The Ballad of Bonnie and Clyde


"The Ballad of Bonnie and Clyde" is a song recorded by the British rhythm and blues singer Georgie Fame. Released as a single, the song reached number one in the UK Singles Chart on 24 January 1968, remaining for one week. The song reached number seven in the United States later the same year.

Song profile

The song was written by Mitch Murray and Peter Callander.
Fame recorded the song after seeing the then controversial gangster film Bonnie and Clyde, now considered a classic, starring Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway. The song, in the style of the 1920s and 1930s, features the sounds of gun battles, car chases, and police sirens, including the climactic gun battle that takes place when both Bonnie and Clyde meet their end. The instrumentation of the song includes a piano, banjo, drums, trumpets, trombones, and a bass. The piano introduction was picked up from Fats Domino's "Blue Monday".
The song is geographically inaccurate in that in the first verse they meet in Savannah, Georgia. In reality, both were from East Texas and there is no evidence the couple ever ventured that far east.
Instrumental cover versions of the song were recorded by The Ventures and Andre Kostelanetz.

Chart performance

Weekly charts

Year-end charts