Lyrics of 'Johnny Was' by The Wailers

Woman hold her head and cry,
'Cause her son had been shot down in the street and died
From a stray bullet.

Woman hold her head and cry;
Explaining to her was a passerby
Who saw the woman cry (cry)
Wondering how can she work it out,
Now she knows that the wages of sin is death, yeah!
Gift of Jah is life. (life)
She cried: Ah-um, I - I know!
"Johnny was a good man," I - I know!
(never did a thing wrong)
"Johnny was a good, good, good, good,
Good, good, good, good,
Good, good, good man",
(Johnny was good man)
She cried - she crie-ie-ie-ie-ie-ie-ie-ied!

Wo-ooh! Woman hold her head and cry,
As her son had been shot down in the street and died
Just because of the system. (system)

Woman hold her head and cry;
Comforting her I was passing by.
She complained, then she cry:
Oh-ooh-wo-ah, cry (ah-ah),
Yeah, I know now (ah-ah),
No I know, I know now:
(Johnny was a good man)
Said I know, mm-mm-mm-mm-mm.
(Never did a thing wrong)
Ah! Ah!
(Johnny was a good man)
Can a woman tender care, she cried,
(Never did a thing wrong)
Cease towards the child she bear?
(Johnny was a good man)
Wo-ho-ho-ooh! Woman cry, woman
(Never did a thing wrong)
She cried, wo-oh! She cried, yeah!
(Johnny was a good man)
Can a woman tender care
Cease towards the child she bear?
(Never did a thing wrong)
Wo-now, cry!
(Johnny was a good man)