Ralph McTell - Bentley & Craig lyrics

In 1952 in Croydon There was bomb sites still around from the war November that year food was scarcely off the ration Two boys went out to rob a store. Craig he was just about sixteen years old Bentley he was nineteen But Craig had a shooter stuck in his pocket Mad him feel more like a man. Out on the roof of Barlow and Parker Somebody saw them there In a matter of minutes the police had arrived And when they saw them you can bet those boys were scared. Craig he shouted that he had a gun And he thought about the movies that he'd seen Back at Fell Road they signed the rifles out And arrived very quick back on the scene. Some of the police got onto the rooftop Bentley knew that he could not escape So he gave himself up and they put him under arrest And he begged his young friend Chris won't you do the same. Give me the gun the sergeant cried Let him have it Chris poor Bentley said But a shot rang out well it tore the night in half Well the poor policeman was lying there dead. Some people said it was a bullet from Craig's gun That laid that policeman away Some people said it was a police marksman's bullet Some people said it could be a ricochet. Both was found guilty of murder Craig he was too young not yet a man Though he was under arrest when the fatal shot was fired Derek Bentley was judged old enough to hang Bentley he was judged to be a man. Twenty three of January in Wandsworth prison When they took poor Bentley's life Some people shouted and some people prayed Some people just hung their heads and cried. Oh you men on our behalf who sanctioned that boy's d**h There's still one thing left to do You can pardon Derek Bentley who never took a life For Derek Bentley cannot pardon you Derek Bentley cannot pardon you.