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 Dawn in that part of town where when you hit red light you don't stop Johnny's wavin' his gun around and threatin' to blow his top When an off duty cop snuck up on him on 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 poor Johnny down Well the evidence is clear gonna let the sentence fit the crime Prison for 98 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 statement 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 'em shave off my hair and burn Johnny 99