Johanna (reprise) | Len Cariou, Merle Louise, Sarah Rice & Victor Garber Lyrics, Meaning & Videos

Publish date: 2024-05-22

Johanna
Len Cariou Merle Louise Sarah Rice & Victor Garber Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴I feel you, Johanna
I feel you
Do they think that walls can hide you
Even now I′m at your window
I am in the dark beside you,
Buried sweetly in your yellow hair
Johanna
And are you beautiful and pale With yellow hair, like her
I'd want you beautiful and pale
The way I dreamed, you were
Johanna (Johanna)
And if you′re beautiful what then
With yellow hair, like wheat
I think we shall not meet again
My little dove, my sweet
Johanna (I'll Steal you, Johanna)
Goodbye Johanna
You're gone, and yet your mine
I′m fine Johanna
I′m fine
Johanna
Smoke Smoke
Sign of the devil Sign of the devil
City on fire
Witch! Witch!
Smell it sir? An evil smell
Every night at the vesper's bell
Smoke that comes from the mouth of Hell
City on Fire
City on Fire
Mischief! Mischief! Mischief!
And if I never hear your voice
My turtle dove, my dear
I still have reason to rejoice
The way ahead is clear
Johanna (I′ll marry Anthony Sunday)
(I feel you)
And in that darkness when I'm blind
With what I can′t, forget
(Johanna)
It's always morning in my mind
My little lamb, my pet
Johanna (I knew you′d come for me one day)
(Johanna)
You stay Johanna
The way I dreamed you are
Oh look, Johanna, a star
(Buried sweetly in your yellow hair)
A shooting star
There, there, somebody somebody look up there
Didn't I tell you
Smell that hair
City on fire
Quick sir run and tell
Warn them all of the Witch's spell
There it is there it is
The Unholy smell
Tell it to the people and the police as well
Tell em′ tell em′! Help! Fiend!
City on fire
City on fire
Mischief! Mischief! Mischief!
And though I'll think of you I guess
Until the day, I die
I think I miss you less and less
As every day, goes by
Johanna (Johanna)
(With you beside me on Sunday, married on Sunday)
And you′d be beautiful and pale
And look too much, like her
If only Angels could prevail
We'd be the way, we were
Johanna (I feel you, Johanna)
Wake up, Johanna
Another bright red day
We learn Johanna, to say

Goodbye
(I′ll steal you)


Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Johanna" primarily deal with the singer's intense longing for a woman named Johanna, whom he watches from outside her window. He muses on her beauty, describing her as "beautiful and pale/With yellow hair, like her," lamenting that they likely will never meet again. The lyrics also touch on the sense of impending doom caused by a fire in the city, which the singer believes to be caused by a witch. Despite this chaos, the singer remains fixated on Johanna and their potential future together.


The lyrics of "Johanna" are heavily inspired by the Sweeney Todd musical, in which the character of Johanna serves as a primary love interest for the titular character. The song is often interpreted as a representation of Sweeney's obsessive and possessive feelings towards Johanna. However, the song's composer, Stephen Sondheim, has stated that it was not his intention for the song to be read in this way but rather as a lamentation of the loss of pure love in the modern world.


Some have also pointed to the song's use of the leitmotif "Smoke Smoke" as a nod to the fact that the story of Sweeney Todd takes place in a world of industrialization and urbanization. Additionally, the song's use of the witch as an antagonist reflects Sondheim's interest in the history of witchcraft and the persecution of women during the early modern period.


Line by Line Meaning

I feel you, Johanna
I sense your presence, Johanna


I feel you
I am aware of your existence


Do they think that walls can hide you
Do others believe that they can keep you hidden behind walls?


Even now I′m at your window
At this moment, I am present at your window


I am in the dark beside you
I am concealed by the darkness and close to you


Buried sweetly in your yellow hair
I am fondly overwhelmed by your yellow hair


Johanna
Addressing the person named Johanna


And are you beautiful and pale
Are you strikingly lovely with a light complexion?


With yellow hair, like her
Possessing hair that is similar to hers in color


I'd want you beautiful and pale
I would prefer that you be beautiful with a light complexion


The way I dreamed, you were
Just as I imagined you would look like in my dreams


Johanna (Johanna)
Addressing the person named Johanna twice


And if you′re beautiful what then
If you are truly attractive, what difference does it make?


With yellow hair, like wheat
Having hair color like that of wheat


I think we shall not meet again
It appears that we may not meet again


My little dove, my sweet
An endearing term for Johanna


Johanna (I'll Steal you, Johanna)
Addressing Johanna twice and expressing a desire to steal her away


Goodbye Johanna
Saying farewell to Johanna


You're gone, and yet your mine
Although you are gone, I still feel attached to you


I′m fine Johanna
Emphasizing that he is doing well despite her absence


I′m fine
Expressing that everything is good


Johanna
Addressing Johanna again


Smoke Smoke
Referencing smoke and repeating the word twice for emphasis


Sign of the devil Sign of the devil
Imagery of the devil represented by smoke


City on fire
The city is burning


Witch! Witch!
Accusing someone of being a witch


Smell it sir? An evil smell
Asking someone if they can smell something putrid


Every night at the vesper's bell
The bell that rings at sunset each day


Smoke that comes from the mouth of Hell
Smoke that looks like it's from Hell


City on Fire
Emphasizing that the city is in flames


City on Fire
Repeating that the city is on fire


Mischief! Mischief! Mischief!
Imagery of evil, represented by the word mischief


And if I never hear your voice
Expressing the possibility of not hearing Johanna's voice again


My turtle dove, my dear
Endearingly referring to Johanna as my turtle dove and my dear one


I still have reason to rejoice
Even without hearing her voice, he still has cause for happiness


The way ahead is clear
The future seems straightforward


Johanna (I′ll marry Anthony Sunday)
Addressing Johanna and stating that he will marry Anthony on Sunday


(I feel you)
Reiterating that he senses Johanna's presence


And in that darkness when I'm blind
Describing a situational darkness where he cannot see


With what I can′t, forget
Referring to something that he cannot forget, even in the dark


(Johanna)
Addressing Johanna again


It's always morning in my mind
Describing an always fresh feeling in his mind


My little lamb, my pet
Using affectionate terms to refer to Johanna


Johanna (I knew you′d come for me one day)
Addressing Johanna, saying that he knew she would come to him one day


(Johanna)
Addressing Johanna again


You stay Johanna
Asking Johanna to stay with him


The way I dreamed you are
Asking Johanna to stay true to the way he envisioned her to be


Oh look, Johanna, a star
Pointing out a star to Johanna


(Buried sweetly in your yellow hair)
Repeating an earlier line about her lovely hair


A shooting star
Noticing a shooting star in the sky


There, there, somebody somebody look up there
Directing someone to look up at something


Didn't I tell you
Asking someone if he had not warned them before


Smell that hair
Referring once again to Johanna's hair


City on fire
Stating that the city is still on fire


Quick sir run and tell
Urging someone to run and inform others


Warn them all of the Witch's spell
Telling someone to warn people of the spell cast by the witch


There it is there it is
Announcing the presence of something


The Unholy smell
Calling the smell unholy or evil


Tell it to the people and the police as well
Instructing someone to inform both the public and the police


Tell em′ tell em′! Help! Fiend!
Expressing the urgency to warn others about the evil presence


Mischief! Mischief! Mischief!
Repeating a previous line related to evil


And though I'll think of you I guess
Acknowledging that he will think of Johanna


Until the day, I die
Saying that he will think of Johanna for the rest of his life


I think I miss you less and less
Feeling like he misses Johanna less with each passing day


As every day, goes by
With each passing day


Johanna (Johanna)
Addressing Johanna twice


And you′d be beautiful and pale
Imagining what she would look like if they were together


And look too much, like her
Worrying that she may look too similar to someone else


If only Angels could prevail
Expressing a desire for ideal circumstances


We'd be the way, we were
Expressing longing for the way things once were


Johanna (I feel you, Johanna)
Addressing Johanna again and reiterating that he feels her presence


Wake up, Johanna
Calling her to wake up


Another bright red day
Referencing a new day with vivid language


We learn Johanna, to say
Implying that he is teaching Johanna something


Goodbye
Saying farewell


(I′ll steal you)
Last words, referencing the hope of taking Johanna with him


Writer(s): Stephen Sondheim

Contributed by Molly D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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