Joey The Jone Songtext
von Dave Sharp

Heard a howling banshee
On a funeral stone
Was the sound of children
Weeping for one of their own
The kid died in an instant
Took a bullet in the back

Shot from a forty-five
In a police attack
Was a routine shakedown
New Jersey was the place
A quick ride from the city′s where
The kid took it in the face

This is the killing of Joey the Joan
Innocent to the bone
Now his name is cut in stone
This is the killing
The killing of Joey the Joan


There was a reverend and a doctor
Shaking a mojo around
Little children weeping tears
As Joey was put in the ground
They covered the kid with dust
Nobody was digging the scene
As the local social workers
Moved in looking mean
Trying to smooth the anger
Firing up the crowd

Trying to get things back together
Forced the people underground

There's something going on here

What it is, nobody′s sure
The reverend prayed for guidance
And the doctor's seeking a cure
There's a plot smelled to the heavens
The whole town′s hung in shame

Driving a whole generation
Of an entire city insane
And there′s a bridge from coast to coast
Linking people by the hand
At a time when war has been declared
On the poor people of the land

And the killing of Joey the Joan
Innocent to the bone
Now his name is cut in stone
This is the killing
The killing of Joey the Joan


Now there's a whole lot of talk in the churches
A whole lot of talk around the place
But talk is talk, and talk is cheap
For those who want to save face

This schoolyard shakedown′s got a whole
Bunch of folks on the run

The reverend and the doctor hit the streets
To see what could be done
And at the funerals downtown
The bodies were underage
And there were sermons spoken every night
For to calm the people's rage
Meanwhile, after the killing
At an all-night candlelit wake

The hymn was "No justice, no peace
The powers that be are all fake"

The crowd started a riot
Police cars burned the streets
There was a big fuss
Reverend declared, "We gotta stop
Or we′re all dead meat"
Now the Lord came down
Said, "Reverend, get up off your knees
And go to the powers and call out loud
Stop this big city squeeze"

At the killing of Joey the Joan
Innocent to the bone
Now his name is cut in stone
This is the killing
The killing of Joey the Joan

Now the doctor said, "We gotta heal this place
It needs a heart to keep it alive
You've gotta speak if there′s gonna be change
And the reverend's gonna tell you why
Some say the crowds are a danger
You see it every time they meet
And you might recall that Jesus was nailed
By a crowd gathered in the street

But if it's a question of justice
Look them straight in the eye
Say, ′Who did the hanging? Who did the swinging?
And who was it for that he died?′"

This is the killing of Joey the Joan
Was he innocent to the bone?
Now that his name is cut in stone
This is the killing
The killing of Joey the Joan
Joey the Joan