Cops and Robbers (Blues In Rhythm / 1964)

As I was drivin' home along the boulevard late one night

I saw a guy in the corner, bummin' all alone

As I passed him by, I heard him holler out, "Hey!"

I slowed downs to see what he says, he said um

"By any chance, are you goin' my way?"

I said, "Sure baby, hop on in and give me a cigarette"

Then he reached down in his pocket

And that was the moment I regret

Well now boy, reach for the sky

Y'all said, but I don't understand, sir

Don't you try no monkey business, I got a stopper in my hand

And then he said, "You see this rock on my hand?

This is a .38 pistol built on a .45 frame

It shoots tombstone bullets and a ball and chain"

He said, "I ain't tryin' to shake you up, but I-I just want you to know

If the cops start crowdin' me in, you gon' be the first to go

So you just drive on like there ain't nothin' happenin'"

That's what he told me, he wouldn't even let me look back on nothin'

And he said, "When you get to that red light

I want y'all to jump back to your left and then switch back to your right"

He said, "Um, I want you to park in the alley

Ah ah, not that, that one over there

And put it behind the liquor store

And keep a sharp lookout at all times

When I sneak in that back door"

That's what he told me

He said, "keep your foot on the gas and always be on guard

'Cause when I come runnin' out the liquor store with all that money"

He wanted me to mash on it real hard

He said, "Now don't you come outta there and try me a double-cross

Because it's murder when the heat's on"

"Well now boy, reach for the sky"

"Yeah," but I said, "I don't understand, sir"

"Don't you try no monkey business, I got a stopper in my hand"

Ooh wee, well I was sittin' there just tremblin'

A spotlight hit me dead in the face

The cops pulled up behind and said

"Move up a bit man, we wanna take your place"

And then the guy come runnin' out of the store with the money in his hand

He said, "Oh there you are"

He made a mistake in the dark and ran and leaped in the police car

As they put the handcuffs on him

I said, "Child, your crime must have outgrew him"

And they said, "Yeah, we gonna put him so far back in jail this time

That they gonna have to pump air into him"

"Well now boy, reach for the sky"

"Yeah," but I said, "I don't understand sir"

Don't you try no monkey business, I got a stopper in my hand

(Oh yeah)