Johnny was a mean man, leader of the street gang, born a backstreet kid He was a real wild child, a devil in the night, grabbing every little bit Johnny was a cool cat, was the only head chef, wanted to prove his strength But in the lonely night, after a real good fight, Johnny let his guitar swing Take your guitar and play your song today Johnny had a heart babe, honey was her nickname, sweet as sweet can be She wrote the apple of his eye, and when he let his guitar crash, he gave an answer to his plea Johnny was a tall man, known by his friends that he'd never seen before He took his knife and wrote on his shoulder, Johnny now, now he's lonely honey no more Take your guitar and play your song today She died in the arms of her lover, and all that's left for Johnny boy is his guitar to play Take your guitar and play your song today Take your guitar and play your song today Take your guitar and play your song today Take your guitar and play your song today