Country singer Steve Earle contributes song to benefit formerly incarcerated leaders in Tennessee

Country singer Steve Earle’s rendition of “I Fought the Law” is available now on music streaming platforms. This track kicks off the Better Than Jail album, uniting top artists to advocate for criminal justice reform. Every listen supports Equal Justice USA and Free Hearts — which includes Dawn Harrington (Leading with Conviction™ 2017) and Keeda Haynes (LwC 2022).

Listen to the song:

“Sonny Curtis wasn’t ‘breaking rocks in the hot sun’ when he was inspired to write the rock and roll classic ‘I Fought the Law.’

“In fact the 77-year-old songwriter hadn’t had any sort of run-in with the authorities. He was simply daydreaming on a ‘sandstormy’ afternoon in Texas and cooked up the tune in less than half an hour.

“The song was first cut in 1960 by his band, The Crickets — on the first album they released after the death of their frontman, Buddy Holly. It became a hit for the Bobby Fuller Four several years later, and then an anthem for countless rock rebels, from The Clash to Hank Williams Jr. to Green Day.”

Read more about the history of the song at Tennessean.com.