underscores 'Johnny johnny johnny' Lyric Video

Content warning: The following track may be triggering for victims of grooming.
Lyric video by underscores
Illustration by Simon Sosa

[@randomloserdontthinkaboutit]

i love when media is brutal and blatant about trauma because it makes them so much more relatable and me feel so much less alone genuinely thank you for this im half headbanging and half sobbing

[@swancrystal]

ALL OF MY HOMIES HATE JOHNNY!!!

[@thief594]

The line "Johnnys gonna be the one that finally makes me real" instantly broke me into tears

[@heartshapedsys]

me too, had to take a break and come back to the song later when i first heard it

[@oxiary]

what does that mean :0

[@_____Astral_____]

​@@oxiary becoming real is probably a metaphor for Johnny validating the singer. how exactly the singer is validated is up to your interpretation (appearance, gender, whatever)

[@MyoticTesseract]

def good that this song was so upbeat, it fits the message. internet pedos prey on children who aren't being shown enough love in their lives and pretend _they_ think you _are_ pretty and you _do_ matter to them. it's a facade to have this sad power trip so they can get off, and even if you never meet, they have sooo many options to take advantage of you. you probably guessed i speak from experience. didn't expect to be vulnerable in a youtube comment section, but i feel i need my story out there one way or another. a man in his late 20s got to see me naked on a skype call when i was 15. it doesn't matter how okay you feel about it at the time-you are always a victim in that situation. even if in some fucked reality it _were_ ok, he still doesn't love you. you're an object to him. a toy for him to fill something missing in his shriveled up little heart. i hope more than the worst for that man.

[@Drmayo2]

Y’all the juxtaposition works PERFECTLY I will not be hearing otherwise

[@CrunchyElia]

It's extremely sensitive and challenging subject matter that I think April gave all the care and attention to ❤

[@willcoffarchives]

Feeling out of place in terms of gender can leave some very young people very vulnerable! Protect our siblings from people like Johnny. Stay safe y'all

[@alixvox]

I think this is a warning about young people feeling out of place/being vulnerable in general. I think including gender in this statement is irrelevant and at most further stigmatizing the idea of gender questioning.

[@shejustlikestofight]

@@alixvoxidk if it’s irrelevant - gender dysphoria can lead people to create online personas that they rely on for affirmation, and some people can take advantage of that, which creates a very dangerous situation

[@alixvox]

@@shejustlikestofight that’s right and makes sense! I think I just mean it feels irrelevant to bring up about this song, I didn’t get signs of gender dysphoria in the lyrics, but they are subjective and it’s good to be cautious if you do use tools for affirming yourself. I just don’t think the moral should be that if you’re questioning your gender, this could happen to you, just if you’re putting yourself online to affirm yourself is potentially harmful.

[@willcoffarchives]

@@alixvox I'm p sure this is about 18 year old s*nny, a trans woman who is groomed by an older man. I do agree that searching for affirmation n stuff online as a young person regardless of gender identity is dangerous and should be avoided but I wanted to specifically mention how gender nonconforming children, especially POC (I think s*nny in lore is POC?) usually have their struggles denied which leads to especially vulnerable children and to prevent this specific issue, members of the community should properly pay attention to younger ppl n their struggles. I'm not that deep into the lore of these songs but I'm going off of the little context I know of so sorry if I got anything wrong 👍

[@fishmonger__]

"i just wanted to be pretty" "cause johnny's gonna be the one who finally makes me real"@@alixvox

[@Ozzan]

as an actual victim this song captures the twisted reality of situations like this, thank you for this april ❤

[@sam_9979]

Who’s April?

[@Ozzan]

@@sam_9979 underscores

[@pixlshock]

Underscores' real name :)

[@emilchristophersen3354]

@@sam_9979 Underscores name is April Harper Grey

[@sam_9979]

@@pixlshockohhh tysm

[@williamfernando1324]

Protect Trans Youth ✊

[@bruxism666]

this song is so fucking catchy that i always subconsciously start dancing to it and then i remember the subject matter and stop dancing immediately and feel bad

[@SCR4TCHK4T]

fr like why do some of the most heartbreaking songs have to be so fcking catchy 😭

[@neryn9020]

That was me when I first heard it, my head just slowly stopped bopping to it as soon as the lyrics hit

[@nova-z9m]

underscores is too good

[@therealjohnny2136]

Damn bro why'd it have to be my name.

[@aeroxoxo]

sorry johnny :(

[@iaylalovespancakes]

sorry johnny

[@titoran6223]

whoops johnny

[@ackee39]

johnny what the hell man

[@chadwicktouchdown]

seriously... just when you think you know a guy

[@SethMartinIsABurger]

It's time for a book in the KZbin comments section!!! This song has only been out five days, and it's already helped so much! It made me realize, in the process of getting sober that I'm currently on, that I'm a victim of grooming, being 13 and completely alone, not around anyone my age regularly for years, realizing I was gay and already experienced extreme sexual trauma made me ripe for the taking, finding comfort and compassion over the internet by strangers who validated me, told me I was cute, that it was okay to be gay, and my sexuality was valid, all while having me strip on video calls and telling me how to use my body. I thought it was totally fine to do this, as it felt healing for someone to say that I had a beautiful body after being brutalized both for that body and for my mind at school, to the point I had to be pulled out and homeschooled the rest of my schooling career. The strangers on the internet taught me to use my body for good while making me do acts for them that now make me want to puke. I was vulnerable, in a place where I hated being gay not because of my home life, but what it could inflict on me in the place I lived. These actions contained for a decade, literally up until this song came out and I was listening to the album, I had a eureka moment, realizing the lyrics in this song were my lived-in experience, even irl, in which my first consensual sexual experiences were with men twice my high school age at the time. Been processing it all over the last five days to bring this up to my therapist today, who even shared their own lived in experience with this and how I still feel more comfortable exploiting my body than anything else, because I was trained by everyone whom I built up trust with to do so. Art truly helps save lives, and if anyone tells me it doesn't, hopefully, one day I will be comfortable enough to bring this up as an example of how it does. April will never see this, but girl, thank you so much for this song. It's helping me get on the track to helping myself and stopping the cycle of pain that I was trained to love. Thank you so much for this song, I truly can't thank you enough for being the moment where I realized I need to process what has happened to me.

[@Shirlyswirly]

I'm not trans but I'm autistic and this song hit so hard. I was 11 too. Predators target those who are insecure or don't fit in because they see an opportunity to give you attention you've never had before.

[@nova-z9m]

that sounds so scary

[@zweizweidreizweidreinull]

something brutally similar to what this song discusses happened to me, early into my transition... it's crazy how well this song encapsulates so much of what i felt while it was going on. almost all trans people grow up in an environment where you're socialised into believing that being trans makes you unwanted, disgusting, and unworthy of love. for many of us, like myself, it can lead us into these fucked up "relationships" with all sorts of creeps, that WILL cause lasting heavy emotional baggage and trauma. if you know any trans people that may be going through exactly this, TALK TO THEM. HELP THEM OUT. PROTECT THEM.

[@daammobandito7961]

God this is the most brutal instrumental/lyrical juxtaposition since Hey Ya and I both love it and hate it. Love it for how important and impactful it is to not only the trans community but to SA survivors everywhere, and hate it because it makes me want to jam out so hard until I remember how tragic it is then I feel fucking terrible for bopping. I guess that means it's done what it set out to do, if thats the point. Absolutely incredible song.

[@melodywave3]

my parents constantly threw out all of my clothes growing up, basically they handed me to a johnny on a silver platter because at least he saw me how i wanted to be seen

[@flossilovequest8961]

I dont know if anyone else has brought this up yet, but the fact that the "Johnny Johnny Johnny" part of the song is a childhood game I played in school just adds this extra layer to the song

[@artistvsworld419]

I didn’t know that this was a game and now that Definitely adds another layer to this. It’s really emphasizes this idea that the person singing was a child playing childhood games and that this person remembers this game just as clearly as part of them being 11 as they do this person who abused them.

[@BrazosEbner]

The way the drums pick up after each chorus, ahhhhh

[@elenasayshi]

I both love and hate how this feels like a major/happy sounding song on such a dark topic

[@beckl3]

the storytelling on this album is insane

[@nekocrimmy]

whoops i cried whoops

[@grelyelo]

this song brings me back to being a 16 year old femboy doing elaborate online roleplay sessions with much older men.... honestly i still crave that kind of "love" but like. as an adult trans woman. and like real love not pedophilia.

[@grelyelo]

IT WAS REAL TO ME OKAY!

[@nwchef]

i really do not mean any offense in saying this but this is the worst comment i've ever read

[@grelyelo]

@@nwchef thanks i try

[@eviebee3188]

I'm sorry you went through that, and also that somebody is being a pos in the replies. It's so hard to neatly square away your feelings when you go through that kind of abuse.

[@wackydeffect5881]

i really do mean any offense in saying this but this is the worst comment i've ever read

[@shejustlikestofight]

That bridge has to b one of my fav moments in music this year holy shit

[@sequoia5934]

johnny is ava tyson 😢

[@magentialice]

i relate to this a lot, i didnt have anything happen irl from this person (thank god) but there was this one white woman who groomed me to get to my online friends. I really liked her as a kid, it hurt me when i realized how bad everything she was doing was. My irl experiences have more been verbal sexual comments my way even when i was a young child and my mother disrespecting my bodily boundaries way up into my teens. She'd yell at me when I told her not to touch me. I don't really want to call it sexual abuse because it didn't seem that way for her, but it made me feel disgusted by my body.

[@ginger9772]

Abruptly cried at the end and im back for more (it is so fucking catchy)

[@muglercunt]

hyperpop fans when an artist makes a song about one of their terrible and very personal experiences: ERMMM GUYS 😂 WHAT THE HECK, YOUR SO OUT OF POCKET FOR THIS ONE -_- IM UNCOMFY-

[@muglercunt]

like jesus FUCKING christ y’all just don’t get it do u huh

[@melodywave3]

me sending this to my parents to make them even more uncomfy

[@funnyfella7463]

we truly are in a media literacy crisis

[@rumbledeareyanki7706]

possibly best song this album, or at least up there with Locals and Old Money Bitch

[@michaelpatras9970]

Some people talking about the song being catchy but having darker/trauma-based lyrics… like that’s not the point?

[@doppelganger_real]

Geniunely one of the best songs to come out this year

[@מיכאלניצן-ק4ח]

This dropped just 4 days, but i heard it dozens of times. Its a perfect song. It has amazing and flawless producing like we know underscores is capable of. It has that banger energy and infectiousness that gets stuck in your head. It has those perfect little moments that are the cherry on top for already amazing songs(i mean, the creativity of using the eurobeat sound behind the melody before the drop at 3:29 is out of this world) And it speaks to me in a way very few songs ever had. It really shows how vulnerable we are as trans people to get taken advantage of by people who see us as we see ourselves. For me at least that can feel so important that i can put up with seriously fucked up shit as long as the person abusing me would "see me like i see myself". Almost every line hits me hard. Thank you April for being vulnerable and open because this song is so powerful for me❤

[@GremlinZ124]

This is such a perfect song for me as i was a victim to someone that is named ‘Johnny’

[@TheThecommenter]

This transports me back to the mid-2000s, aka, the heyday of indietronica. Good stuff.

[@stellar4677]

i should maek a tier list of underscores songs i think this one is high A or S tier

[@stellar4677]

Revised easy S tier

[@Agerzzs]

I really want to share this amazing song, but I don't want to be judged due to the lyrics, so I'll just have to like the video and post a comment instead 😔

[@sentientvoid]

fuckin' share it anyway, spread this song like the black plague, who cares about the lyrics

[@sentientvoid]

@P-nk-m-na that's kind of what i meant, who should care about the fact the lyrics are "weird," you are entirely right here my guy/girl/non-binary specimen

[@uncensoredart6112]

I don't think we need government.

[@erismirror]

i agree!

[@clam6254]

based underscores enjoyer!

[@Geoooooooooo]

This fanbase is great

[@oldsunnymusic]

3:26 oh shit

[@beejkenny]

this song is awesome! one of my favorites from the album

[@Mr2003esteban]

i just discovered this album by this song... FUCKING AMAZING I LOVE IT

[@ChessQuestionMark]

This song is about something horrible but it's a bop undeniably

[@TheCrazyN00b1]

it’s so good but 😭😭😭😭😭

[@tessitvra]

the lyrics in this hit me like a truck man . amazing stuff

[@hustler-music]

Pov just played on triple J and u did a double take

[@selcouth444]

"But James and Jake and Jimmy never talked to me that way" FELT 💔💔

[@sequoia5934]

omg I was not expecting that 360 turn???

[@rxcp_]

sometimes i'll listen to the whole song just to hear 3:39 - 3:43 again. the two high pitched i'll dos hit

[@rxcp_]

last chorus just rules generally

[@xectilus5530]

Not a single beat is wasted. The sheer precision, density and emotional complexity of the musical storytelling here are frankly astonishing. It's her masterpiece

[@helixxmusic]

take a shot every time she says johnny

[@-Thecrazyone-]

Johnny is my number 1 op and that’s on sight!

[@Organico0]

This is so cool, i love the end part the most, its also so cool that you added some of Russian roulette, great remix!!!

[@Exiatist]

this song is older than russian roulette ;-;

[@Notester82]

"'And when Johnny was eleven, huh, I hadn't even been born" That line hecking SENT me on my first time listening to this, gosh D: Cursed scenario but BANGER song with nice moments of conveying said cursed vibes, holy heck

[@davgarcia4991]

The sound reminds me a little bit of mindless self indulgence. Ironic.

[@naltarsh]

Is this about johnnie guilbert

[@SASTSimon]

Jhon

[@ConcreteXF]

The subway sanich

[@loqqshrom]

jhno e 🤰🧔‍♀️

[@SASTSimon]

@@ConcreteXF HOW

[@ManoloMartinLopez]

Temon lastima en mi pais no saben disfrutarlo ❤

[@earlyej3008]

This is an absolute masterpiece!

[@jennifergolemis5108]

Radio FM4 brought me here. I like it

[@orsomethinlykethat]

THERE WAS AN ACTUAL RADIO STATION THAT PLAYED THIS SONG??? its spreading here it comes

[@magdaniederl1799]

Yes, the same radio station brought me here...austrian radio station fm4, they play it quite often! ​@@orsomethinlykethat

[@magdaniederl1799]

​@@orsomethinlykethat yes, austrian radio station fm4...they play it quite often, brought me here as well!

[@markusmitteregger8484]

still dont understand the lyric can someone explain it please

[@_____Astral_____]

I'm a bit late but it's about a predator exploiting a child's self esteem issues to groom them. the ending has the singer (the child victim) eventually escape Johnny (the predator).

[@_____Astral_____]

(obviously the lyrics get deeper than this, it's just a broad overview)

[@eggy797]

this song is too real

[@ydaak]

Great song

[@OtherM112594]

This song deserves to be a classic. It’s brilliant

[@johnny6731]

I love how the sounds compress, gives it a cool texture, the drums sound great, vocals sound sick, but seriously, I feel attacked listening to this song :(

[@illusionofartYT]

Good song!

[@TeddSkylight]

Basically a song about the victims of Discord Mods.

[@titania1661]

I was only 6 years old

[@iaylalovespancakes]

this song is so real.

[@namerose]

johnny is john greenbow, aka the mayor hes 50 smth-

[@zicklane]

Where'd this info come from?

[@namerose]

@@zicklane i was getting the arg site links but it says actually the mayors name is jerry bowman 🤦‍♀🤦‍♀🤦‍♀ i misremembered, im deleting my comment

[@namerose]

i cant delete my comment

[@namerose]

i also cant edit my comment 🤦‍♀🤦‍♀🤦‍♀🤦‍♀

[@vivlaughlove_]

pain );

[@luisa.7734]

1:05

[@d3lta_p]

guilty gear mayburi gamers rise up

[@dangp6374]

why did you have to put such out of pocket lyrics in the catchiest song of all time 😭

[@mlodydzun]

"out of pocket"? do you think this song was written for fun

[@jadeblades]

​@@mlodydzunout of pocket doesnt mean written for fun

[@peidopeidinho]

💀

[@rrrednaxelaaa]

whats the lore

[@nonbinarybastard]

join the undersord, ppl are figuring it out there. also u can find the "walldocket" that has the lore we knew before the album released

[@Ic-gv2eo]

just listen to the lyrics bro

[@willcoffarchives]

This is the lore, however the song is probably about s*nny. Idk much so it'll probably be better looking into it alone

[@Ic-gv2eo]

@@willcoffarchives I'm stupid but I thought s*nny was Skrillex lol

[@JetcynPlusOne]

​@@willcoffarchiveson the soundcloud page of the song it says that the song was about S*nny after she just turned 18

[@mitcheroar]

I've listened to this song over fifty times right now. I'm very confused though about the voice. Who's singing the song, it sounds like a woman but, then a guy. Is the voice edited to sound more feminine or is it two people singing together? The lyrics and the message is wild but, yet the beats and melody is so catchy.

[@Eggbone]

Underscores(the musician) is a transwoman, so her voice may have a bigger/deeper range. Hope this clears it up!

[@mitcheroar]

@@Eggbone okay cool. So is she using her natural voice and then adding different distortions to increase a more feminine sound?

[@Eggbone]

@@mitcheroar some of its effects, some of its just singing higher/ singing with different throat/breathing techniques

[@mitcheroar]

@@Eggbone that's so cool. I'm new to this artist and all the music off this album are very interesting. I wasn't sure because in one of the recent music videos was a girl with blue hair and I assumed she was a singer with the band.

[@Eggbone]

@@mitcheroar Glad you like her stuff! If you like this album i recommend checking out fishmonger and fearmonger aswell as those are each very good albums aswell!

[@MKUltraPill]

StayMKUltracool :3

[@holycolin2015]

the way my gut sank when I realized what this song was about 🥲 Absolutely wonderful work though, that hit me like a truck

[@maverickREAL]

hey guys thanks for making me feel immensely uncomfortable /gen

[@fishmonger__]

?

[@mayamelodyegg1607]

you wanted a song about grooming to be comfortable????

[@magenta5785]

​@@mayamelodyegg1607i mean OP directly indicated they were genuine about being grateful that the song made them uncomfortable. i think OP's saying like, wow this song about grooming is very uncomfortable, as it should be, good job. not like "ugh i wish this wasnt so uncomfortable"

[@mayamelodyegg1607]

@@magenta5785 ahh that makes the /gen indicator make way more sense lol . hope thats the case

[@loqqshrom]

yeah this makes me so uncomfortable listening

[@acraze2287]

is this a jojo reference

[@paulnotdownunder3172]

Johnny said bid your life farewell.. First half of the song she makes it clear shes in control of her choices...her choices and shit upbringing led her to the wrong guys.

[@elim9054]

You sound like the reason this song was written dude

[@paulnotdownunder3172]

@@elim9054 you shouldve stayed awake at school dude.

[@elim9054]

@@paulnotdownunder3172 You understand that this song is literally about a teenager being groomed by an older adult right? Do you care to explain what "choices" make that the fault of a child and not the weirdo talking to her?

[@NocturnalTyphlosion]

​@@paulnotdownunder3172actual flat earther from fucking *manly???* no wonder youre like this lmao

[@uganajohn]

ABOUSLETY FABULOUS WELL DONE

[@donkeynuts9096]

The discord mod national anthem