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
Down at the part of town
Where when you hit a red light
You don't stop
Johnny's wavin' his gun around
And a-threatin' to blow his top
When an off duty cop
Snuck up on him from behind
In front of the club Tip Top,
They slapped the cuffs on Johnny 99
Well, the city suplied the public defender,
But the judge was mean John Brown
He came into the courtroom
And he stared poor Johnny down
Well, the evidence is clear,
Gonna let the sentence
Fit the crime
Ninety-eight and a year
Will make 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 any statements
You'd like to make
Before the bailiff comes to forever take you away
Yes, judge I got debts
No honest man
Could pay
The bank was holdin' my mortgage,
They was takin' my house away
Now, I ain't sayin' that makes me an innocent man
But it was more than all this
That put that gun in my hand
And, your honor,
I do believe I'd be better off dead
If you can take a man's life
For the thoughts that are in his head
Then won't you sit back
In that chair and think it over one more time
And let them shave off my hair
And burn Johnny 99