[sebascrub]

I'm looking for rock/metal/punk songs with a detective motif for one of my classes in popular culture. So far I have Iron Maiden - Murders in the Rue Morgue, as well as a couple of Alan Parson Project songs. Ideally, the songs would be based on some archetype of the detective genre, like Poe's Dupin, Sherlock Holmes, the hardboiled detective, etc.

So, what should I check out?

 

[SiBurning]

I saw a band called Detective that opened for Kiss at Madison Square Garden in December 1978. (This was before I set my brain cells on fire so it might be close.)
http://home.att.net/~rarebird9/detective.html

 

[Febs]

Elvis Costello - Watching the Detectives

 

[EyeAmEye]

Faith No More "Evidence" (not exactly a detective song, but if you play it low enough, nobody will know)

 

[duppy]

"Framed" by Ritchie Valens.
"Detective" by No Doubt.
"(She Was a) Hotel Detective" by They Might Be Giants.
"The Pink Panther Theme" by Henry Mancini.

Many more here: http://www.thrillingdetective.com/trivia/triv247.html

 

[robm321]

Dire Straights - Private Investigations - good song BTW

 

[gratefulshrink]

"I shot the sheriff" - Clapton or Marley

 

[Macwizard]

The Streets - A Grand Don't Come For Free - Empty Cans

More of a lost/found song. Finds his money in the back of the tv.

 

[sebascrub]

Thanks for all the replies...keep 'em coming!

 

[xlEnt]

heres a song.. i guess it isn't nearly as depth as these albums, but a quick fix =T
Nas - Who Killed It?

 

[Uncle Erik]

Does it have to be a rock song?

"Folsom Prison Blues" jumped immediately to mind. Everyone loves Johnny Cash, right?

 

[kramer5150]

Any of the progressive concept albums.... Queensryche operation mindchrime, Dreamtheater - Scenes from a mamory are two that come to mind. They are more prog-rock though, and hence not everyone's cup of tea.

 

[Riordan]

need something a little different?
how about a cyberpunk/psychotic serial killer story (something akin to william gibson's novel 'neuromancer' or kathryn bigelow's sci-fi movie 'strange days'):

david bowie's concept album '1. outside' has a story arc and interrelated songs from the various characters' viewpoints (victims, witnesses, killer). the song i'd recommend is 'i'm deranged' but you can use the whole album

 

[Febs]

Hall & Oates - Private Eyes

[size=xx-small](though it is probably a stretch to call that rock)[/size]

 

[Jahn]

They Might Be Giants! Watch out for those Hotel Detectives! Oh and Duppy already mentioned em, oops.