Tyler Joseph’s Dad Shares Meaning Behind Twenty One Pilots’ ‘Johnny Boy’
In a recent interview with The Pop Song Professor, Tyler Joseph’s dad, Chris Joseph, has explained the meaning behind the band’s track ‘Johnny Boy’, which is featured on their 2009 self-titled record.
He has explained that the song is about him after the economic crisis of 2007/2008.
“One song, it’s called ‘Johnny Boy,’ it was at a point where I was in a private school. It was when the economy wasn’t doing well. I was an admissions director and they needed to, well, I didn’t have that position anymore. They said ‘Hey, we gotta get rid of this position.’ And I was without a job for a while. A lot of people were out of work at that time.
He [Tyler] wrote the song ‘Johnny Boy.’ Like, here’s his hero, he puts in the song here’s my hero. He talks about being able to fix a chair and do all these things, but ‘I’m seeing him in a humble state right now.’ I was looking for a position at that time. We weren’t starving by any means. It didn’t last that long but that song really bothered me.
But that song was interesting from his perspective. Looking at his dad.
I was Johnny Boy. ‘Get up, Johnny Boy’ because you know it was during a time where things were tough because you know we made enough money to get by and I was unemployed for a matter of months. And he felt his dad…he probably felt insecure seeing that I was looking for another job. That might put it in perspective for you.”
You can watch the full interview below.
