Lyric discussion by wesley1015 

After listening to this song about a million times and not understanding why he would cross his old man who is a bookkeeper I heard the real lyric, He's not saying "I crossed my old man" but "I crossed my own man back in Oregon". This small change makes the meaning of the song perfectly clear. He didn't rob a bank with his father and then cheat him but his partner, his "own man". No wonder he doesn't want to get caught alive, he's a dead man either way.

@wesley1015 I don't know why but this song always makes me think of the Capote book. In Cold Blood.

@wesley1015 A bit late to the game, sorry. (Rick Beato interviewed Larry Carlton at the Baked Potato jazz club in Studio City, telling him he thought "Don't Take Me Alive" was the 2nd best rock solo ever (after the previous song, "Kid Charlemagne" :-)) If (as you note above) this is about David Fine's capture and trial, then "crossing my old man" makes sense. I didn't hear "own" there...

@ekwity hey thanks for the feedback! I hadn't heard the Fine angle before. Wikipedia didn't mention his dad. Do you have any other info I could read?

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