Turn It On, Turn It On, Turn It On Lyrics - Storyteller Poet Philosopher - Tom T. Hall

Johnny got up one mornin' he went down to the company store 

Got him a big box of bullets to fit into his 44 

The storeman said son are you gonna work you know you owe me too much to stop 

John said I got a little working to do but I ain't goin' by your clock 

People said John was a slacker cause he wouldn't fight in their war 

A man wasn't much if he wouldn't fight back in nineteen forty and four 

The doctor said John was just too sick to go 

But the people said that he was a coward 

And one of the men makin' fun of him was a feller named a Milton Howard 

Milton was down at the Cold Spring a drinkin' from a Mason jar 

He said John you better get yourself to work you gonna fool around till you get fired 

John blew the dust from his old 44 put two holes in Milton's head 

When Johnny walked off to get some more shootin' done 

That old Cold Spring was a runnin' with red 

Next guy he met was a Steagall boy and the boy had a hammer in his hand 

John said son you should've built yourself a box 

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'Cause you're aheaded for the Promised Land 

Steagall fell down to his knees to pray and he cried Lord Johnny please don't shoot 

Before he got half way to sayin' amen well old John shot him out of his boots 

Word went out through the County that old John had lost his head 

The people were running and screaming there were seven of 'em layin' there dead 

Johnny hid out in a farmhouse he had satisfaction in his eyes 

He said I know they're coming to get me boys but they ain't a gonna take me alive 

People gathered round that old farmhouse was the relatives of all them dead 

Now John said if the sheriff comes through that door I'm gonna fill him plum full of lead 

The sheriff kicked down that old farmhouse door but old John's gun would not shoot 

Johnny just smiled at the sheriff and said the Lord must think a lot of you 

They took old John to the jailhouse he entered in a guilty plea 

The judge said death in the electric chair cause it's murder in the first degree 

John's last meal was a lot of fried chicken cold beans and a baby squash 

He ate every bite that they brought him then he smiled and said I thank you all a lot 

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They put old John in the electric chair they shaved his ankles and his head 

The preacher said son you got something to say in a minute you're a gonna be dead 

John said I ain't no coward and the people know that I won't run 

Then Johnny smiled up at the warden and said turn it on turn it on turn it on