Johnny Berlin - Lyrics, song meanings and complete lyric index (2008–2012)
This page is built for people who search “Johnny Berlin lyrics” and actually want something useful: a full lyric index, song-by-song theme tags, and straight explanations of what the writing is doing across the two main albums Find What You Love and Let It Kill You (2008) and Hyber Nation (2012), plus the 2011 single “Sid Meier (Sure Thing)”.
Important: Full lyrics are not published here to avoid copyright problems. Instead, you get the next best thing: a structured index, topic breakdown, and “what this song is about” notes you can use for listening, reviews, and press. If you own the lyric rights (or have permission), you can paste official lyrics into the provided placeholders.
How Johnny Berlin writes (no mysticism, just the pattern)
Johnny Berlin’s lyrics lean on images and situations more than direct statements. Titles and refrains often feel like snapshots: a place, a name, a social class marker, a warning, a private line spoken at night. The band’s music is tight and rhythmic; the writing follows the same discipline: short phrases, repeatable hooks, and enough ambiguity to let the track stay “open” on replay.
- Concrete nouns: names, locations, objects, short “scene” words.
- Contrast: romance vs. detachment, optimism vs. dread, movement vs. being stuck.
- Social edge: money/class/status appear as pressure, not as slogans.
- Rhythm-first lines: many phrases are written to lock into the groove, not to read like poetry.
Albums and songs (complete index)
Below is a complete list of the key Johnny Berlin releases and songs most people search for. Use the “theme tags” as a fast way to find the mood you want: nightlife tracks, social tension tracks, travel/escape tracks, or darker, “cold” tracks.
Hyber Nation (2012) - lyric index + theme tags
| Track | Theme tags | Listening angle (what to focus on) |
|---|---|---|
| Living Again | restart, recovery, momentum | how the chorus “opens” after tight verses |
| Vive l’Afrique | movement, celebration, distance | contrast between upbeat pulse and sharper lines |
| A Neve | cold imagery, detachment, clarity | new wave atmosphere vs. direct hook |
| Give Me the Night | nightlife, desire, urgency | repetition as persuasion: the hook is the point |
| Wasjuwami | identity, confusion, misread signals | phrases that sound like private talk in a loud room |
| Sid Meier (Sure Thing) | confidence, games, control | how “smart title” meets a very simple, sticky chorus |
| Charming Chernobyl | danger, irony, dark romance | dark title, bright groove: pay attention to tension |
| Heart of Oak | stubbornness, resilience, loyalty | vocal harmonies carrying meaning without over-explaining |
| Shoreline | escape, distance, calm threat | wide sections that feel like “open air” in the mix |
| Julie Says | dialogue, relationships, miscommunication | the “someone said / someone heard” structure |
| A Long Time | time, regret, closure | slow-burn writing: repetition that lands like a conclusion |
Find What You Love and Let It Kill You (2008) - lyric index + theme tags
| Track | Theme tags | Listening angle (what to focus on) |
|---|---|---|
| Platform One | departure, threshold, setup | how short intros frame the record’s tone |
| We Still Want Money | greed, hunger, modern life | sarcasm vs. confession |
| JB & The Negative Skyline | city mood, anxiety, night scenes | images that feel like a moving streetlight montage |
| Bender Parts | damage, aftermath, friction | how “broken” words match sharp guitars |
| Dirty Tackles | conflict, collision, impulse | aggressive verbs and quick phrasing |
| Jenny C | name story, memory, intimacy | character-based writing: who is “Jenny” in the song world |
| Four | counting, obsession, repetition | numbers as structure and tension |
| Echoes | memory, looping thoughts, return | how repeated lines imitate “echo” behavior |
| Upper Middle Class | status, class pressure, masks | social language over a tight post-punk groove |
| Minus Eden | loss, anti-paradise, fallout | contrast between “beautiful words” and bleak framing |
| Find What You Love & Let It Kill You | devotion, self-destruction, surrender | long-form writing: build-up, escalation, release |
Theme map: what the songs cluster around
If you strip away titles and just look at recurring angles, the catalog sits in a few thematic lanes. This helps if you’re making playlists, writing reviews, or trying to understand why the band feels “night-driven”.
| Theme lane | What it sounds like in lyrics | Tracks that fit |
|---|---|---|
| Nightlife / pursuit | requests, persuasion, urgency, short repeated hooks | Give Me the Night; JB & The Negative Skyline |
| Social pressure | money, class, status markers, resentment | We Still Want Money; Upper Middle Class |
| Distance / escape | movement, leaving, shoreline imagery, time passing | Platform One; Shoreline; A Long Time |
| Dark irony | beautiful phrasing around ugly reality | Charming Chernobyl; Minus Eden |
| Characters / dialogue | named people, “she/he says”, implied conversations | Jenny C; Julie Says |
Paste-ready lyric placeholders (use only if you have rights)
If you control the lyric rights (or have permission), paste official lyrics into these blocks. Keep formatting consistent: verse / pre-chorus / chorus / bridge. If you don’t have rights, leave them as “Lyrics unavailable”.
Hyber Nation (2012) - lyrics
Living Again - Lyrics unavailable Vive l’Afrique - Lyrics unavailable A Neve - Lyrics unavailable Give Me the Night - Lyrics unavailable Wasjuwami - Lyrics unavailable Sid Meier (Sure Thing) - Lyrics unavailable Charming Chernobyl - Lyrics unavailable Heart of Oak - Lyrics unavailable Shoreline - Lyrics unavailable Julie Says - Lyrics unavailable A Long Time - Lyrics unavailable
Find What You Love and Let It Kill You (2008) - lyrics
Platform One - Lyrics unavailable We Still Want Money - Lyrics unavailable JB & The Negative Skyline - Lyrics unavailable Bender Parts - Lyrics unavailable Dirty Tackles - Lyrics unavailable Jenny C - Lyrics unavailable Four - Lyrics unavailable Echoes - Lyrics unavailable Upper Middle Class - Lyrics unavailable Minus Eden - Lyrics unavailable Find What You Love & Let It Kill You - Lyrics unavailable
FAQ (what people actually ask)
Are Johnny Berlin lyrics in English?
Yes. The band writes in English, and the delivery is built for rhythm and hooks rather than long narrative storytelling.
Where do official lyrics usually come from?
Official lyrics are commonly included in CD booklets and may appear on licensed lyric displays on streaming platforms. Third-party lyric sites exist, but accuracy varies.
What’s the best song to start with if I care about lyrics?
Start with “Find What You Love & Let It Kill You” (the long closer) if you want the most “written” structure, or “Julie Says” if you prefer dialogue-style lines and character framing.