Oh, people, people, people. Sometimes you just don't follow the rules, and sometimes when you don't follow the rules, The MAN decides that you need a lil' TIME OUT in a secure government facility. And sometimes you can follow all the rules and even might receive a shiny award for being an excellent rule-follower, but may concurrently find yourself caught in a metaphorical prison of the MIND or HEART. Such human drama is fertile soil for songwriters to harvest, and today I have selected 10 songs from my own collection of recordings that have either "jail" or "prison" in the titles. Release yourself from whatever else you are doing and please to enjoy!
Let's get the pace going with this 1984 rockabilly punk cover of Johnny Cash's famous "Folsom Prison Blues." If you can accurately play any of the instruments on this recording at this tempo with no mistakes, I give you my Nod of Awe.
The Geezers, "Folsom Prison Blues"
There aren't that many songs about women in jail, but there should be because I think guys kinda dig that. Well, OK, only if the girls are attractive, let's be honest about that.
Dum Dum Girls, "Jail La La"
This is one of my favorite Christmas songs. I sing it while miserably wrapping gifts Christmas Eve and drinking expired eggnog. Don't drink and drive, kiddies.
The Youngsters, "Christmas In Jail"
This is my NEW favorite "christmas in jail" song, an acapella gospel rave-up by this rather seriously awesome preacher man. It's old as HELL.
The Reverend JM Gates, "Did You Spend Christmas Day In Jail?"
If you would like to be truly skeeved, listen to this 1957 R&B creeper, a warning to fellow pedos about not messing with teenage girls. EWWWWWW. DUDE.
Andre Williams, "Jail Bait"
My dear lil' pals the Jacuzzi Boys are sweetly wailing here about being trapped in an "Automatic Jail," which I think might just be a certain lady part. I could be wrong. I could be right, though.
Jacuzzi Boys, "Automatic Jail"
I'm fairly sure that this is the weirdest version of the Elvis Presley standard, which of course was the intention.
The Residents, "Jailhouse Rock"
What's slightly strange about this one is a bunch of North Londoners taking on Little Feat/The Band-style country music. 1971's "Muswell Hillbillies" was kind of a shock for me at the time.
The Kinks, "Holloway Jail"
A nice little slice of late-'60s California psych-pop here. I don't know what these long-haired hippie boys are talking about, but I bet Joe Friday from "Dragnet" has his eye on them and their MARIJUANA PARTIES!
The Humane Society, "Eternal Prison"
And finally, I would arrest MYSELF if I didn't add MYSELF into this prison playlist, with my cover of The Intelligence's "Weekends In Jail," starring Miss Ten as Park Horsehead. You may purchase this song at iTunes or Amazon, which, if enough copies are sold, might keep me from stealing cat food on Christmas Day when I am 90!
Marianne, "Weekends In Jail"
© Copyright 2008- Marianne Spellman