I Fought The Law | Chords + Lyrics
Intro
||: drums :|| x4
||: D5 | G5 A5 | D5 | D5 G5 D/F# D5 :||
Verse 1
| D5 | G5 D5 | D5 | A5 D5 |
Breakin’ rocks in the hot sun, I fought the law and the law won.
| D5 | A5 D5 |
I fought the law and the law won.
| D5 | G5 D5 | D5 | A5 D5 |
I needed money ’cause I had none, I fought the law and the law won.
| D5 | A5 D5 |
I fought the law and the law won.
Bridge 1
| G | G | D | D |
I left my baby and it feels so bad, guess my race is run.
| G | G | D5 | A5 D5 |
She’s the best girl that I ever had, I fought the law and the law won.
| D5 | D5 G5 D/F# D |
I fought the law and the.
Instrumental
||: G | G | D | D :|| x3
| G | G | D5 | G5 A5 | D5 | D5 G5 D/F# D5 |
Verse 2
Robbin’ people with a six-gun, I fought the law and the law won.
I fought the law and the law won.
I lost my girl and I lost my fun, I fought the law and the law won.
I fought the law and the law won.
Bridge 2
I left my baby and it feels so bad, guess my race is run.
She’s the best girl that I ever had, I fought the law and the law won.
I fought the law and the.
Instrumental 2
||: D5 | G5 A5 | D5 | D5 G5 D/F# D5 :||
Outro
||: N.C | N.C :|| x4 drums
||: I fought the law and the law won :||
||: (D) | (G A) :|| x3 bass
||: I fought the law and the law won :||
| (D) | D5 G5 D/F# D5 | D5 |
I fought the law and the.
I Fought The Law Chords: Unlock the Power of Simplicity
The chords in I Fought The Law consist of just the I, IV, and V in the key of D, played as power chords (5 chords). This simplicity enhances the punk vibe and gives the song a raw, powerful sound.
The intro begins with just drums before the main chord riff comes in, moving like this:
||: D5 (I) | G5 (IV) A5 (V) |
| D5 (I) | D5 (I) G5 (IV) D/F# (I/3) D5 (I) :||
The verse is a perfect example of call-and-response, extending beyond the blues as we pose one call and get the response twice over these chords:
| D5 (I) | G5 (IV) D5 (I) |
||: D5 (I) | A5 (V) D5 (I) :||
The next section I would best describe as a bridge, rather than a chorus, possibly because it starts on chord IV:
| G (IV) | G | D (I) | D |
| G (IV) | G | D5 (I) | A5 (V) D5 (I) |
| D5 (I) | D5 (I) G5 (IV) D/F# I/3) D (I) |
The genius part here is that, after starting on chord IV and signalling a new section, we repeat the hook (“I fought the law and the…”) but get a descending chord variation which we heard in the intro.
Repeating and varying the hook and riff in this way creates a sense of familiarity with a twist—essentially, the hallmark of great songwriting.
Most importantly, nothing new happens in this song!
Instrumental 1 is just a bridge, instrumental 2 is the intro, and the outro is a breakdown section—pure genius!
Here’s a chord chart, which you’ll need to remember the structure.
I Fought The Law Chord Chart | PDF + iReal Pro
You can download my chord chart as a static PDF or in iReal Pro format, which allows you to change the key—though I’m not sure how well that suggestion will go down with your punk band members!
I Fought The Law was a cover
Originally written and released by The Crickets in 1960, I Fought The Law became a hit in 1965 when covered by The Bobby Fuller Four.
Roy Orbison’s 1972 version didn’t chart as highly, but it added nicely to his massive catalogue.
The most famous version of I Fought The Law is The Clash‘s 1979 cover. This is the version most people refer to when the song is mentioned, and if you’re ever asked to play it live, this is likely the version expected.
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