More songs by Bruce Springsteen
Description
Nebraska '82: Expanded Edition
Vocal, Electric Guitar, Associated Performer, Harmonica, Producer: Bruce Springsteen
Piano: Roy Bittan
Bass: Garry Tallent
Acoustic Guitar, Producer: Stevie Van Zandt
Drums: Max Weinberg
Composer, Lyricist: B. Springsteen
Producer: Jon Landau
Recording Engineer, Engineer: Toby Scott
Assistant Engineer: Jeff Hendrickson
Assistant Engineer: Zoe Yanakis
Mixing Engineer: Rob Lebret
Mastering Engineer: Brian Lee
Mastering Engineer: Bob Jackson
Lyrics and translation
Original
Ooh, ooh, ooh
Ooh, ooh
Ooh
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
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
Well, the 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, son, fit the crime
Prison for 98 and a year, and we'll call it even, Johnny 99"
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?"
"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
"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)
Ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh
Ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh
Ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh
Ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh
Ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh
Ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh
Ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh, c'mon
Good
Alright, let's try another one
English translation
Ooh, ooh, ooh
Ooh, ooh
Ooh
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
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
Well, the 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, son, fit the crime
Prison for 98 and a year, and we'll call it even, Johnny 99"
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?"
"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
"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)
Ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh
Ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh
Ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh
Ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh
Ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh
Ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh
Ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh, c'mon
Good
Alright, let's try another one