Prison-Themed Top Ten: I Fought the Law (#4)

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A few days I had a old country double-feature in the dual countdowns of songs with “jail” or “prison” in the title and songs with a prison theme. Hopefully today’s two-fer makes up for that. With so many versions of this classic to choose from, which to choose? Aw, come on, you know me better than that. #4: I Fought the Law - The Clash As I mentioned in a cover songs countdown, this song goes all the way back to the Crickets and 1960. Sonny Curtis (who’d later pen the theme song to The Mary Tyler Moore Show) wrote this tune, which was recorded by the original backing band for Buddy Holly (actually, they were originally just The Crickets, not “Buddy Holly and the Crickets”). The song became a major hit with Bobby Fuller’s cover in 1965-66. Since then, it’s become a rock cover staple. While there are millions of covers to choose from, there are only three versions on my iPod: the Crickets’ original, Fuller’s, and this 1979 rendition by The Clash. It’s hard to butcher this song (but you’ve probably heard horrible versions, because they’re out there); and, by the same token, it’s hard to breathe new life into it. The Clash managed to do the latter, making it the perfect cover from the perfect band to do it. I Fought the Law Written by Sonny Curtis Recorded by The Clash From The Cost of Living (EP), 1979 I lost my girl and I lost my fun: