JOHNNY 99

Early demo 1

Well they closed down the auto plant in Mahwah late last month
Ralph went out lookin' for a job but he couldn't find none
He came home too drunk from mixin' Tanqueray and wine
He got a gun, shot a night clerk now they call him Johnny 99

It was down in the part of town where women in a car won't stop
He was stumbling down the street ??? threatenin' to blow his top
They found him standing at the bar, drunk ??? and crying
They slapped the handcuffs there on Johnny 99

City supplied a public defender but the judge was Mean John Brown
He came into the courtroom and stared poor Johnny down
"Well the evidence is clear gonna let the sentence buddy fit the crime
Prison for 98 and a year and we'll call it even Johnny 99"

Well Johnny, Johnny, we're ready to put you away
Is there anything son that you want to say?
From here on after we can only hear you buddy when you shout
You're going deep down deep in some hole and you ain't ever gonna come back out

Now your honour I got bills I just could not pay
The bank was gonna come and take my house away
Now Judge I ain't sayin' that makes me an innocent man
But it was more 'n all this that put that gun in my hand

Now your honour I do believe I'd be better off dead
And if you can take a man's life for the thoughts that's in his head
You best sit back in that chair and think it over just one more time
Let the executioner do his job on Johnny 99

Its only $200 that was all I was asking for
Judge, just $200 and I would have been on my way out the door
He reached beneath the counter and I saw something shiny in his hand
He started... he spewed blood like a fountain and I dropped my gun and run

Now your honour I do believe I'd be better off dead
And if you can take a man's life for the thoughts that's in his head
Now I ain't sayin' Sir

Early acoustic take 1 of JOHNNY 99. Another early demo is also available.