Johnny 99 lyrics

Artist  : Bruce springsteen 
Song : Johnny 99
 
Well they closed down the auto plant in mahwah
late that 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’m
johnny 99

Down in the part of town where when you hit a red
light you don’t stop
Johnny’s wavin’ his gun around and threatenin’ 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

Well the city supplied a public defender but the
judge was mean john brown
He came into the courtroom and stared young
johnny down
Well the evidence is clear gonna let the sentence
son fit the crime
Prison for 98 and a year and we’ll call it even
johnny 99
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 you’d like to make
Before the bailiff comes to forever take you
away

Now judge I had debts no honest man could pay
The bank was holdin’ my mortgage and they were
gonna take my house away
Now I ain’t sayin’ that makes me an innocent man
But it was more `n all this that put that gun in
my hand

Well your honor I do believe I’d be better off
dead
So if you can take a man’s life for the thoughts
that’s in his head
Then sit back in that chair and think it over
judge one more time
And let `em shave off my hair and put me on that
killin’ line