Search for popular music items...

[Jason M]

PF membership, based on previous threads, clearly contains more than a few music lovers. I though that this would be a good place to toss this around.

Another CJ professor and myself are beginning a research project. We are looking at the portrayal of police/CJS in popular music across the various genres. We are data mining now and in search of songs that contain these portrayals. They can be just about anything as long as it is a little more than a vague reference.

If anyone has a song from any genre in mind just reply with "song title" / artist and, if you are feeling it, add what specific reference is in the song. I can see this leading to some fun discussion.

Examples: "Gang shit" / Marlon Craft or "Don't take me alive" / Steely Dan or "American skin (41 shots)" / Bruce Springsteen or "Police truck" / Dead Kennedys

Thanks in advance!!

Jason

[BehindBlueI's]

Highway Patrol - Junior Brown



Not sure it's popular enough to be "popular music" but it did hit the top 100 country singles when it was released back in the 90s.

Oh, and the original by Red Simpson.

[Jason M]

Thank you! Country is the genre that we are least familiar with

[blues]

[blues]

Bobby Fuller Four / I Fought The Law

[BehindBlueI's]

Steve Earle - Copperhead Road

Since you said CJS, I assume you meant criminal justice system and include jails, etc.:

Various Bluegrass/blues bands - In the Jailhouse now

[Duelist]

Steve Earle - Copperhead Road

Since you said CJS, I assume you meant criminal justice system and include jails, etc.:

Various Bluegrass/blues bands - In the Jailhouse now

And in that theme, Elvis, Jailhouse Rock.

[BehindBlueI's]

And in that theme, Elvis, Jailhouse Rock.

I thought about Folsom Prison Blues, but the prison really isn't integral to the lyrics. Jailhouse Rock is a good one, the prison and the characters therein are much more important then in Folsom Prison.

[blues]

[Darth_Uno]

Off the top of my head:

Merle Haggard - Shackles and Chains

Merle Haggard - Branded Man

Shooter Jennings - Busted in Baylor County

Johnny Cash - Folsom Prison Blues

Offspring - LAPD

Several artists - 99 Years and One Dark Day

Edit: Now that I look at it, only the Offspring and Shooter Jennings songs are really about police interaction. The others are just about going to jail.