Ernie of the Modern Lovers and saw Jonathan play three times, twice in NYC and once in Paris. I loved and bought this stuff right from the beginning. I wonder what happened to my poster? You hadda get this stuff mail order from Beserkley, HOME OF THE HITS. It was so fun. "Modern girls and modern rock 'n' roll." Modern world, baby.
@sl1ghtlystoop1d The Velvets were The Modern Lovers' biggest inspiration. Jonathan Richman's first solo gig was opening for them in Western Mass, The Modern Lovers covered "Foggy Notion" in their live set, and John Cale played produced many tracks on their first album and even played piano on one song.
My parents would always ask me if I was "straight," meaning, was I sober. When I went to school and used this old terminology, people thought I was asking them if they were heterosexual. I quickly readjusted my vocabulary.
In my opinion, this is Jonathan Richman's masterpiece. Earnest without being cutesy, and complete with the most crude, dirty, shambolic guitar sound you could want. I love it!
Wow I love Jonathan but never heard this song before. Love it! I don't like to get high and always felt uncool in school.But straight or high it's a great song.
Wow, this is really awesome. I seriously thought this was the official music video, you capture the mood and feel of this ridiculously awesome song perfectly. Great job.
few indeed were the rock musicians in 1972 who could so unabashedly beg the girl of their dreams to leave "hippy johnny" because he's always stoned, and let the "straight" jonathan take his place.
i will explain my commentary, this is a song that is very similiar to the 1980s straight edge movement which imo was defined by the hardcore punk band minor threat, hence my initial remark. xoxox
A lot of kids at my school vape and are into pot, but I'm not one of them. It makes me sad to see all the kids that I grew up with go down the road of drug use, which will end in drug addiction. But seeing this video makes me proud to be straight-edged.
Cheers from a Straight Edge kid.. now ancient.. I have friends that I've known since I was a kid.. still.. my family of brothers and sisters.. One i see almost everyday, met him at 13/14.. Together we've seen a lot.. come and go.. The hard (go)... Since you seem like a person who has that.. outside looking in view.. The ability to make your own choice, think for yourself, choose what you actually like, not fallow the Trend.. You will never lose this... Be who you are.. Rise above it all.. Massive Respect from Orange County California 🇺🇸..
The funny thing is, my frriends/bandmates and I all got high on weed and listened to this song, and we loved it sincerely. It wasn't a novelty, certainly not to me. I related very strongly to this song without having to be clean & sober. All that matters to me is that Jonathan is saying "I refuse to follow the trendy crowd . . . but I want _you."_
Jonathan and the Modern Lovers really picked up where the Velvet Underground left off....to early for punk to late for psych mod...raw and timeless....
Jonathan Richman is a genius! Imagine if he had stayed the course with this pre-punk style. If we could have gotten 4 or 5 records like this out of him before he sort of changed gears. I wonder...
today was the first time i have ever heard this song...makes me feel like i have been in a new york apartment for 2 weeks with no money, smoking dope and drinking stale beer. im in love with this song...im ohh so grateful i have heard this during my lifetime.
Saw Jonathan a few years ago in a tiny venue of maybe 50 people and hoped he would play some Modern Lovers. He didn't but he was really fun to watch and listen to. I don't nerd up on his influences or who he influenced or what his music was and what it is now, he is just a fun performer now and worth the ticket.
If you get an anti-drug message out of this, that's perfectly fine, because drugs can cause problems. I think it's mostly about some average guy lamenting why some chicks always go for the bad guys, while he's just trying to be a good guy and make the chick like him and not feel uncomfortable with him. Heard this on that great Troublemakers compilation that Warner Bros. put out about 1980, with great songs by Wire and other new wave/punk bands.
+Bob Smith for me this isn't about any problems that drugs may or may not cause. From my perspective it's just a lamentation of being "the straight guy" in the rock business in the early 70s, where almost everybody was on drugs...a lot.
I had a roommate in college named Johnny who sold pot and who got girls I liked, drank, and did other drugs... and now I'm sober after many years of alcoholism and multi-substance abuse and married and love myself for who I am and am genuinely happy despite everything going on around me. If I can do it (that is, overcome whatever it is and be happy) Anyone can :)
+Will Maclachlan Lol, the story behind this song was that he was making fun of a guy that kept trying to take his girl, referred to him as "Hippy Johnny", and went on and on about being straight (never doing drugs).
Commenting on Richman, Felice has said, "Me and Jonathan, as close as we were, you know, I was like a punk, I was a wise-ass kid. I liked to do a lot of drugs, I liked to drink, and Jonathan was like this wide-eyed, no-drugs, ate nothing but health food..." Source: jojofiles.blogspot.com/2004/05/john-felices-interview-1998.html
Absolutely brilliant clip. Hippie Johnny was actually John Felice from the Real Kids, a friend of Jonathan Richmans. This is very cool, thanks for posting this.
I thought that in the original version of the song he was 'Hippie Ernie', as in the version of this song currently on UA-cam labelled as being live at Harvard in 1971-2. Jerry Harrison said (in a recent interview with Marc Maron) that Ernie Brooks (their bassist) objected after awhile, so Richman pointed it at himself.
Jonathan Richman has always had that edge of strangeness that indeed makes you think he means the opposite of what he's saying. And his ever-wonky lo-fi sound with stuffed-up nose and a touch of menace is indeed a lot like Heroin, I definitely get that! :)
yeah i can see that, but it doesn't surprise me; the entire album has the vu stamp i saw a richman show two months... totally rad. he played pablo piccaso
I was outside a venue trying to get some hotties to come see Jonathan, and simplified it as nerd rock. As I said it, Johnathan walked right past. I've never been more embarrassed for being so inarticulate.
Serious commentary re the lyrics! They always make me laugh. Although it has a deep sad layer this song is funny and I believe that was the writers" intention too..
I think this is the best song ever made.
not anymore I guess
@@tschau92 😁yeah
True or true Not, there is No think!
11 years ago. One of them.
My favorite part is "Now I like him too .... Hippie Johnny". It's the most perfect joke in the whole song for me.
written when he was 17 yrs old ........killer song
Simply incredible that Jonathan Richman was putting music like this together in the early seventies. Seems so far ahead of its time... even today sounds fresh.
totally... such a great launchpad for bands to come
he was heavily influenced by Lou Reed and John Cale... in a good way
years later he pretty much said this music represented a time in his life where he was sort of miserable but it was self-inflicted misery
anyways I agree with you - it's great in it's own way and certainly a bit different from where he later went
poetry is timeless
This song is priceless. This band belongs in the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame.
Definitely!
Nah they’re too cool for the Rock n roll hall of fame. As Johnny Rotten said, it’s a “piss stain”.
Unfortunately the “Rock Hall” gets worse with each induction. Time change the name to music hall of fame.
i can not stop listening to this song
One of the coolest songs I've ever heard.
And it's a great video!!! 😀👏👏👏
I met and talked to Jonathan in 1982..Nice guy
Me, gay and stoned listening to this : i m s t ra i gh t
I mean, you can see where punk was coming from, what an amazing band as short-lived as it was.
There's a guy at my local bar I have referred to as 'Hippie Johnny' numerous times.
Ended up seeing him last night and played him this song. He really liked it.
I call myself 'hippie Shawny' have for over 20 years thanks to a mix tape, google, youtube and of course this awesome song :)
One year str8 today, had to listen to this :P
Congrats.
+Alex Alex hoping its 18 months today :)
not anymore I guess
@@tschau92 funny enough I've got about a year clean again rn lol
@@AlexAlex-of6ms how about now?
This song honestly just changed my life. This is amazing music. Incredible...
I’m from Mass and I never heard them till now. Wtf? Better late than never
The Real Kids started in about 1972 or 73 but didn't record until 77. John Felice and Jonathan Richman grew up together in MA, and Felice was actually in the first version of the Modern Lovers but never recorded with them. Both great, great bands.
First "straight edge" song! Drugs suck and so does hippie Johnny!!
I've listened it for the first time half an hour ago, and the last half hour I've listened it already 5 times! Really, one of the best songs ever made! And I'm straight!
I'd love to have been a fly on the wall when he Lou Reed hung out. With their different views on drugs, but respect of each others music
That is a fantastic drum sound they got in that studio.
I can still remember when someone said I have this new album and put on Modern Lovers. It was a game changer..
aongus hennesey hipped me to this
. Can see the true line from Modren Lovers to Moutpiece alrih !
Cool song. I thought it was Cake when I first heard it. Also a lot of VU influence.
I can't believe this masterpiece is from the mid 70s - an older cool girl agreed to date me for a few minutes and turned me onto things like this and "The Only Ones" ... My playlists always seem to contain this song.
God damn Hippie Johnny messing up our shit since 1976.
This is from 1970 at the latest! Recorded in 1971-2, released in 1976. Hope for us awkward nerds, just being patient.
Tears are in my eyes right now its like this song was made for me. i wish she would come back.
Smoked a drug to this, very (fun/good!) Music today is (bad/good!), this music is very (cool/fun!). VERY underrated.
best song ever - great video too
Damn, forgot how good this song is.
My new favorite song; can't believe I've never heard this before. Brilliant.
Hell of a drum sound
Don't know if they're on this track, but the Modern Lovers had the drummer from the Cars, and keys from Talking Heads. So many talented players from Boston MA.
@@rustybeltway2373 facts! Thank you!
One of the best songs about jelousy ever written.
"Why can't they take this place, and take it straight!" Words of wisdom for a substance abuser- I'm one!
o wow i thought it was an official video. super well done. cheers
This song was so popular with all my stoner mates in the 80s
I just heard this song for the first time yesterday. It's the best song I've ever heard and I'm 66 and I'm straight right now.
@harwicke This is from 1972 and the Modern Lovers were inspired by a lot of 60s music, especially the Velvet Underground and the Stooges. Their own music and attitude marked a transition between the hippee and punk eras. Two of them went on to found the Cars and Talking HEads.
I knew "Hippie Johnnie," Ernie of the Modern Lovers and saw Jonathan play three times, twice in NYC and once in Paris. I loved and bought this stuff right from the beginning. I wonder what happened to my poster? You hadda get this stuff mail order from Beserkley, HOME OF THE HITS. It was so fun. "Modern girls and modern rock 'n' roll." Modern world, baby.
@sl1ghtlystoop1d The Velvets were The Modern Lovers' biggest inspiration. Jonathan Richman's first solo gig was opening for them in Western Mass, The Modern Lovers covered "Foggy Notion" in their live set, and John Cale played produced many tracks on their first album and even played piano on one song.
My parents would always ask me if I was "straight," meaning, was I sober. When I went to school and used this old terminology, people thought I was asking them if they were heterosexual. I quickly readjusted my vocabulary.
...not that there's anything wrong with that (wink, wink).
In my opinion, this is Jonathan Richman's masterpiece. Earnest without being cutesy, and complete with the most crude, dirty, shambolic guitar sound you could want. I love it!
I agree. If you’d said summer time is the masterpiece, i’d agree too. My love is a flower.
Agree!
This is turning into my favorite cut of all time. I cannot stop listening to it.
Wow I love Jonathan but never heard this song before. Love it! I don't like to get high and always felt uncool in school.But straight or high it's a great song.
And this song and the whole first LP were produced by the great John Cale!
pure brilliance
Wow, this is really awesome. I seriously thought this was the official music video, you capture the mood and feel of this ridiculously awesome song perfectly. Great job.
few indeed were the rock musicians in 1972 who could so unabashedly beg the girl of their dreams to leave "hippy johnny" because he's always stoned, and let the "straight" jonathan take his place.
jonathan richman was just a minor threat
etha s
Talking Heads won the war.
Did they? Jonathon has had quite a long and successful career writing and performing exactly the music he wants.
i will explain my commentary, this is a song that is very similiar to the 1980s straight edge movement which imo was defined by the hardcore punk band minor threat, hence my initial remark. xoxox
I know I am 4 years late, but the Minor Threat comment is brilliant.
Lol
A lot of kids at my school vape and are into pot, but I'm not one of them. It makes me sad to see all the kids that I grew up with go down the road of drug use, which will end in drug addiction. But seeing this video makes me proud to be straight-edged.
Cheers from a Straight Edge kid.. now ancient..
I have friends that I've known since I was a kid.. still.. my family of brothers and sisters..
One i see almost everyday, met him at 13/14..
Together we've seen a lot.. come and go..
The hard (go)...
Since you seem like a person who has that.. outside looking in view..
The ability to make your own choice, think for yourself, choose what you actually like, not fallow the Trend..
You will never lose this...
Be who you are..
Rise above it all..
Massive Respect from Orange County California 🇺🇸..
That was fantastic.
Only the best F'ng song Ever!!!!!!!!
Absolutely hypnotic....love it!
The funny thing is, my frriends/bandmates and I all got high on weed and listened to this song, and we loved it sincerely. It wasn't a novelty, certainly not to me. I related very strongly to this song without having to be clean & sober. All that matters to me is that Jonathan is saying "I refuse to follow the trendy crowd . . . but I want _you."_
Hippie Benny
***** Now, I like hippie Benny.
This is a great I WANT YOU blues.
Right. I'm not straight (in the sense meant here), but I LOVE this song.
yes... it's jonathan
Jonathan and the Modern Lovers really picked up where the Velvet Underground left off....to early for punk to late for psych mod...raw and timeless....
Greatest song ever. In the history. Of non music and music.
Some of the greatest lyrics ever.
Jonathan Richman is a genius! Imagine if he had stayed the course with this pre-punk style. If we could have gotten 4 or 5 records like this out of him before he sort of changed gears. I wonder...
hydrogenatedupload: thanks for posting. Happy Birthday today(May 16) to Johnathan Richman. Cheers! 🥨
today was the first time i have ever heard this song...makes me feel like i have been in a new york apartment for 2 weeks with no money, smoking dope and drinking stale beer. im in love with this song...im ohh so grateful i have heard this during my lifetime.
I'm certainly not stoned.
I am
Like hippie Johnny is
It's a perfect call!
hydrogenated!
you made yourself and us a brilliant video here my man!!!
cheers to you!
Oh my god this is excellent.
Saw Jonathan a few years ago in a tiny venue of maybe 50 people and hoped he would play some Modern Lovers. He didn't but he was really fun to watch and listen to. I don't nerd up on his influences or who he influenced or what his music was and what it is now, he is just a fun performer now and worth the ticket.
Wish I could give this 10 stars, both for the great song & the cool video!
good video ..good song.
Richman is God!
missing hippie john, salad days are gone
Remembering things just to tell 'em so long
Sounds a lot like a Velvet Underground song.
Jonathan worshiped the Velvets
John Cale (of the VU) produced part of this album
hi, wich song?
And, as I heard it, Lou Reed thought he was really fucking weird, how funny is that?
Ryuku kingdom
thank you. thank you. thank you. for posting this.
unbelievably cool video. soooooo suits the song.
hippy johnny...
He throws that cigarette down with authority!
THANK YOU for posting this! I remember when this song came out and it took me years and years o find it again. Excellent tune.
Great video...and great song too ;)!
This is my fav off the album... and was very happy to find it accompanied by a vid... thanks for the upload
this song is rock n roll
I’m not judging, but
...this guy sounds slightly more stoned than Hippie Johnny.
Excellent tune!
I wish I could time travel and go out with this guy when I was young
great video- totally tops man.
If you get an anti-drug message out of this, that's perfectly fine, because drugs can cause problems. I think it's mostly about some average guy lamenting why some chicks always go for the bad guys, while he's just trying to be a good guy and make the chick like him and not feel uncomfortable with him. Heard this on that great Troublemakers compilation that Warner Bros. put out about 1980, with great songs by Wire and other new wave/punk bands.
+Bob Smith yeah, i think you nailed it.
I met him a few months ago at a small show in Oregon and he seemed very nice and genuine.
+Bob Smith for me this isn't about any problems that drugs may or may not cause. From my perspective it's just a lamentation of being "the straight guy" in the rock business in the early 70s, where almost everybody was on drugs...a lot.
or what about the naturally stoned guys... why isn't that stoned enough itself.
Bob Smith σσσα
It can be both things.
lol i love this song and i am hippy johnny
Man, so psycodelic!
sounds so fresh!
I had a roommate in college named Johnny who sold pot and who got girls I liked, drank, and did other drugs... and now I'm sober after many years of alcoholism and multi-substance abuse and married and love myself for who I am and am genuinely happy despite everything going on around me. If I can do it (that is, overcome whatever it is and be happy) Anyone can :)
The great thing about this is that Jonathan was able to make being sober and slightly nerdy sound edgy and dangerous.
+Will Maclachlan Lol, the story behind this song was that he was making fun of a guy that kept trying to take his girl, referred to him as "Hippy Johnny", and went on and on about being straight (never doing drugs).
Ha ha yeah its john felice btw, the guitar player who is hippy johnny.
He really does, doesn't he?
Unique!!
Commenting on Richman, Felice has said, "Me and Jonathan, as close as we were, you know, I was like a punk, I was a wise-ass kid. I liked to do a lot of drugs, I liked to drink, and Jonathan was like this wide-eyed, no-drugs, ate nothing but health food..."
Source: jojofiles.blogspot.com/2004/05/john-felices-interview-1998.html
nice work
Kinda strange that this is a really good song to listen to when you're stoned,
Genius
Absolutely brilliant clip. Hippie Johnny was actually John Felice from the Real Kids, a friend of Jonathan Richmans. This is very cool, thanks for posting this.
I thought that in the original version of the song he was 'Hippie Ernie', as in the version of this song currently on UA-cam labelled as being live at Harvard in 1971-2. Jerry Harrison said (in a recent interview with Marc Maron) that Ernie Brooks (their bassist) objected after awhile, so Richman pointed it at himself.
Thanks dude i loved that crazy song
Jonathan Richman has always had that edge of strangeness that indeed makes you think he means the opposite of what he's saying. And his ever-wonky lo-fi sound with stuffed-up nose and a touch of menace is indeed a lot like Heroin, I definitely get that! :)
I am such a Hippy Johny
reee
Your name makes your comment 100 times better
Too much Moloko Vellocet?
yeah i can see that, but it doesn't surprise me; the entire album has the vu stamp
i saw a richman show two months... totally rad. he played pablo piccaso
Best song ever. Jesus. I mean, Johnnies!
Absolute amazing!
liked those images. suits the song.
I was outside a venue trying to get some hotties to come see Jonathan, and simplified it as nerd rock. As I said it, Johnathan walked right past. I've never been more embarrassed for being so inarticulate.
That's a talent.
😂
hes always stoned...hes never straight!
nasally voice is perfect. they took that coventry sound and twisted it made it American
best song
Serious commentary re the lyrics! They always make me laugh. Although it has a deep sad layer this song is funny and I believe that was the writers" intention too..
Rough and wonderful!