Johnny's been runnin' hard all his life   'Cause life never treated him right   Well he ain't running now   You see his eyes are closed   They can't hurt him tonight      Sleepin', he's sleepin'   Just let him be for a while   Don't wake him, don't take him   To where the people don't smile      Sleepin', my man is sleepin' nice now   Please let him stay here with me   I promise, I'll keep him   At home, where he's supposed to be      He's been out there   In the streets you know   And strugglin', scufflin'   Trying to survive   Out there in a richman's world   And now you say my Johnny is not alive   But you're wrong, can't you see      Sleepin', he's just sleepin' mister   He doesn't rest very much   He lives hard and he gives hard   And I'll just die for his touch      Sleepin', he's sleepin'   Without a care to his name   He's peaceful   He's quiet   He's tired of runnin' his game      He's been out there   In the streets you know   With all the pain and all the suffering   Out there   Where you fight like hell   He never learned a fix don't fix a thing   Don't touch him      Johnny put too much in his vanes   And now you're trying to tell me he's gone   I don't believe you   I'm just gonna sit here   And rock him in my arms      Sleepin', he's sleepin'   He doesn't rest very much   You see he lives hard and gives hard