Dear John

From the desk of Peter Crowley:

 

It started a little before noon Saturday, watching my 7-year-old daughter paddle a kayak by herself for the first time. She really got the hang of it quickly, and as she went farther out into Lake Flower, I hollered to her to come back. My friend echoed me, jokingly: "Come back to us!" I followed with "Come back to us, Barbara Lewis Hare Krishna Beauregard" and immediately decided I would have to play some Johnny P. this week.

 

I told my wife that Saturday afternoon, she suggested playing a bunch of songs by guys named John, and there you have it - the birth of a theme.

 

Now, back in December 2007, Ned and I played a show with "Johnny" song titles, but that was a long time ago, and there are helluva lot of Johns. It was, after all, the most popular name for U.S. baby boys for decades and didn't drop out of the top five until 1973. In 2008, however, it was No. 20, right behind Logan, according to the U.S. Social Security Administration. No. 11, by the way, was Jayden, which no one would have even thought of back in the days when John was king.

 

Anyway, except for a six-pack from that 2007 set, these are all different Johns: singers and songs bearing the name, closing with four on the "Dear John," woman-walking-out-on-man theme. And just think; I didn't even have to play Johnny Mathis, Johnny Winter, Johnny Lang, John Cougar Mellancamp, John Denver, John Mayer, John Legend, John Fogarty, Elton John, John Coltrane, Johnny Hates Jazz (anyone remember "Shattered Dreams?") or "Who's Johnny?" the theme song of "Short Circuit"'s Johnny 5.

 

The Ten Dollar Radio Show - sounds like John Henry's hammer and plays for free.

 

This week's playlist:

 

Black John the Conqueror - Dr. John

Come Back to Us Barbara Lewis Hare Krishna Beauregard - John Prine

Please Don't Bury Me - John Prine

Secret Agent Man - Johnny Rivers

Born to Lose - Johnny Cash

Jody's Got Your Girl - Johnny Taylor

Think Twice Before You Go - John Lee Hooker

Till the Money Runs Out - John Hammond

Chittlin' Cookin' Time in Cheatam County - John Cohen

Everybody Went Low - John Hiatt

Monk's Dream - John Sinclair

John Sinclair - Blind Melon

Spike Driver Blues - Mississippi John Hurt

John Henry - Steve Langdon

Farmer John (live) - The Premiers

Johnny Johnny Johnny - Shonen Knife

Bye-Bye Johnny (live, 1978) - The Rolling Stones

Johnny Billy Goat - Boozoo Chavis

Johnny Come Lately (live, 1999) - Steve Earle with the Del McCoury Band

Happy Blues for John Glenn - Lightnin' Hopkins

Frankie and Johnnie - Gene Autry

John Hardy Was a Desperate Little Man - The Carter Family

My Name is John Johanna - Kelly Harrell

John the Revelator - Blind Willie Johnson

Handsome Johnny - Richie Havens

Johnny Go Riding - Damien Jurado

Johnny - Clare Fader

Johnny Depp - Amy Anne

Johnny's Gonna Die - The Replacements

Little Johnny Jewel - Television

Oh Lonesome Me - Sammy Davis Jr.

You May Leave, But This Will Bring You Back - Memphis Jug Band

Pick Me Up on Your Way Down - James Jackson Toth

True Love Will Find You in the End - Headless Heroes

 

As always:

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