Songs about being on the run?
July 7, 2011 10:29 AM   Subscribe

A friend of mine is moving across the country soon, and she's asked for music mixes to entertain her on the long drive. I've decided to make a mix entirely of songs about running from the law. I need help finding some.

So far, I've got Tom Waits' "Gun Street Girl," Nick Cave's "Wanted Man," and the Ratatat remix of "Run." What are some others? She doesn't care about genre.
posted by katillathehun to Media & Arts (56 answers total) 10 users marked this as a favorite
 
The Clash - Police on My Back, or The Equals
posted by hydrophonic at 10:32 AM on July 7, 2011 [1 favorite]


The Whyte Boots - "Nightmare" is a really fun song
posted by birdbone at 10:33 AM on July 7, 2011


Run the Ridges by the Kingston Trio is one of my favorite songs, and also has the added bonus of having a real traveling-across-America feel.
posted by phunniemee at 10:34 AM on July 7, 2011


Rihanna's Man Down. Sinewy and surprisingly good.
posted by sestaaak at 10:35 AM on July 7, 2011


Rhianna's "Man Down."
posted by jessicapierce at 10:36 AM on July 7, 2011


Damn. Ok, what about Jay-Z's "99 Problems?" Sort of.
posted by jessicapierce at 10:38 AM on July 7, 2011


Theme song to COPS?
posted by jessicapierce at 10:38 AM on July 7, 2011


To some extent, "Las Cruces Jail" by Two Gallants.
posted by King Bee at 10:39 AM on July 7, 2011




Unwelcome Guest recorded by Billy Bragg & Wilco
posted by smirkette at 10:43 AM on July 7, 2011


Steve Miller Band - Take the Money and Run
Beastie Boys - Paul Revere
The Beatles - Run For Your Life (kind of)

Bonus:
Jewel and the Rubies - Kidnapper (about the law coming after someone)
posted by cardioid at 10:44 AM on July 7, 2011


16 Horsepower - Outlaw Song
posted by birdbone at 10:47 AM on July 7, 2011


Styx, Renegade
Bob Marley, I Shot the Sheriff
Paul McCartney, Band on the Run
The Dubliners (or pretty much anybody), Whiskey in the Jar
posted by Faint of Butt at 10:47 AM on July 7, 2011


Um... "Good Ol' Boys," the theme song of The Dukes of Hazzard? (They've been in trouble with the law since the day they were born.)
posted by chowflap at 10:50 AM on July 7, 2011 [1 favorite]


Kele: on the lam
Inner Circle: Bad Boys
posted by rmless at 10:51 AM on July 7, 2011


I Fought the Law: classic or the Clash
posted by mefireader at 10:55 AM on July 7, 2011


Louis Jordan (or Chuck Brown!) - Run Joe
posted by bink at 10:56 AM on July 7, 2011


Loreena McKennitt - The Highwayman

N.W.A. - Fuck Tha Police

(mefireader - I was just about to post that Bobby Fuller video myself. The go-go dancer is hilarious!)
posted by saturngirl at 10:59 AM on July 7, 2011


The Midnight Rider does not tell us from whom he is fleeing (he's gone by the point of carin', after all). However, it's a good fugitive song.

Originally by the Allman Brothers, but I prefer the Willie Nelson cover.
posted by BrashTech at 11:03 AM on July 7, 2011


Desperado?
posted by jessicapierce at 11:09 AM on July 7, 2011


Banditos by The Refreshments
posted by Lyn Never at 11:16 AM on July 7, 2011


Dirty Heads feat. Rome - Lay Me Down
posted by bluesapphires at 11:20 AM on July 7, 2011




NWA - 100 Miles and Runnin'
posted by laze at 11:25 AM on July 7, 2011


(Great idea, by the way. You should totally post the resulting mix to 8tracks.com.)
posted by laze at 11:26 AM on July 7, 2011


Ellis Paul - Bad, Bad Blood
posted by The Deej at 11:35 AM on July 7, 2011


Mr. Policeman by Brad Paisley?
posted by *becca* at 11:46 AM on July 7, 2011


Off the top of my head:

Travis Tritt, "Modern Day Bonnie and Clyde"

Wayne "The Train" Hancock, "Johnny Law"

Steve Earle, "Copperhead Road"

Robert Earl Keen, "The Road Goes on Forever"

Shemekia Copeland, "Never Going Back to Memphis"

Steve Earle, "Tom Ames' Prayer"

Steve Earle, "Billy And Bonnie"

Crooked Still, "Little Sadie"

I know I have a few more kicking around somewhere, just let me check my files...
posted by MonkeyToes at 11:48 AM on July 7, 2011


Bonnie and Clyde.
posted by Bookhouse at 11:51 AM on July 7, 2011


Jimmy Webb and Mark Knopfler, "The Highwayman"

And I can't believe I forgot the amazing "Molly-O" from Steve Earle's latest.

"In the shadow of a chestnut tree I hide
sword and a pistol by my side
Yeah, along came a traveler, laid him low
All for the love of my Molly-O....

Now men have died for lesser things
vengeance, country, God and kings
some day I'll swing from the gallows pole
One last dance for my Molly-O."
posted by MonkeyToes at 11:52 AM on July 7, 2011


I am near tears that no one has mentioned Indiana Wants Me.
posted by sageleaf at 11:58 AM on July 7, 2011 [1 favorite]


Aaaaand previously: Go on, take the money and run.
posted by MonkeyToes at 12:00 PM on July 7, 2011



John Hiatt, "Tennessee Plates"


"...It was somewhere in Nevada, it was cold outside
She was shiverin' in the dark, so I offered her a ride
Three bank jobs later, four cars hot wired
We crossed the Mississippi like an oil slick fire

"If they'd known what we was up to they wouldn't let us in
and now we landed in Memphis like original sin
Elvis Presley Boulevard to the Graceland gates
See we were lookin' for a Cadillac with Tennessee plates..."
posted by MonkeyToes at 12:02 PM on July 7, 2011


Simon and Garfunkel - Somewhere They Can't Find Me

Kardinal Offishal - Graveyard Shift

Dr. Dre - Deep Cover
posted by foursentences at 12:04 PM on July 7, 2011


Bob Seger - Get Out of Denver
posted by cyndigo at 12:32 PM on July 7, 2011


"I Killed Sally's Lover" by the Avett Brothers (WARNING: video is Live version)
posted by psylosyren at 1:03 PM on July 7, 2011


"Friend of the Devil" — I like Lyle Lovett's version from the Deadicated album.
I've got two reasons why I cry away each lonely night
The first one's named sweet Ann-Marie, and she's my heart's delight
The second one is prison bait, the Sheriff's on my tail
And if he catches up with me, I'll spend my life in jail
Not sure if the Boiled in Lead song "Newry Highwayman" fits; the on-the-run part is only implied.
posted by Lexica at 1:26 PM on July 7, 2011 [1 favorite]


Not entirely sure that Sydney is on the run... but it sure sounds like it.
posted by i_am_a_fiesta at 1:27 PM on July 7, 2011


Eastbound and down by Jerry Brown

Locked (in the trunk of a car) by The Tragically Hip is about trying to get away from police, too
posted by glaucon at 1:49 PM on July 7, 2011


Bruce Springsteen - State Trooper (this is my ultimate driving in the middle of the night song)
posted by crowyhead at 1:55 PM on July 7, 2011 [1 favorite]


We have this whole Bonnie and Clyde concept album (it's not the film soundtrack but is related) by Flatt and Scruggs that is pretty great.
posted by mandymanwasregistered at 2:02 PM on July 7, 2011


Maia Sharp: I Need This to be Love
posted by booth at 2:02 PM on July 7, 2011


Marty Robbins: El Paso
Sting: I Hung My Head
Grateful Dead: Friend of the Devil
posted by jcworth at 2:32 PM on July 7, 2011


Also,
Bob Weir: Big Iron
posted by jcworth at 2:34 PM on July 7, 2011




A little esoteric perhaps, but Borrowed Wings by Jim White (dead criminals who come back to earth by stealing angels wings)

The Road Goes On Forever and the Party Never Ends - Robert Earl Keen
posted by elendil71 at 3:34 PM on July 7, 2011


The incredible PWEI's Not Now James, We're Busy:

Cops get excited and grin with glee;
They got themsevles a celebrity!
Seven cars give chase
"You're in the clear...it's the race of the year!"
"Faster Soul Master, they're coming at you from all directions,
Speed's your protection...Don't look behind ya
'til south Carolina"

posted by pompomtom at 7:09 PM on July 7, 2011


Belle and Sebastian - White Collar Boy
posted by to recite so charmingly at 7:28 PM on July 7, 2011


Billy Joel: The Ballad of Billy the Kid

Love the piano and harmonica in that song.
posted by Omniscience Fatigue at 7:57 PM on July 7, 2011


Cocaine blues by Johnny Cash!
posted by lvanshima at 8:41 PM on July 7, 2011


Wu-Tang vs. The Beatles - Run
And I don't even know why they chasin' me for
Cuz I'm dirty like the corner in the bathroom floor
So I run through the alley, when I come through the block
Runnin' so fast, you would think I'm chasin' the cops
Right in broad daylight, in the middle of winter
I can't go to jail, my mother cookin' chicken for dinner

posted by j03 at 1:49 AM on July 8, 2011


Scooby Snacks!
posted by palbo at 4:09 AM on July 8, 2011


Idiot Wind by Bob Dylan (They say I shot a man named Gray...)
posted by TomSophieIvy at 10:14 AM on July 8, 2011


I got no home I can go back to
Got no one to call a friend
I can't find the place I started
I can only guess how it will end.

Keep them hounds off my trail
These jailers off my back
Get these bracelets off of me
A little rain to hide my track.


-Boiled in Lead, "Hide My Track"
posted by Pirate-Bartender-Zombie-Monkey at 11:07 AM on July 10, 2011


Jimmy grew up so fast
Then he met me at the pass one day
Said, you`re a wanted man
Take your brother`s hand
I`ll be running with you anyway

So we rode late in the night
Like the fires on the desert sand
Til one day, the posse caught us
Cause the sheriff always gets his man

Gimme some water
Cause I killed a man
On the Mexican border
Cool, cool water
I need a little water

posted by Pirate-Bartender-Zombie-Monkey at 11:11 AM on July 10, 2011


Response by poster: Wow! Thanks, everyone! This is going to be the best playlist ever!
posted by katillathehun at 9:48 PM on July 10, 2011


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