This is one of those songs that everybody should hear. It's on Tom's new
record - "Wearing The Time", but it probably won't get much airplay. Read
the lyrics. Buy the record. Play it to your friends.
Johnny Got A Gun - Tom Paxton
, , , , , (Twice)
Johnny's mum and dad both worked long hours, they worked on the weekends too
Johnny was eleven, but they had no notion of what Johnny was going through
Johnny got pushed and Johnny got robbed and it made him feel chicken to run
Big kids picked on Johnny every day, so Johnny went and got him a gun
Johnny got a gun, he didn't bring it home, he covered it with rags and dirt.
On his way to school he looked both ways, then he hid it under his shirt.
Johnny was afraid of going to school, there was always trouble in the hall.
Fights in the boys' room, guns in the lockers and little kids bouncing
off the walls.
Chorus:
Johnny was afraid of dying young
Everybody he knew had a gun
So Johnny got a gun and every little thing looked cool.
First time Johnny flashed his gun everybody backed off fast.
Everybody treated him differently then. Johnny felt safe at last.
Johnny had a gun and everybody knew and everybody left him alone.
Till he bumped a kid who was coming down the stairs and the kid had a gun
of his own.
The kid pushed Johnny, Johnny went down and the kid had something to say.
Pulled his gun, Johnny shot first and he blew the other kid away
The police came and took away the gun, said he wouldn't need a gun any more
Took him to the station, sat him in a chair
And his feet didn't reach the floor.
Chorus
Johnny had a hearing plead self defence, prosecutor said "No way."
Judge said "you're eleven, but you're killing like a man and it's gonna
be a long, long stay"
Johnny's mum and dad still work long hours and knock on the unit door
Sit with Johnny in the visitor's room and his feet don't reach the floor.
Chorus
And his feet don't reach the floor.
Comments and mistakes to dal23@hermes.cam.ac.uk