Peak
3
Weeks
19
Score
3,055
Chart Year
1986
The music video features El DeBarge singing in a courtroom, where a judge is presiding over the trial of Johnny 5 (the robotic protagonist of Short Circuit). A representative of NOVA, the government defense contractor that created Johnny, sits at the prosecutor's table as El DeBarge sings his testimony from the witness stand. Stephanie Speck (Ally Sheedy) and a cardboard cutout of Newton Graham Crosby, Ph.D. (Steve Guttenberg) are also in attendance as adversarial witnesses for the prosecution, implying that El Debarge is playing the co-lead role of Ben Jabituya, played by Fisher Stevens in the film. The prosecutor's sole question during these examinations is the titular line of the song "Who's Johnny?" She plays a VHS tape, labeled "Short Circuit", containing various clips from the movie. Meanwhile, Number 5 wreaks havoc in the courtroom (only his robotic hand is visible to the viewer) with various hijinks, including giving the prosecuting attorney a pair of funny nose glasses, turning up the ceiling fan to create a windstorm of papers, swapping the judge's gavel for an exploding one and calling the fire department, resulting in the judge being sprayed with water. Stephanie and El DeBarge sneak out of the courtroom at the end, covering the camera with a slate on their way out. The prosecutor, still wearing the trick glasses, pops up to deliver the last "Who's Johnny?"
his song was written by the husband-and-wife team Peter and Ina Wolf for Short Circuit, a 1986 sci-fi comedy about an experimental military robot named Number 5 who goes on the run after a lightning strike gives him the gift of human intelligence. The music video follows the robot's trial, with El DeBarge singing on the witness stand and some of the movie's cast members in attendance, including Ally Sheedy and Steve Guttenberg (well, a cardboard cutout of Guttenberg). The movie's producers loved this song so much that they wrote in a scene where Number 5 adopted the name "Johnny." This was El DeBarge's first single after leaving his family's group, DeBarge, earlier that year. He was concerned that the song was too different from his usual work, but was encouraged to give it a shot because a film tie-in could bring positive publicity to his debut album. The song was his first and only #1 hit (on the US R&B Charts) as a solo artist. "Weird Al" Yankovic spun this song into a Tonight Show-themed parody called "Here's Johnny," a reference to announcer Ed McMahon's famous introduction for former host Johnny Carson. It's featured on his 1986 album, Polka Party!. Peter Wolf didn't even have to drag himself out of bed to write this song. "I wrote the song one morning, literally lying in bed. I woke up and I was toying with the idea and the whole thing was right there, chorus and all." he said in a Billboard interview. Peter also co-wrote Wang Chung's "Everybody Have Fun Tonight" and Starship's "We Built This City," among other hits. He and his then-wife Ina collaborated on Kenny Loggins' "Playing With the Boys" for the movie Top Gun.
There she goes and knows I'm dying When she says, "Who is Johnny?" Games with names that girl is playing All she says is, "Who is Johnny?" I try to understand because I'm people too And playing games is part of human nature My heart's in overdrive It's great to be alive "Who's Johnny?" she said And smiled in her special way "Johnny," she said "You know I love you" "Who's Johnny?" she said And tried to look the other way Eyes gave her away, all right She makes sure, I see her teasing Hear her say, "Who is Johnny?" There's no way to take this easy Hear her say, "Who is Johnny?" I really couldn't help but fall in love with her Her being there has made my life worth living I knew it from the start That I would lose my heart "Who's Johnny?" she said And smiled in her special way "Johnny," she said "You know I love you" "Who's Johnny?" she said And tried to look the other way Still pretending "Who's Johnny? Who's Johnny?" oh "Who's Johnny? Who's Johnny?" oh, no, no, no I don't believe it "Who's Johnny?" she said And tried to look the other way Eyes gave her away (Girls like her) are very special Girls (like her) don't rest 'Til you too are a believer 'Til you too have caught their fever "Who is Johnny?" There she goes and knows I'm dying When she says, "Who is" "Who's Johnny?" she said And smiled with some other guy "Johnny," she said "I don't remember" "Who's Johnny?" she said And turned the other way Eyes gave her away "Who's Johnny? Who's Johnny?" "Who's Johnny? Who's Johnny?" she said, "I don't remember" "Who's Johnny?" she said and turned the other way Left me standing there "Who's Johnny? Who's Johnny? Who's Johnny?" "Who's Johnny? Who's Johnny? Who's Johnny?" "Who's Johnny? Who's Johnny? Who's Johnny?" Left me standing there "Who's Johnny? Who's Johnny? Who's Johnny?" "Who's Johnny? Who's Johnny? Who's Johnny?" "Who's Johnny? Who's Johnny? Who's Johnny?" "Who's Johnny? Who's Johnny? Who's Johnny?" "Who's Johnny? Who's Johnny? Who's Johnny?" "Who's Johnny? Who's Johnny? Who's Johnny?" "Who is Johnny?"
| Week | Chart Date | Position | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Apr 26, 1986 | 75 | 51 |
| 2 | May 3, 1986 | 59 | 67 |
| 3 | May 10, 1986 | 50 | 76 |
| 4 | May 17, 1986 | 40 | 86 |
| 5 | May 24, 1986 | 32 | 94 |
| 6 | May 31, 1986 | 25 | 101 |
| 7 | Jun 7, 1986 | 18 | 108 |
| 8 | Jun 14, 1986 | 14 | 112 |
| 9 | Jun 21, 1986 | 9 | 117 |
| 10 | Jun 28, 1986 | 6 | 120 |
| 11 | Jul 5, 1986 | 3 | 123 |
| 12 | Jul 12, 1986 | 5 | 121 |
| 13 | Jul 19, 1986 | 6 | 120 |
| 14 | Jul 26, 1986 | 14 | 112 |
| 15 | Aug 2, 1986 | 27 | 99 |
| 16 | Aug 9, 1986 | 39 | 87 |
| 17 | Aug 16, 1986 | 60 | 66 |
| 18 | Aug 23, 1986 | 87 | 39 |
| 19 | Aug 30, 1986 | 98 | 28 |