D
D    A    D

[Verse 1]
          D
Well they closed down the auto plant in Mahwah late last month
                                                      A
Ralph went out lookin' for a job but he couldn't find none
        D
He came home too drunk from mixin' Tanqueray and wine
                                    A                    D
He got a gun shot a night clerk now they call him Johnny 99
         D
Dawn in that part of town where when you hit red light you don't stop
                                                         A
Johnny's wavin' his gun around and threatin' to blow his top
        D
When an off duty cop snuck up on him on from behind
                                                  A                D
Out in front of the club Tip Top they slapped the cuffs on Johnny 99

[Verse 2]
              G                                  D
Well the city supplied a public defender but the judge was mean John Brown
                                                  A
He came into the courtroom and stared poor Johnny down
         D
Well the evidence is clear gonna let the sentence fit the crime
                                      A           D
Prison for 98 and a year will make it even Johnny 99

[Solo]
D    A    x2

[Verse 3]
       G                                            D
A fist fight broke out in the courtroom they had to drag Johnny's girl away
                                                           A
His mama stood up and shouted judge don't take my boy this way
     D
Well son you got any statement you'd like to make
                            A                D    E
Before the bailiff comes to forever take you away
    E
Yes judge I got debts no honest man could pay
                                                          B
The bank was holdin' my mortgage they was takin' my house away
            E
Now I ain't sayin' that makes me an innocent man
                              B                       E
But it was more than all this that put that gun in my hand
                 E
And your honor I do believe I'd be better off dead
                                                              B
If you can take a man's life for the thoughts that are in his head
           E
Then won't you sit back in that chair and think it over one more time
                                  B           E
And let 'em shave off my hair and burn Johnny 99

[Outro]
E
E    B    E