Friday, May 23, 2014

But it’s death for Bonnie and Clyde

Clyde Barrow and his beloved Bonnie Parker

80 years ago today, May 23, 1934, Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker met their fates.

This year will also see the 80th anniversary of the death of John Dillinger, Pretty Boy Floyd and Baby Face Nelson. 1934 was a rough year to be a badguy.





The Ballad of Bonnie and Clyde
by Bonnie Parker

You’ve read the story of Jesse James 
Of how he lived and died 
If you’re still in need of something to read 
Here’s the story of Bonnie and Clyde. 
Now Bonnie and Clyde are the Barrow Gang, 
I’m sure you all have read how they rob and steal 
and those who squeal are usually found dying or dead. 
There’s lots of untruths to these write-ups 
They’re not so ruthless as that 
Their nature is raw, they hate all law 
Stool pigeons, spotters, and rats. 
They call them cold-blooded killers 
They say they are heartless and mean 
But I say this with pride, 
I once knew Clyde 
When he was honest and upright and clean. 
But the laws fooled around and taking him down 
and locking him up in a cell 
'Til he said to me, 
"I’ll never be free, 
So I’ll meet a few of them in hell." 
The road was so dimly lighted 
There were no highway signs to guide 
But they made up their minds if all roads were blind 
They wouldn’t give up 'til they died. 
The road gets dimmer and dimmer 
Sometimes you can hardly see 
But it’s fight man to man, and do all you can 
For they know they can never be free. 
From heartbreak some people have suffered 
From weariness some people have died 
But all in all, our troubles are small
 'Til we get like Bonnie and Clyde. 
If a policeman is killed in Dallas 
And they have no clue or guide 
If they can’t find a fiend, 
just wipe the slate clean 
And hang it on Bonnie and Clyde. 
There’s two crimes committed in America 
Not accredited to the Barrow Mob 
They had no hand in the kidnap demand 
Nor the Kansas City Depot job. 
A newsboy once said to his buddy 
"I wish old Clyde would get jumped 
In these hard times we’s get a few dimes 
If five or six cops would get bumped." 
The police haven’t got the report yet 
But Clyde called me up today He said, 
"Don’t start any fights, we aren’t working nights, 
we’re joining the NRA." 
From Irving to West Dallas viaduct 
Is known as the Great Divide 
Where the women are kin, 
and men are men 
And they won’t stool on Bonnie and Clyde. 
If they try to act like citizens 
And rent a nice flat 
About the third night they’re invited to fight 
By a sub-gun’s rat-tat-tat. 
They don’t think they’re tough or desperate 
They know the law always wins 
They’ve been shot at before, 
but they do not ignore 
That death is the wages of sin. 
Some day they’ll go down together 
And they’ll bury them side by side 
To few it’ll be grief, 
to the law a relief 
But it’s death for Bonnie and Clyde.