Comments: 1

• Cee Gee Dee from Dallas, Texas, UsaThere is a variation of this song on "Preservation Act 1" called "One of the Survivors." In Mod vs. Rocker parlance in 1960s UK, Johnny was a Rocker who loved motorcycles. I watched a Kinks vid from late 2019 with Paul Weller, Andy Partridge, Noel Gallagher, and others of a younger than Kinks generation who commented on Village Green Preservation Society. One can see Johnny in Gene Vincent, Eddie Cochran, even British rockers like Johnny Kidd of the Pirates fame. However, one man also comes to mind, as in before he got big in America and just before he was murdered: John Lennon.
  
  I don't know if he ever rode motorcycles, but he loved early rock to his grave and greased up his hair ala the old Teddy boys even during that prophetic pic with Mark David Chapman. There is a very thin line between Johnny Thunder and John Lennon. Ray Davies, if you disagree, so be it! Long live The Kinks.
  
  An addendum from Quadrophenia. This may sum it up, although the rocker in the vid is probably a few years younger than Johnny, speaking of the film time sequence. John could be closer to Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley or maybe Dion Dimucci in age, as in born in the 30s. Lennon and Ringo were born in 1940. Carry on, Songfacts.
  
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dF1OktWB5og

see more comments