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Bentley and Craig Lyrics by June Tabor

Aleyn

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In 1952 in Croydon town
The streets still scarred from the war
November that year food was scarcely off the ration
Two boys went out to rob a store
Two young boys went out to rob a store
Christopher Craig he was just sixteen
Derek Bentley he was nineteen
Craig had a Colt .45 in his pocket
Made him feel more like a man
Up on the roof of Barlow and Parker
Somebody saw them there
In a matter of minutes the police had arrived
When they heard the bell you bet them boys were scared
Craig he shouted, "I've got a gun!"
And he thought about the movies that he'd seen
And at Fell Road station the rifles out were signed
And police were soon back at the scene
Some of the police had got up onto the roof
Derek Bentley knew he never could escape
So he gave himself up and was put under arrest
And he begged his young friend Chris to do the same
So people say
"Give me the gun," the sergeant said
"Let him have it, Chris," poor Bentley cried
And a shot rang out, tore the night in two
On that dirty roof a brave policeman died
Guilty of this murder both these boys were found
Craig 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
Derek, he was judged to be a man
Wandsworth jail, January twenty third
They took that poor boy's life
Some people shouted, some people prayed
Some people hung their heads and cried
And the mother, she just hung her head and cried
All of you who sanctioned that boy's death
There's one thing left you could do
You could pardon Derek Bentley who never took a life
For Derek Bentley, he can never pardon you
Derek Bentley, he can never pardon you
Credits
June Tabor

June Tabor

About “Bentley and Craig” by June Tabor

Read the complete lyrics to "Bentley and Craig" by June Tabor from the album "Aleyn". On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under Pop.

"Bentley and Craig" is performed by June Tabor. from the album "Aleyn" This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "Bentley and Craig", explore more songs by June Tabor using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

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Frequently asked questions

"Bentley and Craig" is credited to June Tabor. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"Bentley and Craig" appears on "Aleyn".

Visit the June Tabor artist page at /artist/june-tabor for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.