# Songs About Crime **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 24, 2009, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-crime/518722 "2009-11-24T01:36:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swallowed_My_Cellphone)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2009, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-crime/518722/81 "2009-11-25T18:01:34Z")
I was gong to say “El Paso” too. But now that it’s taken, I’ll say “So Long Bernie” by the Lowest of the Low, about a guy who sees one of his best friends on the news, arrested for raping and murdering a girl. ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2009, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-crime/518722/82 "2009-11-25T18:14:05Z")
Another John Hiatt song about robbery:\* Trudy and Dave\*, about a couple who knock over a Laundromat and “got away clean.” ---
**Author:** ![AllShookDown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d9b06d/32.png) [@AllShookDown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AllShookDown)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2009, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-crime/518722/83 "2009-11-25T18:34:37Z")
> [@Sigmagirl](#): > > Robbery: > _Tennessee Plates_, John Hiatt From the same album, more robbery from “Trudy & Dave”. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2009, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-crime/518722/84 "2009-11-25T19:37:54Z")
> [@pravnik](#): > > Apparently I need to give Zager & Evans a second look. They seem to be the Leopold and Loeb of pop music. Murder: _Riders on the Storm_ – The Doors \*The Green, Green Grass of Home \*-- Tom Jones _The Killing of Georgie_ – Rod Stewart _The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia_ – Vicki Lawrence _Abraham, Martin and John_ – Dion _Psycho Killer_ – Talking Heads _Freddie’s Dead_ – Curtis Mayfield Arson: _Burning Down the House_ – Talking Heads Drug Use: _Superfly_ – Curtis Mayfield ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2009, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-crime/518722/85 "2009-11-25T19:58:49Z")
> [@AllShookDown](#): > > From the same album, more robbery from “Trudy & Dave”. I hear they got away clean. ---
**Author:** ![apollonia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/2bfe46/32.png) [@apollonia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/apollonia)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2009, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-crime/518722/86 "2009-11-25T21:01:17Z")
More songs about crime sprees, albeit those that do not end well: “A Southern Thing” by Better than Ezra and “Jimmy and Annie” by Cross Canadian Ragweed. ---
**Author:** ![Fiona\_Greenlee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e68b1a/32.png) [@Fiona\_Greenlee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiona_Greenlee)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2009, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-crime/518722/87 "2009-11-25T22:33:00Z")
Kidnapping and Rape _Polly_ by Nirvana ---
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2009, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-crime/518722/88 "2009-11-25T22:41:07Z")
Drug use Life in the Fast Lane by the **Eagles** ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2009, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-crime/518722/89 "2009-11-25T22:43:55Z")
Murder “Maxwell’s Silver Hammer” - Beatles “Earl” - Dixie Chicks Prostitution “Mama” - Genesis “Fancy” - Reba McEntire Illegal immigration; pandering “Illegal Alien” - Genesis Drug offenses “Cocaine” - Eric Clapton “Smuggler’s Blues” - Glenn Frey Child runaway “She’s Leaving Home” - Beatles Child abandonment “The Way” - Fastball Child sexual abuse “I’m on Fire” - Bruce Springsteen Assassination “Abraham, Martin & John” – Dion “Up to the Mountain” – Patty Griffin ---
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2009, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-crime/518722/90 "2009-11-25T22:53:55Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > Child abandonment > “The Way” - Fastball Uhm, “The Way” was written they heard about an older couple who disappeared on their way to a Pioneer Day festival. It turned out later the reason that they didn’t make it was because they were dead. Hit-man song (I think) Just a Job to Do by **Genesis** Unknown crime Don’t Lose My Number by **Phil Collins** ---
**Author:** ![ryobserver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b2d939/32.png) [@ryobserver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ryobserver)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2009, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-crime/518722/91 "2009-11-25T23:02:04Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > Killing spree (multiple homicides): Bruce Springsteen, _[Nebraska](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Qd4RGTQxf4&feature=related)_. From the same album: Abetting escape of a fugitive: “State Trooper” As someone already pointed out, folk music is full of felonious conduct. Archivist Alan Lomax devoted an entire album to prison songs. “Whiskey In the Jar” is about highway robbery. “Little Musgrave” concerns adultery and murder by dueling. “Jesse James” is about Jesse James. Lots of Irish and Scottish music celebrates behavior the English called murder, treason and rebellion at the time it happened. --Of course, if we’re going to include political crime, at least some American Civil War music would qualify. And probably some from the American Revolution. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![The\_Scrivener](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@The\_Scrivener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Scrivener)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2009, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-crime/518722/92 "2009-11-25T23:10:54Z")
Hostage-taking & kidnapping situations are addressed by the various songs titled [“Stockholm Syndrome”](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stockholm_syndrome_(disambiguation)) (not to mention the two albums and a band that also are named that). ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2009, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-crime/518722/93 "2009-11-25T23:57:05Z")
Child Abuse: Uncle Ernie, the Who Lots by Dylan The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carrol The Ballad of Hollis Brown John Wesley Harding Memphis Blues Again (Caught without a ticket, and discovered beneath the truck.) Arson: Norwegian Wood Burglary: Boston Burglar by Cat Mother and the All Night Newsboys Murder: Do It Again, Steely Dan But not “Parchman Farm” - I ain’t never done no man no harm. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2009, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-crime/518722/94 "2009-11-26T00:28:06Z")
[Independence Day](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrW8z8z82oM)-Martina McBride Spousal abuse, arson, homicide. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Mondegreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/91b2a8/32.png) [@Lord\_Mondegreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Mondegreen)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2009, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-crime/518722/95 "2009-11-26T01:06:41Z")
Does “Run for Your Life” by the Beatles count? “I’d rather see you dead little girl, than to be with another man.” ---
**Author:** ![Drain\_Bead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47774/32.png) [@Drain\_Bead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drain_Bead)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2009, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-crime/518722/96 "2009-11-26T01:16:31Z")
> [@elfkin477](#): > > School Shootings: > Flyleaf “Cassie” > POD “Youth Of The Nation” > My Chemical Romance “Teenagers” No list about school shootings is complete without the classic “Jeremy” by Pearl Jam. ---
**Author:** ![Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b38774/32.png) [@Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Attack_from_the_3rd_dimension)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2009, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-crime/518722/97 "2009-11-26T01:21:01Z")
Drug Songs: Koka Kola - The Clash Waiting for my man - Velvet Underground ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2009, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-crime/518722/98 "2009-11-26T01:54:57Z")
> [@Nobody](#): > > Uhm, “The Way” was written they heard about an older couple who disappeared on their way to a Pioneer Day festival. It turned out later the reason that they didn’t make it was because they were dead… I hadn’t known that. But judging by the lyrics alone, it seems they abandoned their kids: [Fastball - The Way lyrics | LyricsFreak](http://www.lyricsfreak.com/f/fastball/the+way_20053166.html) ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2009, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-crime/518722/99 "2009-11-26T02:10:44Z")
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A\_SzfrX\_xKI](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_SzfrX_xKI) (from my youth) And I guess a lot “The Man In Black” did. “Long Black Veil” Quasi ---
**Author:** ![Quarter\_Lane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/c68b51/32.png) [@Quarter\_Lane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quarter_Lane)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2009, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-crime/518722/100 "2009-11-26T02:16:37Z")
May I add: Abuse: “Only Women Bleed” by Alice Cooper Arson: “Funhouse” by Pink Murder: “Wake Up Call” by Maroon 5 “Watching the Detectives” by Elvis Costello “Allison” by Elvis Costello heck, half of Elvis Costello’s songs [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-crime/518722.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-crime/518722.md?page=6)