☝️ Key Points
- The song lyrics tell the story of a woman mourning the shooting death of her son.
- The line 'Johnny was a good man who never did anything wrong' shows that the deceased son was innocent.
- The song lyrics address the question of whether a mother can ever give up her love and concern for her child.
- It is about grief, loss, and the effects of violence and an unjust system.
- The song lyrics express hope for a better system where such tragedies no longer happen.
Interpretation
The song lyrics "Johnny Was" by
Bob Marley tell the story of a woman grieving for her son who was shot. She holds her head and cries because her son was killed on the street by a stray bullet. She explains to a passerby who sees her crying how to deal with this situation. She now knows that the punishment for sin is death, but God's gift is life.
Johnny was a good man who never did anything wrong. This line is repeated and shows that the deceased son was innocent.
The woman cries and holds her head because her son was shot on the street due to the system. She is comforted by a passerby who complains about her situation and cries with her.
The lyric line "Can a woman tender care cease towards the child she bear" poses the question of whether a mother can ever cease to have tender care for the child she has borne.
Overall, the song lyrics "Johnny Was" by Bob Marley are about grief, loss, and the innocence of a man who died due to violence and an unjust system. It raises the question of the meaning of violence and innocence, and expresses hope for a better system where such tragedies no longer occur.