Johnny Too Bad

I cannot get this song out of my ear.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XgkZwUDt98o

The Slickers, “Johnny Too Bad”

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Slickers. “The Slickers were a Jamaican rocksteady and reggae group in the late 1960s and early 1970s.”

https://www.discogs.com/Slicker-The-Johnny-Too-Bad/master/630180 looks like first release was 1971 on Punch. One of the youtube versions is said 1970, but discogs 1971 as Panther P-01.

Since we have been talking genres and ambiguity, this totally feels like rocksteady to me, but I could never explain to you why. Odds are it came to Garcia (along with “Harder They Come” and “Sitting In Limbo”) via the Harder They Come soundtrack, 1972 on Mango Records. But these guys collected a lot of vinyl, and it’s not outside the realm of possibility that they had some Jamaican stuff in the Bay Area. Corry could probably say more.

http://whitegum.com/~acsa/songfile/JOHNNYTO.HTM

Lyrics: Winston Bailey, Hy Beckford
Music: Winston Bailey, Hy Beckford

Walking down the road with a pistol in your waist
Johnny you’re too bad
Walking down the road with a ratchet in your waist
Johnny you’re too bad

You’re just robbing and stabbing and looting and shooting
Now you’re too bad
You’re just robbing and stabbing and looting and shooting
Now you’re too bad
You’re just robbing and stabbing and looting and shooting
Now you’re too bad (too bad)
You’re just robbing and stabbing and looting and shooting
Now you’re too bad (too bad)

One of these days when you hear a voice say come
Where you gonna run to
One of these days when you hear a voice say come
Where you gonna run to

You gonna run to the rock for rescue
There will be no rock (no rock)
You gonna run to the rock for rescue
There will be no rock (no rock)
You gonna run to the rock for rescue
There will be no rock (no rock)
You gonna run to the rock for rescue
There will be no rock (no rock)

Walking down the road with a pistol in your waist
Johnny you’re too bad
Walking down the road with a pistol in your waist
Johnny you’re too bad

You’re just robbing and stabbing and looting and shooting
Now you’re too bad (too bad)
You’re just robbing and stabbing and looting and shooting
Now you’re too bad (too bad)
You’re just robbing and stabbing and looting and shooting
Now you’re too bad (too bad
You’re just robbing and stabbing and looting and shooting
Now you’re too bad (too bad

One of these days when you hear a voice say come
Where you gonna run to
One of these days when you hear a voice say come
Where you gonna run to

You gonna run to the rock for rescue
There will be no rock (no rock)
You gonna run to the rock for rescue
There will be no rock (no rock)
You gonna run to the rock for rescue
There will be no rock (no rock)
You gonna run to the rock for rescue
There will be no rock (no rock)

Walking down the road with a pistol in your waist
Johnny you’re too bad
Walking down the road with a ratchet in your waist
Johnny you’re too bad

You’re just robbing and stabbing and looting and shooting
Now you’re too bad (too bad)
You’re just robbing and stabbing and looting and shooting
Now you’re too bad (too bad)

One of these days when you hear a voice say come
Where you gonna run to
One of these days when you hear a voice say come
Where you gonna run to

You gonna run to the rock for rescue
There will be no rock (no rock)
You gonna run to the rock for rescue
There will be no rock (no rock)
You gonna run to the rock for rescue
There will be no rock (no rock)
You gonna run to the rock for rescue
There will be no rock (no rock)

 More info:
http://www.deaddisc.com/songs/Johnny_Too_Bad.htm