"Poor Old Johnny Ray" is the beginning of the first verse of which 1982 hit single?

"Poor old Johnnie Ray" is the first line of the first verse of the 1982 song 'Come on Eileen' by English pop rock group Dexys Midnight Runners. It reached number one in the United States and United Kingdom, and won Best British Single at the 1983 Brit Awards.

The Johnnie Ray referenced to in the song is American singer John Ray (1927-1990), who was popular during the 1950s. At the beginning of the song, Johnnie Ray "Sounded sad upon the radio," but the song is not about him.

The titular name Eileen was originally believed to have been inspired by a childhood friend of bandmate Kevin Rowland (born 1953), with whom he had a romantic relationship. Rowland denied these claims and stated, "In fact she was composite, to make a point about Catholic repression."

In a 2000 poll by Channel 4, 'Come On Eileen' was ranked at 38 in the 100 greatest number one singles of all time. Since its release, it has sold over 1.30 million copies.

In 2004, the lyrics were altered to "Come On England" in support of the England national football (soccer) team during the 2004 European Championships.