Born in Baytown, Texas, Robert Gaston Fuller spent most of his youth in El Paso, Texas, where he idolized Buddy Holly, a fellow West Texan. He played in clubs, bars, and recorded on independent record labels in Texas, with a constantly-changing line-up, during the early 1960s. The only constant band members were Bobby himself (on vocals and guitar), and his younger brother, Randy, on bass. Most of these independent releases (except two songs that were recorded at the studio of Norman Petty in Clovis, New Mexico), and an excursion to Yucca Records also in New Mexico, were recorded in the Fullers' own home-cum-studio, with Bobby acting as the producer. He even built a primitive echo chamber in the backyard. The quality of the recordings, using a couple of microphones and a mixing board purchased from a local radio station, was so impressive that he even offered the use of his 'studio' to local acts for free so he could hone his production skills.
Bobby moved to Los Angeles in 1964 with his band The Bobby Fuller Four and was signed to Mustang Records by producer Bob Keane, noted for discovering Ritchie Valens and producing many surf music groups.
At a time when the British invasion and folk rock were culturally dominant, Fuller stuck to Buddy Holly's style of classic rock and roll with Tex Mex flourishes. His recordings reveal the influence of Eddie Cochran, the Beatles, Elvis Presley, Little Richard and the Everly Brothers in cover recordings and original compositions, as well as instrumental surf guitar. Less well known was Fuller's ability to emulate the reverb-laden surf guitar sounds of Dick Dale and the Ventures. His first Top 40 hit was "Let Her Dance" written by Bobby Fuller. His second hit "I Fought the Law" hit #4 on Billboard and was written by Sonny Curtis, a former member of Holly's group The Crickets, and recorded by the line-up of the Fuller brothers, James Reese on guitar and Dalton Powell on drums. His third Top 40 hit was the Buddy Holly cover song "Love's Made a Fool of You".
Just after "I Fought The Law" became a top ten hit, Bobby Fuller was found dead in a parked automobile near his Los Angeles home. The police considered the death an apparent suicide, however many people still believe Fuller was murdered. He was found with multiple wounds all over his body and covered in gasoline leading many to speculate that the perpetrators fled before they could set the car on fire. He is buried in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills) in Los Angeles. Dead at age 23, Fuller barely outlived his idol, Holly, who died at 22.
Drummer Dwayne Quirico said the death remains a mystery and that the police have lost all the files on record about the death. Fuller's mother told Quirico she had visited Bobby at his home 30 minutes before police told her about her son. The police told her he had been dead for two hours in a car parked nearby. Dwayne Quirico is still confident it wasn't a suicide.
The 2002 novel The Dead Circus, by John Kaye, includes the murder of Bobby Fuller as a major plot point. At the end of the book, the main character decides that Fuller had been killed by mafia henchmen trying to please Frank Sinatra.
The Rock*A*Teens refer to Fuller's alleged murder in the song "Who Killed Bobby Fuller?", on their 1995 self-titled debut. A different song with the same name was previously recorded by Irish rock band Black 47 in 1994.
After his brother's death, Randy Fuller took over lead vocal duties and named the band after himself. As this did not work out at all, the band broke up only within months of Bobby's death. Randy Fuller recorded a couple of solo singles and in spring 1969 joined Dewey Martin's New Buffalo (Springfield), which evolved into Blue Mountain Eagle in July 1969. He appeared on the band's lone LP for Atco Records in early 1970 before briefly joining Dewey Martin and Medicine Ball.
The Clash (London Calling, Should I Stay or Should I Go?, Train in Vain) recorded the song "I Fought the Law." The guitarists Joe Strummer (John/Woody Mellor) and Mick Jones found the song and started listening to it while recording in San Francisco, California in 1978.
I fought the law
Bobby Fuller Lyrics
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I fought the law and the law won
I fought the law and the law won
I needed money 'cause I had none (ahh)
I fought the law and the law won
I fought the law and the law won
I guess my race is run (ahh)
But she's the best girl I've ever had (ahh)
I fought the law and the law won (ahh)
I fought the law and the law won (ahh)
Robbin' people with a six-gun
I fought the law and the law won
I fought the law and the law won
I miss my baby and the good fun (ooh)
I fought the law and the law won
I fought the law and the law won
I left my baby and I feel so bad (ahh)
I guess my race is run (ahh)
But she's the best girl I've ever had (ahh)
I fought the law and the law won (ahh)
I fought the law and the law won (ahh)
The lyrics of Bobby Fuller Four's song "I Fought the Law" tell the story of a man who has been arrested and incarcerated for breaking the law. The first verse describes him breaking rocks in the hot sun, which implies that he is in jail as part of hard labor. The next two verses indicate that he committed a crime, presumably robbery, because he needed money. However, he is caught by the police, and in the end, he is defeated by the law, leaving him remorseful for leaving his baby behind.
The chorus, "I fought the law and the law won," is repeated after every verse, emphasizing the futility of his actions and the ultimate authority of the law. The song reflects a sense of rebellion and defiance against the establishment, but ultimately it portrays the powerlessness of the individual against the law. The singer is left with regret and the realization that he has lost everything important in his life.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm breakin' rocks in the hot sun
I'm doing hard labor in the scorching heat
I fought the law and the law won
I committed a crime and was caught and punished by the legal system
I needed money 'cause I had none (ahh)
I was desperate for money because I didn't have any
I left my baby and I feel so bad (ahh)
I regret leaving my partner
I guess my race is run (ahh)
I feel defeated and resigned to my fate
But she's the best girl I've ever had (ahh)
My partner is the best I've had
Robbin' people with a six-gun
I was committing armed robbery
I miss my baby and the good fun (ooh)
I miss my partner and the good times we had
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Sonny Curtis
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind