4 Underrated Songs That Were Inspired by True Crime

True crime has become a point of interest in popular culture over the last few decades. That interest goes beyond podcasts and television. In fact, quite a few musicians through the years have penned some seriously underrated songs about real-life true crime. Let’s look at just a few spooky examples.

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1. “Tom Dula” by Neil Young

Neil Young isn’t one to pen tunes about true crime often. However, that’s precisely what he did in “Tom Dula” from the 2012 album Americana. 

This song is about a pretty old crime that took place in the 19th century, in which one Tom Dooley was convicted and sentenced to death for the murder of a woman named Laura Foster. Dooley’s story has been a popular one among history buffs, as many believe that he didn’t commit the crime he was executed for.

2. “Georgia Lee” by Tom Waits

Gritty-voiced crooner Tom Waits penned “Georgia Lee” for his legendary 1999 record Mule Variations. The song is based on a tragic real-life crime that occurred in Petaluma, California, in 1997. 

The body of a young girl named Georgia Lee Moses was discovered near a freeway after being missing for over a week. Georgia had not been reported missing, leading her death to be labeled “suspicious” by police. Sadly, her case was never solved. The line “Why wasn’t God there for Georgia Lee?” is devastating in this context.

3. “Hurricane” by Bob Dylan

Nothing Bob Dylan has written is really “underrated.” Still, we think “Hurricane” deserves a spot on our list of songs based on true crime for its historical context. 

This 1975 folk rock tune was written about the boxer Rubin “Hurricane” Carter, who endured a flawed trial following a triple homicide in New Jersey in 1966. Carter was imprisoned for 20 years before it was determined that he had been racially profiled and falsely accused, and he was subsequently released. Dylan wrote this song before Carter was released, and it’s a bit of a controversial song, considering Dylan’s use of a racial slur to describe Carter’s mistreatment.

4. “I Don’t Like Mondays” by Boomtown Rats

From the title alone, this doesn’t seem like an entry on a list of underrated true crime songs. Who likes Mondays, anyway? However, this 1979 Irish new wave song from Boomtown Rats is actually about a terrible tragedy that occurred in San Diego, California that very year. 

A teenager named Brenda Ann Spencer opened fire on a group of children and two adult employees at Grover Elementary School in 1979. Eight children were wounded, and the school’s principal and janitor were tragically killed. When asked by a reporter why she committed the heinous act, she simply replied “I don’t like Mondays.”

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