Correction! The song is a folk song, that has been sung by an abundant amount of artists, including Bob Dylan. Interestingly, the Animals changed one small part of the song, other than electrifying it, The Animals put:
And it’s been the ruin of many a poor boy
And God I know I’m one
…whereas the original read:
And it’s been the ruin of many a poor girl
And God I know I’m one
I think the song makes a lot more sense with the classic version, in my opinion. Like, it would be easier for a girl to be ruined by sex (I think the song is about a brothel in New Orleans), because women can get pregnant, and stuck with a kid for the rest of their lives. Plus, the fact that women can be pushed around my men a lot easier.
hahaha, great song. How do you like the album so far
[size=150]Johnny 99, Bruce Springsteen, from the album Nebraska[/size]
Well they closed down the auto plant in Mahwah late that month
Ralph went out lookin’ for a job but he couldn’t find none
He came home too drunk from mixin’ Tanqueray and wine
He got a gun shot a night clerk now they call’m Johnny 99
Down in the part of town where when you hit a red light you don’t stop
Johnny’s wavin’ his gun around and threatenin’ 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
Well the city supplied a public defender but the judge was Mean John Brown
He came into the courtroom and stared young Johnny down
Well the evidence is clear gonna let the sentence son fit the crime
Prison for 98 and a year and we’ll call it even Johnny 99
A fistfight 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 you’d like to make
Before the bailiff comes to forever take you away
Now judge judge I had debts no honest man could pay
The bank was holdin’ my mortgage and they was takin’ my house away
Now I ain’t sayin’ that makes me an innocent man
But it was more 'n 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 that’s in his head
Then won’t you sit back in that chair and think it over judge one more time
And let 'em shave off my hair and put me on that execution line