Talk:I Fought the Law

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Contents 1 Infobox for The Clash 2 Trivia: Crossfire/Jon Stewart 3 Sex Pistols 4 Original date? 5 Curtis' Most Recognized Tune 6 Punk Revisionism? 7 Green Day

[edit] Infobox for The Clash

An infobox was requested for The Clash's version of "I Fought the Law" at Wikipedia:WikiProject_Missing_encyclopedic_articles/List_of_notable_songs/7.

I just edited it as it said that the Clash's version was (the most famous cover version of the song)" whereas a few sentences before it is says that the version by the Bobby Fuller Four is the "most noted version"

On a personal note, I never even knew the Clash made a version. However, my reason for the edit was a POV sort of thing, as "famous" is rather subjective. I think that most people are aware of the Bobby Fuller Four version, or for the younger generation, the Dead Kennedies or Green Day version.

So in other words, I left the "noted" reference to the Bobby Fuller Four version and took out the "most famous" comment on The Clash. If someone feels strongly about it, feel free to revert back.--129.21.117.115 01:24, 9 December 2005 (UTC)

I'm usually wary of edits done by unregistered users, but you do have some merit behind your intentions so I'll clarify what I edited:

"I Fought The Law" is more identified with Bobby Fuller than with Sonny Curtis, who originally wrote the song. However, the most well-known cover version - not counting Fuller's - is the Clash's. Much of their initial radio airplay in this country (the United States of America, just in case you're reading this in a different country) came from that cover when it was released here in the States as part of the US version of the Clash's eponymous album.

With that in mind, I'll fiddle with the article appropriately. ;) -- Cjmarsicano 01:54, 9 December 2005 (UTC)

Same person, slightly different IP. Nice job, you and whoever else.

Hell, I even learned a thing to do, especially about the Dead Kennedy version. --129.21.117.115 03:49, 14 December 2005 (UTC)

So what is the song about?

[edit] Trivia: Crossfire/Jon Stewart

I made this edit because CNN certainly did not announce that they cancelled the show BECAUSE of Stewart's appearance. The closest thing was that the new president of CNN stated that he agreed with Stewart's general message. I feel that my updated wording is more truthful. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 134.173.95.79 (talk) 04:19, 26 February 2007 (UTC).

[edit] Sex Pistols

Sex Pistols covered this song, search Google for 'Sex Pistols I Fought The Law'. They changed most of the lyrics, most notably 'I fought the law, and I won.'

Googling this only gets me a few sketchy sites that seem to be misattributing the Dead Kennedys' version to the Sex Pistols, and pages that reference the Sex Pistols and the Clash. It is, in fact the DK version that features the lyric change that you mention. I'm removing the Sex Pistols references until someone can cite a confirmable publication. ~CS 03:49, 27 April 2006 (UTC)

its not the sex pistols, its the Dead Kennedys, it sounds nothing like Jonny Rotten and more like Jello

[edit] Original date?

When was the Crickets version released? This is in the category "1965 songs", but that date refers to the Bobby Fuller Four version. 86.132.140.84 00:29, 11 October 2006 (UTC)

“	One hot Texas afternoon in the summer of 1958, as Sonny sat on his couch watching the sun bake the dusty ground, he wrote his most recognized and recorded tune in under an hour. The rock anthem "I Fought the Law," originally recorded on the 1959 album, "In Style With the Crickets," made stars out of The Bobby Fuller Four when they re-recorded it in 1965. One of the first declarations of rock and roll rebellion, "I Fought the Law" has since been covered by everyone from the Dead Kennedys to the Clash to garage punk bands the world over.	”
	— From the "bio" section of Sonny Curtis' website

Hope that's helpfull ~CS 00:46, 11 October 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Curtis' Most Recognized Tune

I'd have to disagree that "I Fought the Law" was Curtis' most recognized tune. Maybe it was his most recorded tune, but as far as his most recognized tune, I'd say that "Love Is All Around," the theme from the Mary Tyler Moore Show, would be Curtis' most recognized tune, or at least a tie between between the two. Just my two cents! Duprees62 00:23, 25 April 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Punk Revisionism?

I find the story of the Clash finding the Bobby Fuller version on a jukebox most unlikely. It wasn't a hit in the UK in 1965, and I don't remember it from that era (I was 19 at the time). I think that it is probably more concerned with Strummer's attempts to conceal his history as a pub-rocker with the 101ers (change of name, etc), rather than a life-long punk.

Major-league pub-rockers Ducks Deluxe released the song as a single in 1975 in the UK (RCA 2531) at a time when they were playing the same London pub venues as the 101ers, but rather more successfully. It formed part of the Ducks regular set and Strummer would surely have heard their version many times. If you listen to the three versions it is very difficult to believe that the Clash version derives directly from the Bobby Fuller version, rather than via the Ducks version.

Mikecc46 10:57, 6 June 2007 (UTC)

The studio jukebox the Clash heard the Bobby Fuller record at was at an American recording studio (I think the Fotomat in San Francisco, I don't fully recall the name offhand) when the band was finishing Give 'Em Enough Rope with Sandy Pearlman. --CJ Marsicano 13:48, 6 June 2007 (UTC)

OK, I didn't think of that. However, Strummer would have been fully familiar with the Ducks performances and recording of the song. It was probably the first time that he realised that it wasn't a Ducks' original and so could be covered without losing cred. Mikecc46 14:09, 6 June 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Green Day

Why is there a whole subcategory-esque menu on Green Day at the bottom? Is this 100% relevant...?-TheChrisParker (talk) 21:16, 9 January 2008 (UTC)

i don't think it is relevant either 13thfloor (talk) 01:19, 15 February 2008 (UTC)

I went ahead and removed it because the Green Day version is not the most notable of covers.Kurasuke (talk) 22:36, 13 April 2008 (UTC)

Hi Kurasuke, the subcategory-esque menu on Green Day has been removed on 15 February, 2008. –pjoef (talk • contribs) 07:09, 15 April 2008 (UTC)