I always loved this song, but it utterly confuses me. I don't understand how in the first verse the character is introduced as Ralph, yet from that point on is referred to as Johnny 99. Even before he "became" Johnny 99 by being sentenced to 99 years in jail. The second verse is a continuation of the night he gets arrested, yet even before he is arrested Bruce says "Johnny's waving his gun around...". Wasn't he still Ralph at that point?
I always loved this song, but it utterly confuses me. I don't understand how in the first verse the character is introduced as Ralph, yet from that point on is referred to as Johnny 99. Even before he "became" Johnny 99 by being sentenced to 99 years in jail. The second verse is a continuation of the night he gets arrested, yet even before he is arrested Bruce says "Johnny's waving his gun around...". Wasn't he still Ralph at that point?