Tom Paxton - Johnny Got A Gun lyrics

Johnny's mum and dad both worked long hours And 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 Till 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 halls Fights in the boys' room, guns in the lockers Little kids bouncing off the walls Johnny was afraid of dying young Everybody he knew had guns 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 A everybody left him alone Till he bumped a kid who was coming down the stairs And the kid had a gun of his own 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 they 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 Johnny was afraid of dying young Everybody he knew had a gun So Johnny got a gun And every little thing looked cool Johnny had a hearing plead self-defence Prosecutor said, “No way” Judge said, “You're eleven, but you k** 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 They sit with Johnny in the visitor's room And his feet don't reach the floor Johnny was afraid of dying young Everybody he knew had a gun So Johnny got a gun And every little thing looked cool And his feet don't reach the floor