Home | Songs By Year | Songs from 1954
Johnny Guitar (song)
Buy Johnny Guitar (song) now from AmazonFirst, read the Wikipedia article. Then, scroll down to see what other TopShelfReviews readers thought about the song. And once you've experienced the song, tell everyone what you thought about it.
Wikipedia article
"'Johnny Guitar'" is a song written by Peggy Lee (lyrics) and Victor Young (music) and was the title track of the 1954 film, 'Johnny Guitar', directed by Nicholas Ray and starring Joan Crawford. The music loosely echoes several themes from Spanish Dance No. 5: Andaluza by Enrique Granados, which was written for piano, but is often played on classical guitar.
The instrumental for the song is used over the opening credits and throughout the film. The song is played on the piano by Joan Crawford (dubbed) and sung partially at the end by Peggy Lee.
The song appears on all of the radio stations in the 2010 videogame 'Fallout: New Vegas'.
Covers
Instrumental covers were made by The Leemen, The Spotnicks, Group Seven and Crveni Koralji in the 1960s. Later versions include James Last, Kristi Rose, Die Haut feat. Blixa Bargeld and was sung in French by Jeanne Balibar in 2003. Eric Clapton released an instrumental version on CD single in 2001.
Language covers were done, amongst others :
*in Finnish by Reino Helismaa (lyricist) as "Surujen kitara".[http://www.secondhandsongs.com/work/51744 Second Hand Songs: "Johnny Guitar" song page]
*in French by Frida Boccara (1963), Luis Mariano (1956), Magali Nol (1955) and Tino Rossi (1955), either as "Johnny guitar" or "Johnny guitare", w/ lyrics adapted by Pierre Delano.
*in German by Daliah Lavi as "Johnny Guitar".
*in English by Italian crooner Renato Carosone, and pop singers Giuni Russo and Mina, in Spanish by Italian singer Gigliola Cinquetti
*in Persian by Iranian singer/ songwriter, Fereydoon Forooghi (1980) as "Bloody Dawn".
*in Japanese by Atsuko Niina, as the second track on her 1983 covers album "Play Room", where the song appears with the secondary title .
*in Spanish by Spanish singer, Paloma San Basilio (1992) as "No Pidas Ms".
*in Arabic by Lebanese singer/songwriter Fairuz & Rahbani Brother (1960)
*in Italian by Flow Sandon's (1954) and Carla Boni (1954) as "Johnny Guitar", lyrics adapted by Alberto Curci (Devilli)
Sources
*Young, Victor. 'Cinema Rhapsodies: The Musical Genius of Victor Young' Ontario: (Hit Parade Records, 2006).
References
Category:Film theme songs
Category:Songs about guitars
Category:Songs about musicians
Category:Songs about fictional male characters
Category:1954 songs
Category:Peggy Lee songs
Category:Songs written for films
Category:Songs written by Peggy Lee
Category:Songs with music by Victor Young
Buy Johnny Guitar (song) now from Amazon
<-- Return to songs from 1954