Johnny Adams

Written by: Dave Davies

Published by: Dave Davies/Carlin Music

Lyrics:

Poor Johnny Adams, they had to have him
They electrified his brain, trying to make him sane
They took him to the palace, diagnosed as schizophrenic
They pumped him full of thorazine and he never was quite the same

He came up before the magistrate, and then they took him down
To the sanatorium, he was acting weird, paranoid
They declared he needed some therapy, treatment for the insane
He was sectioned in the palace, down in Colney Hatch Lane

Just let me at 'em, in their minds he had a kind of a madness
Yes, he was hyper, bipolar disorder
But he wasn't that crazy, he just needed a helping hand

For all their convenient truth, said they could put him right
In time for the meeting of their group, that's the truth
They took him down, had him sedated
Broke his will, killed his sprit
Fixed his brain, changed his mind

And the doctors said don't you worry
He will be just fine
Ya see we found a new therapy
Looks like we got it just in time

Johnny Adams, they took him down and they turned off his mind
Johnny Adams, they just got to have him
They called him a psycho but he was a friend of mine

Now everybody's happy, tucked up safe in the neighbourhood
Now they put poor Johnny away for everybody's good
They took him down, now he's a shadow of a man
Johnny Adams, just let me at 'em
They electrified his brain, tried to make him sane

But how could this happen, in dear old Muswell Hill
While their queueing up at Sainsbury's, getting groceries for the week
He was never quite the same

They took him down, had him sedated
Broke his will, killed his spirit
Broke his heart, changed his mind
Johnny Adams, they electrified his brain, tried to make him sane
Down in Colney Hatch Lane
1962

This song can be found on the following releases:

stereo mix (4:23), recorded 2014

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