Songtext Turn it on, turn it on, turn it on Tom T. Hall

Turn it on, turn it on, turn it on

Johnny got up one morning; he went down to the company store
Got him a big box of bullets to fit into his .44
The store man said, son, are you gonna work? you know you owe me too much to stop.
John said, I got a little workin to do but I aint goin by your clock.

People said john was a slacker, cause he wouldnt fight in their war
A man wasnt much if he wouldnt fight back in 1940 and 4
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 fellow named milton howard

Milton was down at the cold spring, a-drinkin from a mason jar
He said, john, you better get yourself to work or youre gonna fool around til you get fired.
John blew the dust from his old .44, put two holes in miltons head
When johnny walked off to get some more shootin done, that ol cold spring was a-runnin red

Next guy he met was a stigall boy, and the boy had a hammer in his hand
John said son, you shouldve built yourself a box, cause youre a headed for the promised land.
Stigall fell down to his knees to pray, and he cried lord, johnny please dont shoot!
Before he got halfway to saying amen, well old johnny shot him out of his boots

Word went out through the county, that old john had lost his head
The people were runnin and screamin; there were seven of em lyin there dead
Johnny hid out in a farmhouse; he had satisfaction in his eyes
He said I know theyre coming to get me, boys, but they aint a-gonna take me alive.

People gathered round that old farmhouse; it was the relatives of all them dead
Now john said, if the sheriff comes through that door Im gonna fill him plumb full of lead.
The sheriff kicked down that old farmhouse door, but old johns 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 its murder in the first degree
Johns last meal was a lot of fried chicken, cold beans and baby squash
He ate every bite that they brought him, then he smiled and said, I thank you all a lot.

They put old john in the electric chair; they shaved his ankles and his head
The preacher said, son, have you got something to say; in a minute youre a-gonna be dead.
John said, I aint no coward, and the people know that I wont run.
Then johnny smiled up at the warden and said, turn it on, turn it on, turn it on!