Elliott Murphy
Dion
Lucky 7
Dan Bern
Crazysloth
The Mystic Knights Of The Sea
Nils Lofgren
Cidny Bullens
Matthew Ryan
Mike Rimbaud
Sid Griffin
Billy Bragg and The Blokes
Joe D’Urso & Stone Caravan
Steve Wynn & The Miracle 3
Gary Lucas
Jennifer Glass
The Clarks
Marc Broussard
John Cafferty & The Beaver Brown Band
Elvis Costello
Pete Yorn
Graham Parker
Garland Jeffreys
Jason Ringenberg
Joe Grushecky & The Houserockers
Rosie Flores
Willie Nile
Kirk Kelly
Patty Griffin
The Paradise Brothers
Mark Wright
Graziano Romani
The Format
Jesse Malin
Tom Cochrane & Damhnait Doyle
Cowboy Mouth
Joe Ely
Well they closed down the auto plant in Mahwah late last month
Ralph went out looking for a job but, Lord, he couldn't find none
He came home too drunk from mixing Tanqueray and wine
He got a gun and shot a night clerk, now they call him Johnny 99
Down in the part of town when you hit a red light and don't stop
Johnny's waving his gun and threatening to blow his top
When an off-duty cop snuck up on him from behind
Out in front of the club Tip Top, they slapped the cuffs on Johnny 99
The city supplied a public defender, but the judge was mean John Brown
When he came into the courtroom and he stared young Johnny down
Well, the evidence is clear, gonna let the sentence fit the crime
Prison for 98 and a year, we'll call it even, Johnny 99
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 a statement that you'd like to make
Before the bailiff comes to forever take you away?
Now judge, oh judge, I got debts no honest man can pay
The bank was holding my mortgage, they was taking my house away
Now, I ain't saying that make me no innocent man
God knows it was more than all this that put that gun in my hand
Well, Your Honor, I do believe I'd be better off dead
And if you can take a man's life for the thoughts running through his head
Then won't you sit back in that chair and think it over, judge, one more time
And let them shave off my hair and put me on the execution line
Johnny 99 was written by Bruce Springsteen.
Johnny 99 was produced by Dan Baird.