Johnny 99

Lyrics

Well they closed down the auto plant in Mahwah late last month Ralph went out looking for a job but, Lord, he couldn't find none He came home too drunk from mixing Tanqueray and wine He got a gun and shot a night clerk, now they call him Johnny 99 Down in the part of town when you hit a red light and don't stop Johnny's waving his gun and threatening to blow his top When an off-duty cop snuck up on him from behind Out in front of the club Tip Top, they slapped the cuffs on Johnny 99 The city supplied a public defender, but the judge was mean John Brown When he came into the courtroom and he stared young Johnny down Well, the evidence is clear, gonna let the sentence fit the crime Prison for 98 and a year, we'll call it even, Johnny 99 Well, a fist fight broke out in the courtroom, they had to drag Johnny's girl away His mama stood up and shouted, "Judge, don't take my boy this way" Well, son, you got a statement that you'd like to make Before the bailiff comes to forever take you away? Now judge, oh judge, I got debts no honest man can pay The bank was holding my mortgage, they was taking my house away Now, I ain't saying that make me no innocent man God knows it was more than all this that put that gun in my hand Well, Your Honor, I do believe I'd be better off dead And if you can take a man's life for the thoughts running through his head Then won't you sit back in that chair and think it over, judge, one more time And let them shave off my hair and put me on the execution line