The Clash have a brilliant, angry, punky version of this, which suits the tone of the song very well. That was released in 1979.
That said, the original 60s cover by the wholesome Bobby Fuller Four is brilliant. The song was originally written by Sonny Curtis in 1958, in a much more folky Rock ‘n’ Roll style.
It’s been covered by other bands, such as Green Day and The Dead Kennedys, but the Bobby Fuller Four version and the Clash Version are the most famous by far.
And it’s the Bobby Fuller Four cover of the song which was listed as 179 on Rolling Stone’s The 500 Greatest Songs Of All Time!
It’s a smooth and laid back Garage Rock hit, with a wry and resigned delivery.
The song is about someone who stole out of desperation, and was caught and put in jail. Unsurprisingly…
This version of the song was released in 1966.