Beastie Boys
Lyric guide

Johnny Ryall

Read Johnny Ryall lyrics by Beastie Boys on LyroVerse, with linked artist context and related song paths.

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Page type: lyric reference Artist: Beastie Boys Canonical path: /beastie-boys/johnny-ryall Related lyric paths: 6 Video embedded: yes
Lyrics

Johnny Ryall

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One, two, three, four

One, two, three, four

One, two, three, four

Oh, wine cooler

Johnny Ryall is the bum on my stoop

I gave him fifty cents to buy some soup

He knows the time with the fresh Gucci watch

He's even more over than my mayor, Ed Koch

Washing windows on the Bowery at a quarter to four

'Cause he ain't gonna work on Maggie's farm no more

Livin' on borrowed time and borrowed money

Sleepin' in the street, there ain't a damn thing funny

With the hand-me-down food, and the hand-me-down clothes

A rockabilly past of which nobody knows

Makes his home all over the place

He goes to sleep by falling down on his face

Sometimes known as the leader of the homeless

Sometimes drunk, and he's always phoneless

Sleepin' on the street in a cardboard box

He's better off drinkin' than smokin' the rocks (Well)

Johnny Ryall, Johnny Ryall

Kickin' uptown, kickin' downtown, kickin' crosstown

Johnny Ryall, Johnny Ryall

He drinks where he lies, he's covered with flies

He's got the hand me down Pumas and the tie dyes

Well, you go upstate, and you get your head together

Thunderbird is the word, and you're light as a feather

Detox at the flop house, no booze allowed

Remember the good old days with the rockabilly crowd

Memphis is where he's from (in Tennessee)

He lives in the street, but he's no bum

He's a rockabilly star from the days of old

He used to have teeth all filled with gold

He got a platinum voice, but only gold records

On the bass was Boots and on the drums was Checkers

Louis Vuitton with the Gucci guitar

Johnny Ryall, who do you think you are?

Johnny Ryall, Johnny Ryall

Drinkin' night train, drinkin' O.E

Johnny Ryall, Johnny Ryall

One, two, three, four

One, two, three, four

One, two, three, four

One, two, three...

Donald Trump and Donald Tramp living in the men's Shelter

Wonder Bread bag shoes and singing Helter Skelter

He asks for a dollar, you know what it's for

Man, bottle after bottle, he always needs more

He's no less important than you working class stiffs

He drinks a lot of liquor, but he don't drink piss

He paid his dues playing the blues

He claims that he wrote the Blue Suede Shoes

Elvis shaved his head when he went into the army

That's right, y'all, his name is Johnny, kick it!

Johnny Ryall, Johnny Ryall

Johnny Ryall, Johnny Rya-

Check the cool wax!

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Who performs "Johnny Ryall"?

Beastie Boys performs "Johnny Ryall", and this lyric page sits inside the Beastie Boys catalog on LyroVerse.

Are there related songs to explore after "Johnny Ryall"?

Yes. The related section below points to Brrr Stick 'Em and In A World Gone Mad with a short reason for opening each page next.

Where can I find more songs by Beastie Boys?

Use the artist link near the top of the page or the related paths section below to keep moving through Beastie Boys's lyric pages.

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