The refrain from I Fought the Law, has often rang true for cowboys, mobsters and other criminals: “I fought the law, and the law won.”
The line is not an exact fit for Yevgeny Prigozhin, the man who challenged Russian President Vladimir Putin and died Wednesday in a mysterious plane crash, but it does have some relevance. While calling Putin “the law” is very questionable, it appears he “won” after Prigozhin “fought” him.
I Fought the Law was written in 1958 by Sonny Curtis but did not become a hit until the Bobby Fuller Four recorded the song in 1965. The song is ranked No. 175 on Rolling Stone’s list of the “500 Greatest Songs of All Time” and was named one of the 500 “Songs that Shaped Rock” by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
It also has been covered several times, most notably by the Clash, whose version is below.
One final note that connects the song with Prigozhin. Bobby Fuller also died mysteriously.
Six months after I Fought the Law entered the Billboard Top 100 chart, Fuller was found dead in a car near his Los Angeles home. Police declared the death a suicide, but rumors swirled that he was murdered.
As part of our “Sharp Notes, Sharp Thoughts” music and social media project, we share a song every Monday to start your week.
View previous Sharp Notes Monday selections.
Categories: Jandoli Institute, Music and Social Justice, Sharp Notes Monday, Sharp Notes Sharp Thoughts
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