More songs by Bruce Springsteen
Description
Nebraska '82: Expanded Edition
Harmonica, Acoustic Guitar, Associated Performer, Vocal: Bruce Springsteen
Acoustic Guitar: Larry Campbell
Lyricist, Composer: B. Springsteen
Mixing Engineer, Recording Engineer: Rob Lebret
Recording Engineer: Monty Carlo
Mastering Engineer: Brian Lee
Mastering Engineer: Bob Jackson
Lyrics and translation
Original
Well, they closed down the auto plant Ma, Wally, Dad, and Ma.
Ralph went out looking for a job but he couldn't find none.
He came home drunk from mixing Tanqueray and wine.
Got a gun, shot a night clerk, now they call him Johnny Ninety-Nine.
Down in the part of town where when you hit a red light, you don't stop.
Johnny's waving his gun around threatening to blow his top.
When an off-duty cop snuck up on him from behind.
Out in front of the Club Tick Tock they slapped the cuffs on Johnny Ninety-Nine.
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 sentencing fit the crime.
Prison for ninety-eight and a year and we'll call it even, Johnny Ninety-Nine.
Woo!
Well, 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?
" "Well, now, Judge, Judge, I have debts no honest man could pay.
The bank was holding my mortgage, they would come and take my house away.
Well now, I ain't saying that makes me an innocent man.
But it was more than all this, Judge, that put that gun in my hand.
Well, Your Honor, I believe that I'd be better off dead.
So if you can take a man's life for the thoughts that's in his head, then sit back in that chair and think it over, Judge, one more time.
Let 'em shave off my hair and put me on that execution line. Woo! "