Johnny 99 (Electric Nebraska)

[Verse 1]

Well, they closed down the Ford plant in Mahwah late that month

Johnny went out lookin' for a job but he couldn't find none

He came home too drunk from mixin' Tanqueray and wine

Got a gun, shot a night clerk, now they call him Johnny 99

[Verse 2]

He was down in a part of town where a red light, buddy, you don't stop

Johnny's wavin' a gun around and threatenin' to blow his top

When an off-duty cop snuck up on him from behind

Right there in front of the Club Tip Top, they slapped the cuffs on Johnny 99

[Bridge]

Well, the city supplied a public defender

But the judge was Mean John Brown

He came into the courtroom

And stared poor Johnny down

"Wеll, the evidencе is clear, gonna let the sentence, son, fit the crime

Prison for ninety-eight and a year and we'll call it even, Johnny 99"

[Harmonica Solo]

[Bridge]

And a fistfight 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, I'm sorry, ma'am, but the law must be satisfied

Check your son's killin' hands and an innocent man died

You got anything you wanna say, son, before you arrive?"

[Verse 3]

"Judge, the bank was gonna come and take my house away

I have debts, Your Honor, no honest man could pay

Well now, I ain't sayin' that makes me an innocent man

But it was more'n all this, sir, that put that gun in my hand

[Verse 4]

"Now, 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

And I do believe, sir, I'd be better off a dead man

'Cause I shot that young boy, I shot him, judge, and I ran" (Oh)

[Outro]

Good

Alright, let's try another one