"I Fought the Law": Songs About Trouble with the Law

Message Bookmarked

Bookmark Removed

Apart from "I Fought the Law," obviously.....

"Police on My Back" by the Clash (written by Eddie "Electric Ave" Grant)
"Soldier Blue" by Julian Cope
"New York City Cops" by the Strokes
"Fuck Tha Police" by NWA
"Cop Killer" by Body Count
"I Am the Law" by Anthrax
"Breakin' the Law" by Judas Priest
"Police Story" by Black Flag
"Everybody is a Cop" by TSOL
"Dead Cops" by Millions of Dead Cops
"Triumphal Theme" by Cop $hoot Cop
"Take the Money & Run" by the Steve Miller Band

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 22 August 2003 17:16 (twenty-three years ago)

"Police Truck," Dead Kennedys
a ton of Johnny Cash songs.

― hstencil, Friday, 22 August 2003 17:17 (twenty-three years ago)

http://thepolywog.com/copshootcop/posters/images/harness-01.jpg

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 22 August 2003 17:18 (twenty-three years ago)

"Laws Against Laughing" Crucifucks

― Horace Mann (Horace Mann), Friday, 22 August 2003 17:18 (twenty-three years ago)

Black Maria - Todd Rundgren

― dave225 (Dave225), Friday, 22 August 2003 17:18 (twenty-three years ago)

Crain, "Hey Cops" - chorus goes "Hey Cops!/ Don't beat the shit/ Out of me!"

― hstencil, Friday, 22 August 2003 17:19 (twenty-three years ago)

Was Not Was - Hello dad, Im in jail

― Spinktor the Unmerciful (mawill5), Friday, 22 August 2003 17:20 (twenty-three years ago)

Bukka White, "Partchman Farm Blues"

― hstencil, Friday, 22 August 2003 17:31 (twenty-three years ago)

Hmmm. no one has said I shot the Sherrif yet...

I was going to say "Desperado" - Alice Cooper.

― dave225 (Dave225), Friday, 22 August 2003 17:38 (twenty-three years ago)

Spinal Tap - Cups & Cakes

― Spinktor the Unmerciful (mawill5), Friday, 22 August 2003 17:42 (twenty-three years ago)

"Folsom Prison Blues" anyone? Actually, unless you hate country music (?), you'll find a lot of other good ones from Mr. Cash and his peers....

Also, "Caugfht by the Fuzz" by Supergrass.

Also, I'll bet the Fugs have some choice songs about coppers. :)

― paige b, Friday, 22 August 2003 17:49 (twenty-three years ago)

"Law Man" -- Jefferson Airplane
"Bonnie et Clyde" -- Serge Gainsbourg/Brigitte Bardot
"Jesse James" -- Pogues

Many to be found in Warren Zevon's ouevre as well.

― Nom De Plume (Nom De Plume), Friday, 22 August 2003 17:59 (twenty-three years ago)

Waylon/Willie - Good ole boys

― Spinktor the Unmerciful (mawill5), Friday, 22 August 2003 18:00 (twenty-three years ago)

"Trouble" - by Shampoo

Police car came along and took us for a ride/ and when we get in we're gonna get fried

― ailsa (ailsa), Friday, 22 August 2003 18:01 (twenty-three years ago)

Doesn't will smith get pulled over as the Fresh Prince in "Parent's Just Don't Understand"?

― Horace Mann (Horace Mann), Friday, 22 August 2003 18:03 (twenty-three years ago)

Dead or Alive - Jovi.

― dave225 (Dave225), Friday, 22 August 2003 18:04 (twenty-three years ago)

Jailbreak - AC/DC

― BrianB, Friday, 22 August 2003 18:30 (twenty-three years ago)

"Fascists Eat Donuts" by the Pop-o-Pies

"Make those donuts with extra grease/This Batch if for the Chief of Police!"

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 22 August 2003 18:31 (twenty-three years ago)

Darni3ll3 to thread with his top secret lyrics for the "Law & Order" theme song.

― NA (Nick A.), Friday, 22 August 2003 18:33 (twenty-three years ago)

Also, Thin Lizzy, "Jailbreak."

― hstencil, Friday, 22 August 2003 18:43 (twenty-three years ago)

Black Cop/Sound Of The Police - KRS-One
I am A Lonesome Fugitive, Sing Me Back Home - Merle Haggard
Cops and Robbers - Bo Diddley
Highway Patrolman/Johnny 99/Nebraska/State Trooper - Springsteen
BrownEyed Handsome Man - Chuck Berry ("arrested on charges of unemployment...")
Johnny Cash - 25 Minutes To Go
Pigmeat Markham/Shorty Long - Here Come The Judge
The Who - Legal Matter
Paris - Coffee, Donuts & Death
Jay-Z - Izzo (HOVA)
Snoop - Murder Was The Case

― Fritz Wollner (Fritz), Friday, 22 August 2003 19:18 (twenty-three years ago)

"Police & Thieves"

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 22 August 2003 19:48 (twenty-three years ago)

there's 'hey joe' by jimi hendrix. joe gets into a bit more trouble with the law in the make up version and if i remember correctly, he avoids conflict completely in the soft cell excursion.

― dz, Friday, 22 August 2003 19:52 (twenty-three years ago)

tupac - trapped

― Fritz Wollner (Fritz), Friday, 22 August 2003 20:43 (twenty-three years ago)

1-8-7 on the mutherfuckin cops...

― nonthings (nonthings), Friday, 22 August 2003 22:03 (twenty-three years ago)

The Texas edition:

The Road Goes on Forever -- Robert Earl Keen

Pancho & Lefty -- Townes van Zandt

Bonnie & Billy -- Steve Earle (alternately, Tom Ames' Prayer)

Me & Paul -- Willie Nelson

― JesseFox (JesseFox), Friday, 22 August 2003 22:43 (twenty-three years ago)

"the laws have changed" -new pornographers

"karma police" -radiohead

― reo fordecor, Friday, 22 August 2003 23:28 (twenty-three years ago)

Clash: "Julie's Been Working for the Drug Squad"
and "Drug Stabbing Time"
and "Police and Thieves"

Bob Marley:
"Rebel Music"

Blondie: "X Offender"

― Orbit (Orbit), Saturday, 23 August 2003 00:56 (twenty-three years ago)

Merle Haggard - Mama Tried

I turned 21 in prison doing life without parole
no one could steer me right but mama tried, mama tried

― derrick (derrick), Saturday, 23 August 2003 05:34 (twenty-three years ago)

Merle Haggard - I Never Picked Cotton

― Fritz Wollner (Fritz), Sunday, 24 August 2003 13:52 (twenty-three years ago)

Strokes - New York City Cops

― Andrzej B. (Andrzej B.), Sunday, 24 August 2003 17:03 (twenty-three years ago)

Samson and the Warden -- Loudon Wainwright III

Now, warden you can hold me for a year in your jail
But don't shave off my beard, don't cut my ponytail

― weatheringdaleson (weatheringdaleson), Sunday, 24 August 2003 17:54 (twenty-three years ago)

Oh, and Alice's Restaurant, natch.

― weatheringdaleson (weatheringdaleson), Sunday, 24 August 2003 18:00 (twenty-three years ago)

"my wife" - the who

― Maria (Maria), Sunday, 24 August 2003 18:03 (twenty-three years ago)

"Streets of Sorrow/Birmingham Six" — The Pogues

― Bruce Urquhart (Bruce Urquhart), Sunday, 24 August 2003 18:28 (twenty-three years ago)

"I Had Trouble" by Charlie Musselwhite
("They sent me to Cook County, a mighty tough place, I was never allowed a phone call, the cops lied about my case ... ")

"21 Days in Jail" by Magic Sam
("21 days of torture, 21 nights of fear, 21 days in jail and nobody seems to care ... ")

― bflaska, Sunday, 24 August 2003 19:33 (twenty-three years ago)

"Rubber Bullets" by 10cc

― ailsa (ailsa), Sunday, 24 August 2003 19:38 (twenty-three years ago)

"54-46 (That's My Number)" by Toots Hibbert

― bflaska, Monday, 25 August 2003 01:12 (twenty-three years ago)

Have You Ever Spent The Night In Jail? - The Standells
Good Morning Judge - Wynonie Harris

― Fritz Wollner (Fritz), Monday, 25 August 2003 01:13 (twenty-three years ago)

warumpi band - jailangaru pakarnu

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Monday, 25 August 2003 01:15 (twenty-three years ago)

razar - task force (undercover cops)

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Monday, 25 August 2003 01:16 (twenty-three years ago)

yea, almost every single johnny cash song is about trouble with the law. especially on his live in fulsom and san quentin prisons. its awesome to hear the prisoners applaud and shout whenhe talks about shootin' his bad bitch down.

― tom cleveland (tom cleveland), Monday, 25 August 2003 06:52 (twenty-three years ago)

Steely Dan, 'Don't Take Me Alive'
'got a case of dynamite
i could hold out here all night
well i crossed my old man back in oregon
don't take me alive'

― derrick (derrick), Monday, 25 August 2003 07:07 (twenty-three years ago)

"Never Take Me Alive" by Spear of Destiny (I presume it's the law Kirk Brandon's runnin' from....tho' it could be Boy George, I suppose, who supposedly had a big ol' physical liaison with him).

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 25 August 2003 13:03 (twenty-three years ago)

Tom Waits-"Christmas Card From A Hooker..." ("I'll be eligible for parole, come Valentine's Day")
John Prine-"Illegal Smile" (" dreamed the police heard /Everything I thought... what then?/Well I went to court/And the judge's name was Hoffman")

― Charles McCain (Charles McCain), Monday, 25 August 2003 23:12 (twenty-three years ago)

Hot Rod Lincoln

― weatheringdaleson (weatheringdaleson), Monday, 25 August 2003 23:17 (twenty-three years ago)

Lots and lots of old-timey songs on the topic, too

"Louisville Burglar" (New Lost City Ramblers, et al.)

"My character was taken
And I was sent to jail
No people came to plead my case
Or get me out on bail
The jury found me guilty
The clerk he wrote it down
And the judge he passed the sentence
That sent me to Frankfort town."

"He's in the Jail house Now" (Jimmy Rodgers, et al.)

"He's in the jail house now
He's in the jail house now
Yes, he broke out
All over town the fool walked about
He's in the jailhouse now."

― bflaska, Tuesday, 26 August 2003 01:28 (twenty-three years ago)

keep sydenham kosher by duane zarakov

― duane or the other dz, Tuesday, 26 August 2003 01:48 (twenty-three years ago)

Can't believe no one mentioned "I Shot the Sherriff" by Sir Robert of Marley

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Tuesday, 26 August 2003 12:38 (twenty-three years ago)

Deltron's "Virus"

"(Secretly plotting your demise)
I wanna devise a virus
to bring dire straits to your environment
Crushing corporations with a mild touch
Trash the whole computer system and revert you to papyrus

I wanna make a super virus
Strong enough to cause black outs in every single metropolis
Cuz they dont want to unify us
So fuck it
total anarchy and can't nobody stop us

You see late in the evening
Fucked up on my computer and my mind starts roaming
I create like a heathen
The first cycles of this virus i can send through a modem

Infiltrate and hit your station
No microsoft or enhanced dos with mp
Society thinks theyre safe when
Bingo hard drive crashes from the rending

A lot of hackers tried viruses before
vaporize your text like so much White-out
I want it where file replication is a chore
Lights out shut down the entire White House
I don't want just a bug that can be corrected
I'm erecting immaculate design
Break the nation down section by section
Even to the greatest minds
its impossible to find"

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Tuesday, 26 August 2003 12:45 (twenty-three years ago)

Van Halen "DOA" ("We was sittin' ducks for the poh-leese man")
Iron Maiden "Murders in the Rue Morgue" (mentions being railroaded by the gendarmes "cuz I couldn't speak French")
Iron Maiden "Running Free"

― dave q, Tuesday, 26 August 2003 18:40 (twenty-three years ago)

(I suppose "Hallowed Be Thy Name" would count too! That's pretty drastic legal trouble there. see also Nick Cave "Mercy Seat", Metallica "Ride the Lightning")

― dave q, Tuesday, 26 August 2003 18:42 (twenty-three years ago)

DOA "The Prisoner"
Subhumans "Firing Squad"
Angelic Upstarts "Police Oppression"
Cockney Rejects "Police Car"
Red Alert "SPG"
Eagles "Outlaw Man"

― dave q, Tuesday, 26 August 2003 18:55 (twenty-three years ago)

DOA "The Prisoner"

Wow. Haven't heard that in eons. Must dig that out.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Tuesday, 26 August 2003 18:58 (twenty-three years ago)

"Wanted Dead or Alive" by Bon Jovi

― ailsa (ailsa), Tuesday, 26 August 2003 21:16 (twenty-three years ago)

nine years pass...

the bobby fuller four version just slays the clash version, it's almost embarrassing.

― omar little, Monday, 10 September 2012 06:23 (fourteen years ago)

yes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7scymYmE8M

― with the ghostly "YOOOOOOOOOOOOHHOOOO" vocals? (crüt), Monday, 10 September 2012 06:33 (fourteen years ago)

strange mellencamp lyrical rip:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-UfTzEslfs

― ledge, Monday, 10 September 2012 13:12 (fourteen years ago)

The Everly Brothers: Take a Message to Mary, Poor Jenny

― softspool, Monday, 10 September 2012 13:20 (fourteen years ago)

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

― Jazzbo, Monday, 10 September 2012 14:54 (fourteen years ago)

You must be logged in to post. Please either login here, or if you are not registered, you may register here.