The Night Chicago Died

"The Night Chicago Died"
Belgian sleeve
Single by Paper Lace
from the album And Other Bits of Material, Paper Lace (US Version)
B-side	"Can You Get It When You Want It"
Released	15 June 1974
Recorded	1974
Genre	Pop rock bubblegum pop[1]
Length	3:30
Label	Bus Stop (UK), Philips (Europe), Polydor (Canada), Mercury (US), Phonogram (Japan), EMI (Australia/New Zealand)
Songwriter(s)	Peter Callander, Mitch Murray
Producer(s)	Peter Callander, Mitch Murray
Paper Lace singles chronology
"Billy Don't Be a Hero" (1974) "The Night Chicago Died" (1974) "The Black Eyed Boys" (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.