1 of 1- GrimsbyFan
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Songs That Mention A Crime In The Title Or Lyrics
It's a new year - time for a new topic.
Looking for songs that mention a crime in the title or in the lyrics.
One caveat: there must be a specific crime referred to. Just having a reference to jail or prison or chain gang does NOT qualify a song for this topic Need to know what the crime was.
Here are some to start us off:
Tom Dooley - The Kingston Trio
I met her on the mountain
There I took her life
Met her on the mountain
Stabbed her with my knife
I Fought The Law - Bobby Fuller Four
I'm robbin' people with a six-gun
I Shot Mr. Lee - The Bobbettes
(I had forgotten that the lyrics were rather gruesome - "Ah, shot him in the head. boom boom" is repeated 12 times)
- memphis boy
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Re: Songs That Mention A Crime In The Title Or Lyrics
Mack The Knife....Bobby Darin
Now, on the side walk
Ooh Sunday morning, ah, ah
Lies a body just oozin' life, eek!
An' someone's sneaking 'round the corner
Could that someone be Mack the Knife?
- GrimsbyFan
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Re: Songs That Mention A Crime In The Title Or Lyrics
Take A Message To Mary - The Everly Brothers
Oh, don't tell her I'm in jail
Take a message to Mary but don't tell her what I've done
Please don't mention the stage coach and the shot from a careless gun
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Thread Starter- aflem
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Re: Songs That Mention A Crime In The Title Or Lyrics
Beg, Borrow & Steal - The Ohio Express
I'd rather Beg, Borrow & Steal
Then Go Back To You.
- aflem
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Re: Songs That Mention A Crime In The Title Or Lyrics
Thou Shalt Not Steal - Dick & Dee Dee
- Taz
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Re: Songs That Mention A Crime In The Title Or Lyrics
The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia Vicki Lawrence
That's one body that'll never be found
You see little sister don't miss when she aims her gun
Bonnie & Clyde Georgie Fame
They went and robbed a store, and high-tailed outa that town
Got clean away in a stolen car
"Reach for the sky", talking Clyde would holler
As Bonnie loaded dollars in the dewlap bag
The Ballad of Thunder Road Robert Mitchum
Now let me tell the story I can tell it all
About the mountain boy who ran illegal alcohol
Stagger Lee Lloyd Price
Stagger Lee shot Billy, oh, he shot that poor boy so bad
Folsom Prison Blues Johnny Cash
But I shot a man in Reno just to watch him die
Last edited by Taz (January 4, 2026 8:50 pm)
Life is not a float trip
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Re: Songs That Mention A Crime In The Title Or Lyrics
Big Mable Murphy Sue Thompson
Then late one rainy night Scarface Mouzziola
Came in and started shoving folks around
Big Mable Murphy was back in the kitchen
So just for fun he shot Little Melvin down
Early next morning down by the river
Scarface Mouzziola was found real short of breath
They say that Scarface had died from a whoopin'
He had two black eyes and knuckle bumps on his head
In the Ghetto Elvis Presley
He buys a gun, steals a car
The Night Chicago Died Paper Lace
When a man named Al Capone
Tried to make that town his own
And he called his gang to war
With the forces of the law
Should be a lot of drug songs but this is the only one I can think of that treats it criminally
Wildwood Weed Jim Stafford
The very next day we picked a bunch of them weeds
And we put 'em in the sun to dry
Then we mashed 'em up and we cleaned 'em off
Put 'em in the corn cob pipe
One day this feller from Washington come by
And spied 'em and turned white as a sheet
And he dug and he burned
And he burned and he dug
And he killed all our cute little weeds
Cow Patti Jim Stafford
'Cause the killer had killed her daddy
Just for spittin' in the road
And you only had to kill her daddy once
To get that gal PO'd
The Streak Ray Stevens
Is streaking criminal enough?
How about speeding and reckless driving?
Hot Rod Lincoln Commander Cody
Wound it up to a 110
My speedometer said that I hit top end
Took a corner, sideswiped a truck
They arrested me and they put me in jail
And called my pappy to throw my bail
Last edited by Taz (January 5, 2026 2:31 am)
Life is not a float trip
- Roman
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Re: Songs That Mention A Crime In The Title Or Lyrics
Hard to believe, but The Beatles had one of the most violent crime songs. "Bang, bang, Maxwell's silver hammer
came down on her head. Bang, bang, Maxwell's silver hammer made sure she was dead."
Last edited by Roman (January 5, 2026 8:53 am)
- GrimsbyFan
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Re: Songs That Mention A Crime In The Title Or Lyrics
El Paso - Marty Robbins
I see the white puff of smoke from the rifle
I feel the bullet go deep in my chest
Frankie and Johnny - Sam Cooke / Elvis Presley / Brook Benton
Frankie drew back her kimono, she took out a little 44
Rooty toot toot, three times she shot, right through that hardwood floor
She shot her man, he was doing her wrong
Last edited by GrimsbyFan (January 7, 2026 7:50 am)
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Thread Starter- GrimsbyFan
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Re: Songs That Mention A Crime In The Title Or Lyrics
Delilah - Tom Jones
She stood there laughing
I felt the knife in my hand and she laughed no more
I Shot The Sheriff - Eric Clapton
Last edited by GrimsbyFan (January 7, 2026 7:54 am)
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Thread Starter- GrimsbyFan
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Re: Songs That Mention A Crime In The Title Or Lyrics
Along Came Jones - The Coasters
And then he grabbed her
He tied her up
He threw her on the railroad track
A train started comin'
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