Does Girlfriend in a Coma count?

Does he kill her?

anything by 16 Horsepower should suffice.

Delilah by Tom Jones is a great one.

Nick Cave/Kylie Minogue (or Cave alone) - Where The Wild Roses Grow

Nick Cave did a whole magnificent album of them.

Girlfriend in a coma, I know
I know - its serious
Girlfriend in a coma, I know
I know - its really serious

There were times when I could
Have murdered her
(but you know, I would hate
Anything to happen to her)

No, I dont want to see her

Do you really think
Shell pull through ?
Do you really think
Shell pull through ?
Do ...

Girlfriend in a coma, I know
I know - its serious
My, my, my, my, my, my baby, goodbye

There were times when I could
Have strangled her
(but you know, I would hate
Anything to happen to her)
Would you please
Let me see her !

Do you really think
Shell pull through ?
Do you really think
Shell pull through ?
Do ...
Let me whisper my last goodbyes

I know - its serious
*********

Also, I like to sing this as "Girlfriend in Tacoma"

A Bullet for Ramona --

Oh, today I shot Ramona, Ma
She ain't gonna cheat on me
Two years, I've been searchin' for her
Two years, she's been free
Well, I found her in a dance hall in Laredo
And she told me that she wanted only me
And I held her in my arms the way I used to
But when morning came she begged me to set her free
Oh, today I shot Ramona, Ma
She ain't gonna cheat on me
Two years, I've been searchin' for her
Two years, she's been free
Well. I tried and tried to ride away and leave her
With my head hung low, teardrops filled my eye
I rode back to town and found her with a drifter
And I knew right then Ramona had to die
Oh, today I shot Ramona, Ma
She ain't gonna cheat on me
Two years, I've been searchin' for her
Two years, she's been free
Well, I'm writing you this letter from Laredo
And tonight I'll ride across the Rio Grande
If I never live to see another sunrise
You know, I loved her
Ma, I hope you understand
Oh, today I shot Ramona, Ma
She ain't gonna cheat on me
Two years, I've been searchin' for her
Two years, she's been free
Oh, today I shot Ramona, Ma
She ain't gonna cheat on me
Two years, I've been searchin' for her
Two years, she's been free

-Warren Zevon

Signal, are you specifically excluding country murder ballads?

(Given your recent Dixie Chick kick, I'd like to suggest "Goodbye Earl.")

And Lyle Lovett's "LA County." He's mainstream enough to be pop, right?

Omie Wise - Doc Watson... ;)
Murder in the Red Barn - Tom Waits
Maxwell's Silver Hammer - Da Beatles
Hey Joe - Jimi Hendrix
I Shot the Sheriff - Bob Marley or Eric Clapton
Killing An Arab - The Cure

Also, Tom Waits: 'Dead and Lovely' from Real Gone.

And Lyle Lovett's "LA County." He's mainstream enough to be pop, right?

I LOVE LA County. . .from there and it resonates. . .driving into LA from the east, through san berdoo,

And the lights of L.A. County
They looked like diamonds in the sky
As I drove into the valley
With my old friend at my side

The Toadies - Possum Kingdom

"Mrs. Otis Regrets" - numerous people have done this song, but I like Bryan Ferry's version from As Time Goes By, his album of old standards.

The Police - Murder by Numbers (or maybe it's just Sting...can't remember)

mudpuppie: yeah, that's where I got the idea from, actually. I'm excluding Country and Irish and Rap murder ballads 'cos there's so damn many of them.

Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds again - Papa Won't Leave You, Henry
Sugar - A Good Idea
The Cramps - TV Set

and would the Hanson Brothers' 'My Girlfriend's a Robot' count?

I just found out that my girlfriend's a robot
She said that she didn't want me to know but
We went for a swim one moonlig night
And she came out rusty where she went in white

I took her apart 'cause she broke my heart
I took her apart yeah (x2)

I picked my baby up and I laid her on a lathe
I wanted to see how her body was made
I doctored my baby with a wrench and pliers
And littered the kitchen wit her screws and wires

etc.

Posting while nic-fitting leads to poor proofreading. My apologies.

Not a sweetheart murder, but Violent Femmes' "Country Death Song".

Gillian Welch, Caleb Meyer. Alt country folk?

"The Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia" by Vicki Lawrence (although Vic Chesnutt does a supremely creepy version)

"Then Came The Last Days Of May" by Blue Oyster Cult

Blues, but still worth mentioning:

Frankie & Albert
(Taj Mahal version)

Frankie an' Albert was sweethearts
Lordy how they could love.
Vowed to love one another
Baby 'neath the stars above
It was her man..... an' he was doin' her wrong.

Frankie went down to da' bar room,
Get herself a bucket a beer.
Say hey to da' lone bartender
Say hey has my lovely man been here?
It was my man.......an' he was doin' me wrong.

Bartender say "Miss Frankie, huh,
honey I can't tell ya' no lie.
He lef' here 'bout an' hour ago,
With that hussy named Nelly Blye".
It was yo' man......an he was doin' you wrong.

Frankie she cried, she cried, she cried,
Lordy what have I done?
I done give my love to dis man
He done took my love an' run.
It was my man........an he was doin' me wrong.

Albert saw Frankie comin', He say,
Oh Lord baby, don't you shoot
Well you know, out from under that red kimono
The gun went rootie toot toot,
She shot that man......cause he was doin' her wrong.

Boo Hoo! Boo Hoo! Boo Hoo! Boo Hoo!
Frankie say baby what have I done?
You know I shot the only man I loved,
A cold forty - one,
It was my man........an he was doin' me wrong.

Play it for a while....

High Sheriff come clippety, clippety, clippety, clippety,
clippety, clippety, clippety the trail
I say look here Frankie I'm gon' tell ya'
You done shot yo' man,
I'm gon' hafta' put cha in da' county jail.
Talkin' 'bout that man.....an' he was doin' her wrong.

Frankie she laid in da' jail house,
Now ya' know there ain't no one to go her bail.
But 'cha know big Jim say honey,
"I'm workin' on you, try to get you outta that jail"
Tell about yo' man....'cause he was doin' you wrong.

An' our story go on......

Frankie an' Albert was sweethearts
Lordy how they could love.
Vowed to love one another
Underneath the stars above
Talkin' 'bout that man..... an' he was doin' her wrong

Aha...I just heard this on the radio - it's some contest, naming pop murder ballads. They just played AFI, G&R, and Talking Heads (psycho killer - is that even about murder??). The prizes are iPods or concert tickets or something...

Oh, and the Fairport Convention's version of Mattie Groves is folky, but not all acoustic...

A holiday, a holiday, the first one of the year
Lord Arlen's wife came into church the gospel for to hear.


And when the meeting it was done she cast her eyes about
And there she saw little Mattie Groves, walking in the park.


Come home with me little Mattie Groves, come home with me tonight
Come home with me little Mattie Groves and sleep with me tonight.


Oh I can't come home, I won't come home and sleep with you tonight
By the rings on your fingers I can tell you are Lord Arlen's wife.


'Tis true I am Lord Arlen's wife, Lord Arlen's not at home
He is out to the far corn fields, bringing the yearlings home.


And the sundt who was standing by and hearing what was said
He saw Lord Arlen, he would know, before the sun would set.


And in his hurry to carry the news, he filled his breast and ran
And when he came to the broad mill stream he took off his shoes and swam


Little Mattie Groves, he lay down and took a little sleep
When he awoke Lord Arlen, was standing at his feet


Saying how do you like my feather bed and how do you like my sheets
And how do you like my lady, who lies in your arms asleep.


Oh well I like your feather bed and well I like your sheets
But better I like your lady maid who lies in my arms asleep.


Well Get Up! Get Up! Lord Arlen cried, Get Up as quick as you can
It'll never be said in fair England I slew a naked man!


Oh I won't get up, I won't get up, I can't get up for my life
For you have two long beaten swords and I have but a pocket knife.


Well it's true I have two beaten swords, they cost me deep in the purse
But you will have the better of them and I will have the worst.


And you will strike the very first blow and strike it like a man
I will strike the very next blow and I'll kill you if I can.


So Mattie struck the very first blow and he hurt Lord Arlen sore
Lord Arlen struck the very next blow and Mattie struck no more.


And then Lord Arlen he took his wife, he sat her on his knee
Saying who do you like the best of us, Mattie Groves or me.


And then spoke up his own dear wife never heard to speak so free
I'd rather kiss one dead Mattie's lips than you and your finery.


Lord Arlen he jumped up and loudly he did bawl
He stuck his wife right through the heart and pinned her against
the wall.


A grave, a grave, Lord Arlen cried, to put these lovers in
But bury my lady at the top for she was of noble kin.

Faithless - Killer's Lullaby
Full Lyrics

(excerpt)
I'm movin' round this old house for the last time
Scene of my past crimes, been here for lifetimes
Hearin' the chimes of the old clock that used to mock
You got eternity for takin' stock,
this place is like a padlock
You look shocked.
Trust me, nothing ever moves but the dust,
There's just us and I'm here to torment and tease
And that's how it was for centuries
Me and my memories, till you brought the keys
Took the couple of Saturdays
I moved in runnin' from tragedies and boozing
Seven hundred years since I came here
You appear, same hair, same quizzical stare
I couldn't get near,
And the sheer frustration was more than I could bear
I was really cursed, thought I'd been through the worst part
That was just the first part, just the start
Every night I'd be sitting with dread, breaking my heart
In case the man she'd been chasin' gets to first base
And I just can't escape, I'm in bad shape
You making love to someone else is more than I can take
And so I make all the movement I can to no avail
Scream and yell, sinkin' deeper into my personal hell

Zack, thanks for the Faithless, sounding good.

Small Town Murder Scene, by the Fembots.

Elvis Costello - Watching the Detectives

Nice girls, not one with a defect
cellophane shrink-wrapped, so correct
Red dogs under illegal legs,
She looks so good that he gets down and begs
She is watching the detectives, ooh - "he's so cute"
She is watching the detectives when they shoot, shoot, shoot, shoot.
They beat him up until the tear-drops start.
But he can't be wounded 'cause he's got no heart

Long shot of that jumping sign
Visible shivers running down my spine
Cut the baby taking off her clothes
Close-up of the sign that says "We never close"
You snatch a tune, you match a cigarette.
She pulls the eyes out with a face like a magnet

I don't know how much more of this I can take
She's filing her nails while they're dragging the lake
She is . . .

You think you're alone until you realize you're in it.
Now your fear is here to stay. Love is here for a visit.
They call is instant justice when it's past the legal limit.
Someone's scratching at the window. I wonder who is it?
The detectives come to check if you belong to the parents
who are ready to hear the worst about their daughter's disappearance.
Though it nearly took a miracle to get you to stay
it only took my little fingers to blow you away

Just like watching the detectives. Don't get cute.
It's just like watching the detectives. I get so angry when the tear-drops start
but he can't be wounded cause he's got no heart.
Watching the detectives. It's just like watching the detectives.
Watching the detectives. Watching the detectives.

"Used To Love Her" - Guns 'N Roses
"Dark Lady" - Cher