[(intro)  ]B  F#  B 

B 
Well they closed down the auto plant in Mahwah late that month 
                                                      F# 
Ralph went out lookin' for a job but he couldn't find none 
        B 
He came home too drunk from mixin'Tanqueray and wine 
                                         F#               B 
He got a gun shot a night clerk now they call him Johnny 99 
Down in the part of town where when you hit a red light you don't stop 
                                                           F# 
Johnny's wavin' his gun around and threatenin' to blow his top 
        B 
When an off duty cop snuck up on him from behind 
                                                  F#               B 
Out in front of the Club Tip Top they slapped the cuffs on Johnny 99 
                 E                               B 
Well the city supplied a public defender but the judge was Mean John Brown 
                                                  F# 
He came into the courtroom and stared poor Johnny down 
         B 
Well the evidence is clear gonna let the sentence son fit the crime 
                                           F#           B 
Prison for 98 and a year and we'll call it even Johnny 99 

(harmonica)  B  E  B  F#  B 

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

(outro)  E  B  F#  B  F#  B