A popular song from 1951.
Words and music by Willard Robison and Jack Pepper.
The sheet music:
Accompaniment by James Pitt-Payne:
Lyrics
- I live right down that block a piece
Upon the second tier
Although it seems eternity
It’s only been a year
The warden put his trust in me
And I will do no wrong
I’ll soon be gettin’ out of here
That’s why I sing this song
Chorus
Crime will never, never pay, folks
Crime will never pay
For it’s been proven time again
That crime will never pay
- The racketeers are rough and raw
There’s some in your home town
They operate within the law
It’s tough to pin them down
The F. B. I. is standin’ by
With good folks in the land
To take their loot and prosecute
And make them understand - The politicians do their best
We know at least they try
For when they’re put down to a test
There’s ointment ’round the fly
Don’t underrate the folks back home
They read the papers, too
For when they vote they vote alone
That’s why I’m tellin’ you - Take Dillinger and Pretty-Boy Floyd
And Baby-Face Nelson, too
They thought they had things their own way
You ask what did they do?
They robbed and killed and tortured folks
Had pity on none at all
I’ll preach this gospel every day
When I get out this fall - Take Stalin and old Molotov, too
They’re plotting to rule this world
But we’ll be waiting on this end
Old Glory still unfurled
The pinks, the reds, the communist heads
Are sure not men, they’re mice
So let me shout out loud to them
And give them this advice - Take that heartless criminal
The rat that sells the dope
Hanging is too good for him
Why waste so darned much rope
And take neglectful parents
Those who let their kids run wild
If they would be more careful
They would have a better child