Names of Prisons

[chonkle]

I am looking for a list of songs that have the name of a famous, or well known, prison either in the title or somewhere in the lyrics. So far I have Fulsum & Sing Sing. Any more for anymore?

[Parsfan]

San Quentin.

[rachel79]

Birmingham jail?

[Booldawg]

Squeeze - Cool For Cats mentions Wandsworth Prison in the lyrics.

[Booldawg]

The Jam - Down In The Tube Station at Midnight - mentions Wormwood Scrubs in the lyircs.

[starmack]

The Smiths had an album of songs titled - was it - "Strangeways Here We Come." (Manchester)

Then there's the 1980s band Spandau Ballet! (Germany)

[starmack]

You probably know this but there are thousands of Irish ballads and songs which mention (English) jails in the lyrics but seldom in the title.

[starmack]

There are two further songs by Johnny Cash in my collection, both from his "Murder" album.

These are "Austin Prison" and "Orleans Parish Prison."

Top of any list of songs abut prison, for me, would be the beautiiful English lyric by Richard Lovelace titled "To Althea From Prison." (Stone walls do not a prison make, nor iron bars a cage etc). My favourite version of that lyric is by Fairport Convention. It featured on their highly recommended 1973 album "Nine" and may feature elsewhere. Sublime.

[starmack]

The Dubliners are a famed Irish group who've been around for about fifty years and appeared on Top of the Pops in 1967 with their hit "Seven Drunken Nights."

Their best known prison song is "Jail of Cluain Meala."

[starmack]

Peter Gabriel (formerly of Genesis) does a very moving 1980 song titled "Biko" about the murder of the South African leader Stephen Biko in a police cell/prison in 1977.

[paddywak]

Mike Harding===Strangeways Hotel
Kingston Trio===Allantown Jail

[hartley]

Sound of the Suburbs by The Members mentions Broadmoor in the second verse (although that might be a secure hospital rather than a prison...)

[starmack]

Holloway Jail -
The Kinks

California Prison Blues -
Loudon Wainright the 3rd (father of Martha Wainright
and Rufus Wainright).

[OBonio]

I have a lyric stuck in my head which goes 'down in Pentonville prison'. No idea who or what it is though the singer could be cockney... it's on the tip of my tongue...

[OBonio]

Shame by S*M*A*S*H!

I got a job through nepotism
You got two years in Pentonville prison

http://vu.morrissey-solo.com/smash/index.htm

I am so glad I remembered who this was! Would have floated round my head all day otherwise.

[defenstrate]

Pentonville by babyshambles

also the fugees/ wyclef mentions guantanamo bay , alas i cant remember what track

[joby]

Folsom Prison Blues- Johnny Cash?

[Shadow Man]

"Alcatraz" by Nazareth.

"Going back to Alcatraz, la la la la la al al ala la al al a!

[chonkle]

Thanks all, a great help. I run a pub quiz and always have a link section, but I've never done one playing music.

[Whoa Nelly]

You could also have anything by Slade, the prison that was 'home' to Norman Stanley Fletcher in Porridge for 5 years.

[starmack]

Hi -- Came across another 'prison' song on iTunes.

Spike Milligan, comedian, did a song way back called "Wormwood Scrubs Tango." Make what you will of it!