Johnny 99 Chords by Johnny Cash
Tempo:
74.725 bpm
Chords used:
D
A
B
E
Am
Tuning:Standard Tuning (EADGBE)Capo:+0fret
Start Jamming...
[D] [D]
[A] [D]
Well, they closed down the altar plant in Mahwah late last month.
Ralph went out looking for Josh, but he couldn't [A] find none.
[D] He came home too drunk from mixing tangerine and wine.
He got a gunshot and [A] knife hurt, now they call him [Am] Johnny 99.
[D]
Down at the part of town where when you hit a red light you don't stop,
Johnny's waving his gun around and threatening [A] to blow his top.
[D] When an off-duty cop snuck up on him from behind,
they brought up a club tip [A]-top, they slapped [C] the cuffs on Johnny [D] 99.
Well, the [G] city supplied the public defender, [D] but the judge was mean John Brown.
He came into the courtroom and he stared poor [A] Johnny down.
[D] Well, the evidence is clear, don't let the sentence fit the crime.
Prison for 98 and a [A] year will make it [Am] even Johnny [D] 99.
[Am] March 5th, [D] 1982.
A quarter of a million autoworkers are out of work.
1,800 here just lost their jobs yesterday.
Written here is [A] unspoken despair.
The look that men and women have when a lifetime [D] of work is threatened.
For the moment, they cannot see any further than the unemployment lines.
Today, this plant is closing.
Tomorrow, the deafening sounds of metal and machinery will only be a memory.
A fistfight [G] broke out in the courtroom.
[D] They had to drag Johnny's girl away.
His mama stood up and shouted,
Judge, don't take my [A] boy this way.
[D] Well, son, you got any statements you'd like to make?
Before the bailiff [A] comes to forever [D] take you away.
[B] [E] Yes, judge, I've got debts no honest man could pay.
The bank was holding my mortgage, they were taking my [B] house away.
[E] Now, I ain't saying that makes me an innocent man.
But it was more than all [B] this that put that [E] 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 [B] in his head.
Then [E] won't you sit back in that chair and think it over one more time.
Then let them shave off my [B] head and burn Johnny [E] 99.
[B] [E] [N]
[A] [D]
Well, they closed down the altar plant in Mahwah late last month.
Ralph went out looking for Josh, but he couldn't [A] find none.
[D] He came home too drunk from mixing tangerine and wine.
He got a gunshot and [A] knife hurt, now they call him [Am] Johnny 99.
[D]
Down at the part of town where when you hit a red light you don't stop,
Johnny's waving his gun around and threatening [A] to blow his top.
[D] When an off-duty cop snuck up on him from behind,
they brought up a club tip [A]-top, they slapped [C] the cuffs on Johnny [D] 99.
Well, the [G] city supplied the public defender, [D] but the judge was mean John Brown.
He came into the courtroom and he stared poor [A] Johnny down.
[D] Well, the evidence is clear, don't let the sentence fit the crime.
Prison for 98 and a [A] year will make it [Am] even Johnny [D] 99.
[Am] March 5th, [D] 1982.
A quarter of a million autoworkers are out of work.
1,800 here just lost their jobs yesterday.
Written here is [A] unspoken despair.
The look that men and women have when a lifetime [D] of work is threatened.
For the moment, they cannot see any further than the unemployment lines.
Today, this plant is closing.
Tomorrow, the deafening sounds of metal and machinery will only be a memory.
A fistfight [G] broke out in the courtroom.
[D] They had to drag Johnny's girl away.
His mama stood up and shouted,
Judge, don't take my [A] boy this way.
[D] Well, son, you got any statements you'd like to make?
Before the bailiff [A] comes to forever [D] take you away.
[B] [E] Yes, judge, I've got debts no honest man could pay.
The bank was holding my mortgage, they were taking my [B] house away.
[E] Now, I ain't saying that makes me an innocent man.
But it was more than all [B] this that put that [E] 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 [B] in his head.
Then [E] won't you sit back in that chair and think it over one more time.
Then let them shave off my [B] head and burn Johnny [E] 99.
[B] [E] [N]
Key:
D
A
B
E
Am
D
A
B
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ [D] _ _ [D] _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ [A] _ _ [D] _ _
_ Well, they closed down the altar plant in Mahwah late last month.
_ Ralph went out looking for Josh, but he couldn't [A] find none.
_ [D] He came home too drunk from mixing tangerine and wine.
_ He got a gunshot and [A] knife hurt, now they call him [Am] Johnny 99.
[D] _
_ Down at the part of town where when you hit a red light you don't stop,
_ Johnny's waving his gun around and threatening [A] to blow his top.
_ [D] When an off-duty cop snuck up on him from behind,
_ they brought up a club tip [A]-top, they slapped [C] the cuffs on Johnny [D] 99. _
Well, the [G] city supplied the public defender, [D] but the judge was mean John Brown.
He came into the courtroom and he stared poor [A] Johnny down.
_ [D] Well, the evidence is clear, don't let the sentence fit the crime.
_ Prison for 98 and a [A] year will make it [Am] even Johnny [D] 99.
_ _ _ [Am] March 5th, [D] 1982.
A quarter of a million autoworkers are out of work.
1,800 here just lost their jobs yesterday.
Written here is [A] unspoken despair.
The look that men and women have when a lifetime [D] of work is threatened.
For the moment, they cannot see any further than the unemployment lines.
Today, this plant is closing.
Tomorrow, the deafening sounds of metal and machinery will only be a memory.
A fistfight [G] broke out in the courtroom.
[D] They had to drag Johnny's girl away.
His mama stood up and shouted,
Judge, don't take my [A] boy this way.
_ [D] Well, son, you got any statements you'd like to make?
_ Before the bailiff [A] comes to forever [D] take you away.
[B] _ [E] Yes, judge, I've got debts no honest man could pay.
The bank was holding my mortgage, they were taking my [B] house away.
_ [E] Now, I ain't saying that makes me an innocent man.
But it was more than all [B] this that put that [E] 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 [B] in his head.
Then [E] won't you sit back in that chair and think it over one more time.
Then let them shave off my [B] head and burn Johnny [E] 99. _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
[B] _ _ [E] _ _ _ _ _ [N] _
_ [D] _ _ [D] _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ [A] _ _ [D] _ _
_ Well, they closed down the altar plant in Mahwah late last month.
_ Ralph went out looking for Josh, but he couldn't [A] find none.
_ [D] He came home too drunk from mixing tangerine and wine.
_ He got a gunshot and [A] knife hurt, now they call him [Am] Johnny 99.
[D] _
_ Down at the part of town where when you hit a red light you don't stop,
_ Johnny's waving his gun around and threatening [A] to blow his top.
_ [D] When an off-duty cop snuck up on him from behind,
_ they brought up a club tip [A]-top, they slapped [C] the cuffs on Johnny [D] 99. _
Well, the [G] city supplied the public defender, [D] but the judge was mean John Brown.
He came into the courtroom and he stared poor [A] Johnny down.
_ [D] Well, the evidence is clear, don't let the sentence fit the crime.
_ Prison for 98 and a [A] year will make it [Am] even Johnny [D] 99.
_ _ _ [Am] March 5th, [D] 1982.
A quarter of a million autoworkers are out of work.
1,800 here just lost their jobs yesterday.
Written here is [A] unspoken despair.
The look that men and women have when a lifetime [D] of work is threatened.
For the moment, they cannot see any further than the unemployment lines.
Today, this plant is closing.
Tomorrow, the deafening sounds of metal and machinery will only be a memory.
A fistfight [G] broke out in the courtroom.
[D] They had to drag Johnny's girl away.
His mama stood up and shouted,
Judge, don't take my [A] boy this way.
_ [D] Well, son, you got any statements you'd like to make?
_ Before the bailiff [A] comes to forever [D] take you away.
[B] _ [E] Yes, judge, I've got debts no honest man could pay.
The bank was holding my mortgage, they were taking my [B] house away.
_ [E] Now, I ain't saying that makes me an innocent man.
But it was more than all [B] this that put that [E] 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 [B] in his head.
Then [E] won't you sit back in that chair and think it over one more time.
Then let them shave off my [B] head and burn Johnny [E] 99. _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
[B] _ _ [E] _ _ _ _ _ [N] _
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