Johnny Guitar (song)

"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 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.^[1]

The song became an instant classic and has been covered many times as a song and as an instrumental.

Covers

Instrumental covers were made by The Leemen, The Spotnicks, Group Seven 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.

Language covers were done, amongst others :

• in Finnish by Reino Helismaa (lyricist) as "Surujen kitara".^[2]
• in French by Frida Boccara (1963), Luis Mariano (1956), Magali Noël (1955) and Tino Rossi (1955), either as "Johnny guitar" or "Johnny guitare", w/ lyrics adapted by Pierre Delanoë.
• in German by Daliah Lavi as "Johnny Guitar".
• in English by Italian crooner Renato Carosone, and pop singer Giuni Russo, in Spanish by Italian singer Gigliola Cinquetti

In popular culture

The song "Johnny Guitar" can be heard throughout the 2010 game Fallout: New Vegas.^[3]

Sources

• Young, Victor. Cinema Rhapsodies: The Musical Genius of Victor Young Ontario: (Hit Parade Records, 2006).

References