The first recording of Howlin' Wolf’s “Commit a Crime” to be released on record was in 1971 on the album “The London Howlin' Wolf Sessions” where it appeared under the title of “What a Woman!”. That album involved Wolf being accompanied mostly by a collection of rock stars, which happened to include Rolling Stones Bill Wyman and Charlie Watts as well as guitarist Eric Clapton. Of course, Watts appears on the Blue and Lonesome version here and Clapton is featured on other songs on the album.

According to the Blue & Lonesome liner notes, “Commit a Crime” was originally recorded by Howlin' Wolf on April 11, 1966. That version was not released until his 1979 collection of “rare and unreleased recordings” Can’t Put Me Out. The Stones version generally follows that three verse arrangement, except that the first verse is repeated in place of Wolf’s verse 3 and a Mick Jagger harmonica solo is inserted before that.
[Verse 1]
I'm gonna leave you, baby, before I commit a crime
I'm gonna leave you, baby, before I commit a crime
You tried so hard to kill me, but woman, it just was not my time

[Verse 2]
You put poison in my coffee instead of milk or cream
You put poison in my coffee instead of milk or cream
You're about the evilest woman that I ever seen

[Harmonica Solo]

[Verse 1]
I'm gonna leave you, baby, before I commit a crime
I'm gonna leave you, woman, before I commit a crime
Yeah, you tried so hard to kill me but woman, it was not, it was not my time