Don't Charge Me For The Crime
by Jonas Brothers (featuring Common)

Album: Lines, Vines and Trying Times (2009)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • The brothers explained to the Australian radio program The Hot Hits that this song, "is a story about getting roped into situations beyond your control. A friend calls you needing a ride and unbeknownst to you, he's just robbed a bank. Being the good friend that you are, you pick him up and involve yourself beyond your control. This all leads up to you wanting to do the right thing, but even more so, wanting to help those around you into doing the right thing."
  • Asked during a 2016 Reddit AMA what his least favorite Jonas Bros song is, Joe Jonas cited this one. He explained:

    "We wrote a song once called Don't Charge Me For The Crime, which was like the weirdest story song we ever came up with about being the getaway driver for a bank robbery. Maybe it was a little ahead of it's time, being 16 year-old Disney kids, it's probably not the best song to be singing.

    And we got the opportunity to work with Common and he was totally into it. So, Common actually raps on the song. I don't know how we got away with this being on an album, especially working with Disney for so many years, but it's out there.

    I'd say it's probably my favorite and least favorite song, in the same right, because it's kind of fun to listen to now, but I'm like, how the hell did we get away with this?"

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Janis Ian: Married in London, but not in New York

Janis Ian: Married in London, but not in New YorkSong Writing

Can you be married in one country but not another? Only if you're part of a gay couple. One of the first famous singers to come out as a lesbian, Janis wrote a song about it.

What Musicians Are Related to Other Musicians?

What Musicians Are Related to Other Musicians?Song Writing

A big list of musical marriages and family relations ranging from the simple to the truly dysfunctional.

Album Cover Inspirations

Album Cover InspirationsSong Writing

Some album art was at least "inspired" by others. A look at some very similar covers.

Real or Spinal Tap

Real or Spinal TapMusic Quiz

They sang about pink torpedoes and rocking you tonight tonight, but some real lyrics are just as ridiculous. See if you can tell which lyrics are real and which are Spinal Tap in this lyrics quiz.

Supertramp founder Roger Hodgson

Supertramp founder Roger HodgsonSongwriter Interviews

Roger tells the stories behind some of his biggest hits, including "Give a Little Bit," "Take the Long Way Home" and "The Logical Song."

Kevin Godley

Kevin GodleySongwriter Interviews

Kevin Godley talks about directing classic videos for The Police, U2 and Duran Duran, and discusses song and videos he made with 10cc and Godley & Creme.