Peak
1
Weeks
17
Score
3,170
Chart Year
1974
///
"The Night Chicago Died" is a song by the British group Paper Lace, written by Peter Callander and Mitch Murray. The song reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for one week in 1974, reached number 3 in the UK charts, and number 2 in Canada. It is about a fictional shoot-out between the Chicago Police and members of the Al Capone Syndicate. The narrator retells his mother's anguish while awaiting news of the fate of her husband, a Chicago policeman. This song begins with an electronic synthesizer sound impersonating a police siren. The first four lines in the Intro are spoken by the group. It also features the sound of a ticking clock, heard in the third verse.
Daddy was a cop On the East side of Chicago Back in the USA Back in the bad old days In the heat of a summer night In the land of the dollar bill When the town of Chicago died And they talk about it still When a man named Al Capone Tried to make that town his own And he called his gang to war With the forces of the law I heard my momma cry I heard her pray the night Chicago died I heard my momma cry I heard her pray the night Chicago died Brother, what a night the people saw Brother, what a fight the people saw Yes, indeed And the sound of the battle rang Through the streets of the old East Side Till the last of the hoodlum gang Had surrendered up or died There was shouting in the street And the sound of running feet And I asked someone who said 'Bout a hundred cops are dead I heard my momma cry I heard her pray the night Chicago died Brother, what a night it really was Brother, what a fight it really was Glory be I heard my momma cry I heard her pray the night Chicago died Brother, what a night the people saw Brother, what a fight the people saw Yes, indeed Then there was no sound at all But the clock up on the wall Then the door burst open wide And my daddy stepped inside And he kissed my momma's face And he brushed her tears away The night Chicago died Nana naaa nana naaaa nana naaaa na naaaa The night Chicago died Brother, what a night it really was Brother, what a fight it really was Glory be The night Chicago died Nana naaa nana naaaa nana naaaa na naaaa The night Chicago died Brother, what a night the people saw Brother, what a fight the people saw Yes, indeed
| Week | Chart Date | Position | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jun 15, 1974 | 98 | 28 |
| 2 | Jun 22, 1974 | 87 | 39 |
| 3 | Jun 29, 1974 | 74 | 52 |
| 4 | Jul 6, 1974 | 59 | 67 |
| 5 | Jul 13, 1974 | 40 | 86 |
| 6 | Jul 20, 1974 | 32 | 94 |
| 7 | Jul 27, 1974 | 14 | 112 |
| 8 | Aug 3, 1974 | 5 | 121 |
| 9 | Aug 10, 1974 | 2 | 124 |
| 10 | Aug 17, 1974 | 1 | 125 |
| 11 | Aug 24, 1974 | 2 | 124 |
| 12 | Aug 31, 1974 | 4 | 122 |
| 13 | Sep 7, 1974 | 8 | 118 |
| 14 | Sep 14, 1974 | 14 | 112 |
| 15 | Sep 21, 1974 | 31 | 95 |
| 16 | Sep 28, 1974 | 41 | 85 |
| 17 | Oct 5, 1974 | 58 | 68 |