List of songs about killers

This is a list of songs about murderers. The songs are divided into groups by the killer the song is about.

Adolfo Constanzo

*"El Padrino (Adolfo Constanzo)" - Church of Misery

Aileen Wournos

*"Filth Bitch Boogie (Aileen Wournos)" - Church of Misery
*"Sixth Of June" - It Dies Today

Albert DeSalvo

*"Boston Strangler (Albert DeSalvo)" - Church of Misery
*"Dedicated to Albert De Salvo" - Whitehouse
*"Midnight Rambler" - The Rolling Stones
*"The Boston Strangler" - Macabre

Albert Fish

*"Albert Was Worse Than Any Fish In The Sea" - Macabre
*"Document.Gracebudd" - The Number Twelve Looks Like You
*"Fishtales" - Macabre
*"Instruments of Hell" - Exhumed [ [http://exhumed.us/site/ioh.htm Untitled Document ] ]
*"Mr. Albert Fish (Was Children Your Favourite Dish?)" - Macabre
*"Needleshark" - Unusual Suspect
*"The Gray Man (Albert Fish)" - Church of Misery

Andrei Chikatilo

*"Citizen X (Erotophonophilia)" - Divine Pustulence
*"Red Ripper Blues (Andrei Chikatilo)" - Church of Misery

Armin Meiwes

*"Eaten" - Bloodbath
*"Mein Teil" - Rammstein
*"The Wüstenfeld Man Eater" - Macabre

=Bonnie Parker & Clyde Barrow=

*"Bonnie & Clyde" - Big Japan
*"'97 Bonnie and Clyde" - Eminem (covered by Tori Amos)
*"B&C" - Utada Hikaru
*"The Ballad of Bonnie and Clyde" - Georgie Fame and His Blue Flames
*"Bonnie and Clyde" - Belinda Carlisle
*"Bonnie and Clyde" - Martina Sorbara
*"Bonnie and Clyde" - Serge Gainsbourg and Brigitte Bardot
*"Bonnie Parker's 115th Dream" - Johnny Boy
*"Bonnie Und Clyde" - Die Toten Hosen
*"Demolition Lovers" - My Chemical Romance
*"Legend of Bonnie and Clyde" - Merle Haggard
*"Modern Day Bonnie and Clyde" - Travis Tritt
*"Who Stole The Marker from The Grave Of Bonnie Parker" by Gene Summers. Issued by Domino Records, 1968 (written by Deanna Summers)

Brenda Spencer

*"I Don't Like Mondays" - The Boomtown Rats
*"Terrorist" - The Feederz

Charles Manson

*"ATWA" - System of a Down
*"Bloodbath in Paradise" - Ozzy Osborne
*"Charles in Charge" - Ian Brady Bunch
*"Charlie Manson's Birthday" - Otis Ball
*"Charlie Manson Blues" - The Flaming Lips
*"Death Valley '69" - Sonic Youth
*"DI-1-9026" - J. G. Thirlwell
*"Do The Charles Manson" - Necro
*"Lunatic of God's Creation" - Deicide
*"Manson Clan" - Righteous Pigs
*"Manson Family Feud" - Diesel Queens
*"Mister Manson" - Klaatu
*"Revolution Blues" - Neil Young
*"Spahn Ranch (Charles Manson)" - Church of Misery
*"SST Superstar Charles Manson" - Ultraviolet Eye

Charles Starkweather

*"All I Want" - Kenny Brown
*"Hate So Real" - J Church
*"Nebraska" - Bruce Springsteen
*"Badlands (Charles Starkweather)" - Church of Misery

Charles Whitman

*"Chest Explodes" - Bottom Feeder
*"Road To Ruin (Charles Whitman)" - Church of Misery
*"Sniper" - Harry Chapin
*"Sniper in the Sky" - Macabre
*"The Ballad of Charles Whitman" - Kinky Friedman
*"The Tower" - Insane Clown Posse

Christopher Peterson

*"Shotgun Peterson" - Macabre

Daniel Rakowitz

*"Is It Soup Yet?" - Macabre

David Berkowitz

*"Ballad to the Son of Sam" - Consumers
*"Diddy Doo Wop (I Hear The Voices)" - Hall & Oates
*"I Hear Black" - Overkill
*"Jumping at Shadows" - Benediction
*"Mr. 44" - Electric Hellfire Club
*"S.O.S." - Camarosmith
*"Son of A Gun (David Berkowitz)" - Church of Misery
*"Son of Sam" - Dead Boys
*"Son of Sam" - Elliott Smith
*"Son of Sam" - Macabre
*"Son of Sam" - Neitherworld

David Brom

*"David Brom Took An Axe" - Macabre

Dean Corll

*"Candyman (Dean Corll)" - Church of Misery
*"Castrated and Sodomized" - Divine Pustulence

Dennis Nilsen

*"Killing for Company" - Swans [ [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqG9s1NUZsU According to Michael Gira, in this documentary] ]
*"You're Dying To Be With Me" - Macabre
*"Cranley Gardens" (Denis Nilsen) - Church of Misery

Dennis Rader

*"Bind Torture Kill" - Suffocation
*"Bind, Torture and Kill" - Suicide Commando

Dorothea Puente

*"Dorthea's Dead Folks Home" - Macabre

Ed Gein

*"Ballad of Ed Gein" - Swamp Zombies
*"Dead Skin Mask" - Slayer
*"Ed Gein" - Killdozer
*"Ed Gein" - Macabre
*"Edward Gein" - The Fibonaccis
*"Nipple Belt" - Tad
*"Nothing to Gein" - Mudvayne
*"Old Mean Ed Gein" - Fibonaccis
*"Plainfield" - Church of Misery
*"Sex Is Bad Eddie" - The Tenth Stage
*"Skinned" - Blind Melon
*"Young God" - Swans

Edmund Kemper

*"Edmond Kemper had a Horrible Temper" - Macabre
*"Killifornia (Edmund Kemper III)" - Church of Misery
*"Urge to Kill" - Throbbing Gristle

Elizabeth Báthory

*"Báthory Aria" - Cradle of Filth
*"Bathory Erzsebet" - Sunn O)))
*"Bathory's Sainthood" - Boy Sets Fire
*"Beneath The Howling Stars" - Cradle of Filth
*"Countess Bathory" - Venom
*"Cruelty Brought Thee Orchids" - Cradle of Filth
*"Desire in Violent Overture" - Cradle of Filth
*"Elisabeth Bathory" - Dissection
*"Elisabeth Bathory" - Tormentor
*"Elizabeth" - Kamelot
*"Love" - Unusual Suspect
*"Lustmord and Wargasm (The Lick of Carnivorous Winds) - Cradle of Filth
*"Once Upon Atrocity" - Cradle of Filth
*"Portrait of the Dead Countess" - Cradle of Filth
*"The Twisted Nails of Faith" - Cradle of Filth
*"Thirteen Autumns and a Widow" - Cradle of Filth
*"Venus in Fear" - Cradle of Filth
*"Woman of Dark Desires" - Bathory

Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold

*"A New Hope"- Five Iron Frenzy
*"Cassie" - Flyleaf
*"Columind" - Filter
*"Disposable Teens" - Marilyn Manson
*"Friend Of Mine" - Jonathan and Stephen Cohen
*"One by One" - The Calling
*"The Fight Song" - Marilyn Manson
*"The Kinslayer" - Nightwish
*"The Nobodies" - Marilyn Manson
*"This is Your Time" - Michael W. Smith
*"We Don't Want To Sing Along" - Chumbawamba

=Frankie Banker=

*"Frankie and Johnny" - Big Bill Broonzy
*"Frankie and Johnny" - Bob Dylan
*"Frankie and Johnny" - Charlie Poole
*"Frankie and Johnny" - Lead Belly
*"Frankie and Johnny" - Mississippi John Hurt
*"Frankie and Johnny" - Taj Mahal

Fritz Haarmann

*"Fritz Haarman der Metzger" - Macabre
*"Fritz Haarman the Butcher" - Macabre

Gary Gilmore

*"Bring On The Night" - The Police
*"Gary Gilmore's Eyes" - Die Toten Hosen
*"Gary Gilmore's Eyes" - The Adverts

Gary M. Heidnik

*"Morbid Minister" - Macabre

Gary Ridgway

*"Deep Red Bells" - Neko Case
*"Green River" - Church of Misery
*"Skeletons in the River" - Divine Pustulence
*"The Green River Murderer (He's Still Out There)" - Macabre

Graham Frederick Young

*"Poison" - Macabre
*"Taste the Pain (Graham Young)" - Church Of Misery

Harvey Murray Glatman

*"Harvey Glatman (Your Soul Will Forever Rot)" - Macabre

Henry Lee Lucas & Ottis Toole

*"Murder Company" - Church of Misery
*"Serial Killer" - Macabre

Herbert Mullin

*"Megalomania (Herbert Mullin)" - Church of Misery

Herman Mudgett

*"Dr. Holmes (He Stripped Their Bones)" - Macabre

Howard Unruh

*"Howard Unrah (What Have You Done Now?)" - Macabre
*"Retal" - Church of Misery

=Ian Brady & Myra Hindley=

*"Mother Earth" - Crass
*"Suffer Little Children" - The Smiths
*"Very Friendly" - Throbbing Gristle

Jack Gilbert Graham

*"There Was A Young Man Who Blew Up A Plane" - Macabre

Jack the Ripper

*"I'm the Woman Who Killed Jack the Ripper" - Scary Bitches
*"Jack" - Iced Earth
*"Jack Ripper" - Nationalteatern
*"Jack the Ripper" - AFI
*"Jack the Ripper" - Colin Meloy
*"Jack the Ripper" - Deja Voodoo
*"Jack the Ripper" - Fuzztones
*"Jack the Ripper" - Gruesomes
*"Jack the Ripper" - Judas Priest
*"Jack the Ripper" - Link Wray
*"Jack the Ripper" - Macabre
*"Jack the Ripper" - Morrissey
*"Jack the Ripper" - Motörhead
*"Jack the Ripper" - My Chemical Romance
*"Jack the Ripper" - Nick Cave
*"Jack the Ripper" - One Way Streets
*"Jack the Ripper" - Satelliters
*"Jack the Ripper" - Screaming Lord Sutch
*"Jack the Ripper" - Sons of Krypton
*"Jack the Ripper" - Sun City Girls
*"Jack the Ripper" - The Horrors
*"Maxwell Murder" - Rancid
*"The Ripper" - Headboys
*"The Ripper" - Judas Priest

James Edward Pough

*"James Pough, What the Hell Did You Do?" - Macabre

James Huberty

*"McMassacre" - Macabre
*"Shotgun Boogie (James Oliver Huberty)" - Church of Misery

Jeffrey Dahmer

*"213" - Slayer
*"Ambassador Hotel" - Macabre
*"Apartment 213" - HotrodboB
*"Apartment 213" - Macabre
*"Arc Arsenal" - At the Drive-In
*"Cold" - Unusual Suspect
*Dahmer, 2001 album by Macabre
*"Dahmer is Dead" - Violent Femmes
*"Dirty Frank" - Pearl Jam
*"Freeze Dried Man" - Macabre
*"Jeffrey Dahmer's CookBook" - Bloody Tea vs. Human Raise
*"Room 213 (Jeffrey Dahmer)" - Church of Misery
*"Sinthasomphone" - Venetian Snares
*"Still Born/Still Life" - Christian Death
*"The Ballad Of Jeffrey Dahmer" - Pinkard & Bowden
*"The Brain" - Macabre
*"Tom Dahmer Mixtape Freestyle" - Necro
*"What's That Smell?" - Macabre

Jerry Brudos

*"Fatal Foot Fetish" - Macabre

Jim Jones

*"Ballad of Jim Jones" - Brian Jonestown Massacre
*"Carnage in the Temple of the Damned" – Deicide
*"Guyana (Cult of the Damned)" - Manowar
*"Jimmie Jones" - The Vapors
*"Reverend" - Church of Misery
*"The Riverflow" - The Levellers

Joachim Kroll

*"Evil Ole Soul" - Macabre

John George Haigh

*"Acid Bath Vampire" - Macabre

John Wayne Gacy, Jr.

*"33 Something" - Bathory
*"Gacy's Lot" - Macabre
*"John Wayne Gacy, Jr." - Sufjan Stevens
*"Master of Brutality (John Wayne Gacy)" - Church of Misery
*"Pogo The Clown" - Dog Fashion Disco
*"Pogo The Clown" - Hubert Kah
*"Suffer Age" - Fear Factory
*"Three for Flinching (Revenge of the Porno Clowns)" - The Dillinger Escape Plan

=Kenneth Bianchi & Angelo Buono=

*"I am the Hillside Strangler" - Child Molesters
*"The Hillside Stranglers" - Macabre

Laurie Dann

*"Hey Laurie Dann" - Macabre

=Lee Sheldon=

*"Stack Shot Billy" - The Black Keys
*"Stack-A-Lee" - Rudy Ray Moore
*"Stagger Lee" - Bill Haley & His Comets
*"Stagger Lee" - Cliff Edwards
*"Stagger Lee" - Duke Ellington
*"Stagger Lee" - Lloyd Price
*"Stagger Lee" - Mississippi John Hurt
*"Stagger Lee" - Nick Cave
*"Stagger Lee" - Taj Mahal
*"Stagger Lee" - The Isley Brothers
*"Stagger Lee" - Grateful Dead
*"Stagger Lee" - Woody Guthrie
*"Wrong 'Em Boyo" - The Clash

Leonard Lake & Charles Ng

*"Snuff Fetish" - Ian Brady Bunch

Lizzie Borden

*"Lizzie Borden" - Chad Mitchell Trio
*"Oh, Mother Borden" - The Dubious Brothers
*"She Took An Axe" - Flotsam and Jetsam

Marc Lépine

*"Montreal" - The Tragically Hip
*"Montreal Massacre" - Macabre
*"This Memory" - Wyrd Sisters

Mark Essex

*"Soul Discharge (Mark Essex)" - Church of Misery

Mary Bell

*"Mary Bell" - Macabre
*"Mary Bell" - Monte Cazazza
*"Mary Bell" - Stina Nordenstam
*"Mary Bell Reprise" - Macabre

Michael Bethke

*"White Hen Decapitator" - Macabre

Patrick Mahon

*"Dead Eyes Opened" - Severed Heads

Patrick Sherrill

*"Killing Spree (Postal Killer)" - Macabre

Peter Kürten

*"Dedicated To Peter Kürten (entire concept album)" - Whitehouse
*"Vampire of Dusseldorf" - Macabre

Peter Stumpp

*"Werewolf of Beburg" - Macabre

Peter Sutcliffe

*"Leeds Ripper" - Throbbing Gristle
*"Leeds United" - Luke Haines
*"Night Shift" - Siouxsie and the Banshees
*"Ripping Into Pieces (Peter Sutcliffe)" - Church of Misery

Pretty Boy Floyd

*"Pretty Boy Floyd" (written by Jimmy Velvit) - The original Jimmy Velvit
*"Pretty Boy Floyd" (written by Woody Guthrie) - Woody Guthrie, The Byrds, Wall of Voodoo

Richard Chase

*"Blood Sucking Freaks (Richard Chase)" - Church of Misery

Richard Kuklinski

*"Kuklinski" - Fatal Riot
*"The Iceman" - Macabre

Richard Ramirez

*"Knightstalker" - Ian Brady Bunch
*"Murderous Unholy Rampage" - Divine Pustulence
*"Night Prowler" - AC/DC
*"Night Stalker" - Macabre
*"Richard Ramirez" - Hairy Patt Band

Richard Speck

*"Richard Speck" - Mojo Nixon
*"Richard Speck" - The Viletones
*"Richard Speck" - Wesley Willis
*"What The Heck Richard Speck (Eight Nurses Did You Wreck)" - Macabre
*"Born To Raise Hell" (Richard Speck) - Church of Misery

Robert Berdella

*"Diary of Torture" - Macabre

Ronald Gene Simmons

*"Holidays of Horror" - Macabre

Susan Atkins

*"Sadie" - Alkaline Trio

Shankill Butchers

*"Shankill Butchers" - The Decemberists

Ted Bundy

*"I, Motherfucker (Ted Bundy)" - Church of Misery
*"Meticulous Invagination" - Aborted
*"Stripped, Raped, and Strangled" - Cannibal Corpse
*"Ted, Just Admit It" - Jane's Addiction
*"The Drifter" - Green on Red
*"The Ted Bundy Song" - Macabre

Theodore Kaczynski

*"I Wanna Be a Unabomber" - Donnas
*"Killer Kaczynski" - Mando Diao
*"The Freedom Club" - Sleepytime Gorilla Museum
*"The Unabomber" - Macabre

Tom Dula

*"Tom Dooly" - Brothers Four
*"Tom Dooly" - Doc Watson
*"Tom Dooly" - Kingston Trio

Zodiac Killer

*"Answers In The Stars" - Unusual Suspect
*"Gemini" - Slayer
*"Sick of Living (Zodiac)" - Church of Misery
*"The Zodiac" - Silt Is...
*"Zodiac" - Macabre
*"Zodiac" - Melvins
*"Zodiac Killer" - Third Sight

ee also

*Serial Killer
*List of Serial Killers
*Murder ballad

References

Further reading

* Olive W. Burt, "American Murder Ballads and their Stories", Oxford University Press, New York, 1958
* Olive W. Burt, [http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0043-373X%28195904%2918%3A2%3C141%3AMBOM%3E2.0.CO%3B2-A "Murder Ballads of Mormondom"] , "Western Folklore", 18:2, April 1959, pp.141-156
*Olive W. Burt, [http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0043-373X%28195810%2917%3A4%3C263%3ATMOM%3E2.0.CO%3B2-B "The Minstrelsy of Murder"] , "Western Folklore", 17:4, October 1958, pp.263-272
*Daniel A. Cohen, [http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0022-4529%28199724%2931%3A2%3C277%3ATBFMVL%3E2.0.CO%3B2-8 "The Beautiful Female Murder Victim: Literary Genres and Courtship Practices in the Origins of a Cultural Motif, 1590-1850"] , "Journal of Social History", 31:2, Winter 1997, pp.277-306
* Chet Flippo, [http://www.cmt.com/news/articles/1484839/02052004/cash_johnny.jhtml "Nashville Skyline: The Subject Was Murder"] , CMT.com, February 5, 2004
* Will Robinson Sheff, [http://www.audiogalaxy.com/articles?&a=205 "The Dark Side of Folk: Songs about Murder"] , "Audiogalaxy"
* Michael E. Bush, "Murder Ballads in Appalachia", (thesis) Marshal University, Huntington, WV, 1977
* Kenneth D. Tunnel, "99 Years is Almost For Life: Punishment for Violent Crime in Bluegrass Music", "The Journal of Popular Culture, 26:3, Winter 1992, pp.165-181
* Ellen L. O'Brien, [http://www.journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=56255 "THE MOST BEAUTIFUL MURDER”: THE TRANSGRESSIVE AESTHETICS OF MURDER IN VICTORIAN STREET BALLADS"] , "Victorian Literature and Culture, 28, 2000, pp.15-37

Further listening (recorded compilations)

* "Bloody Ballads: Classic British and American Murder Ballads", Sung by Paul Clayton, Ed. by Kenneth S. Goldstein, Riverside Records, New York, 1956 (includes cover notes)
* "Blood Booze 'n Bones", Sung by Ed McCurdy, banjo accompaniment by Erik Darling, Electra Records, 1956 (includes 12 page booklet)
* "Murder Ballads", by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Mute Records, 1996
* "Murder Metal", Macabre, 2003 (This band appears to have become known for a death metal variation of the murder ballad)