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.