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I'm trying to create a playlist of songs which have theme of telling a story .
Up to know I have
Patches - Clarence Carter
I'm living in shame- Diana Ross and the supremes
Hurricane - Bob Dylan
Red Army Blues- The Waterboys
The night they drove old Dixie Down- The Band
Can you help by adding to the list
Thanks Ed
Any old folky/rocky stuff would do you I'd have thought.
Neil Young
Crosby Stills & Nash (and Young)
Lynyrd Skynyrd
John Fogerty / Creedence Clearwater Revival
Spanish Train - Chris de Burgh
Don't Pay The Ferryman - Chris de Burgh
ode to billie joe
That one about the fella playing the violin against the devil.
does they story have to be really explicit ?
Does it have to be true ?
Does it have to be about a specific event ?
stimela - hugh masakela
ghost town - specials
let him dangle - elvis costello
and the band played waltzing matilda - pogues cover
Plenty of stuff by The Pogues.
... and camo-flage, obvz
who killed liddle towers
jilted john
biko
smoke on the water
(nearly) everything by nick cave
A classic
Les Mort Dansant - Magnum
A Grand Don't Come For Free - The Streets. The whole album is one long story which is best listened to in order...if you can.
I did, but only because I was forced...
On that note, another album story is Husker Du - Zen Arcade.
Real story apparently
Poor ol' Dan
đŸ˜¥
The sad demise of a once famous band:
Green Jelly - three little pigs
Almost anything by Jonny Cash
Cab Calloway - Minnie the Moocher
tymbian - MemberGreen Jelly - three little pigs
damnit! first one i thought of and you beat me to it by a minute.
Lightning Hopkin's [i]Rolling Mill[/i] is a nice wee tale with a heartwarming ending.
Don't give up - Peter Gabriel
On The Border/Year Of The Cat - Al Stewart
Vincent Black Lightning - Richard Thompson
R.E.M. - Orange Crush
On The Banks Of The Nile - Sandy Denny
Shipbuilding - Robert Wyatt/Elvis Costello/Tasmin Archer
Somewhere Down The Crazy River - Robbie Robertson
The Last Chance Texaco - Ricky Lee Jones
What's He [i]Building[/i] In There - Tom Waits
Ol'55 - Tom Waits
Shape Of A Heart - Jackson Browne
Has He Got A Friend For Me - Richard & Linda Thompson/Maria McKee
San Jacinto - Peter Gabriel
Hearts And Bones - Paul Simon
René And Georgette Magritte With Their Dog After The War - Paul Simon
Nobody Knows - Paul Brady
Tony - Patty Griffin
Sonny Came Home - Shawn Colvin
Mother Of God - Patty Griffin
Stones In The Road - Mary Chapin Carpenter
The Needle And The Damage Done - Neil Young
Night Terror - Laura Marling
Green - Joni Mitchell
When An Old Cricketer Leaves The Crease - Roy Harper
First We Take Manhattan - Jennifer Warnes
Moon On The Rain - Fairground Attraction
There's plenty more where those came from... đŸ˜€
Tenacious D? đŸ˜†
A fee johnny cash songs are story based too
Described by John Peel, if I remember correctly, as having one of the best pay-off lines in the history of pop:
@ scaredypants: Jesus mate, nobody else has ever heard Who killed Liddel!
My nomination is 'Talking Wall of Voodoo blues' - Stan Ridgeway
When story songs are mentioned this is always the first I think of.
Coward of the county Kenny Rogers.
Lily, Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts by Bob Dylan. Although just one of his many wonderful story songs.
Has anyone done Camouflage by Stan Ridgeway?
Quite a few by Springsteen. The River being the most obvious, also 4th of July, Asbury Park, Racing in the Street, Spirit in the Night.
Lots of Springsteen stuff, Thunder Road, The River etc.
Edit: beaten to it
McAlpines Fusiliers by the Dubliners. Tells the story of Irish labour going to work on building sites in England. Mentions the Isle of Grain in particular.
Down int the tube station at midnight- The Jam
One tin soldier- various different artist
I hung my head- Cash
Just the one- levellers
Skylon by Gruff Rhys
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And the best one of all....
In the ghetto - elvis
And the Band played Waltzing Mathilda
I know the Pogues version but it was originally Eric Bogle, and covered by dozens
Stack O'Lee (Stagger Lee)
Frankie and Albert
Mississippi John Hurt
When story songs are mentioned this is always the first I think of.Coward of the county Kenny Rogers.
I think this one is the ultimate.
"You coulda heard a pin drop when tommy stopped and locked the door."
That always makes the hairs on my arms go. Poor ol' Beccy.
Are we going down the concept route as well?
If so, side one of 2112.
You could have 'Ruby, Don't Take Your Love to Town' as well, from Mr Rogers.
So many country songs fit the bill (although the OP may not have been looking for a country playlist!)
Wreck of the Old '97, Long Black Veil, Starkville City Jail and hundreds more by Johnny Cash. Gallows Pole by Led Zeppelin - again they have loads more!
"We have assumed control ,we have assumed control."
That album inspired me to pick up the guitar. Although I didn't have a cave behind a waterfall ,I sat down in my bedroom and tried to put some chords together. Alex makes it sound so easy.
To this day I've never played a note that sounded even remotely like the one it should have.
Tunnel of Love - Dire Straits
Tom Ames Prayer - Steve Earle
Mr Mud & Mr Gold - Townes van Zandt
Angel from Montgomery - John Prine
Is It Like Today - World Party
Artificial Flowers - The Beautiful South is a story to make you cry.
Felice Brothers -Frankie's Gun; Ballad of Lou the Welterweight; Whisky in my Whisky
A big thanks for your suggestions, keep them coming.
Ed
Busted - Year 3000
Bizarrely a few Tony Christies songs told some quite good stories.
Just those two lines above has me seriously questioning my music taste :S
Edit - Chris de Burgh - A spaceman came travelling
Yep thats confirmed it, my music taste is terrible. I'll bow out now.
Alice's restaurant - Arlo Guthrie
There are two great animations that tell the whole story on youtube but i'm at work at them moment so can't link to them - a favourite with my youngest two children (maybe not totally suitable but a good bit of history for them anyway)
Outlaw Pete - Springsteen
1952 Vincent Black Lighting - Richard Thomson
Simply amazing - 1 man, 1 guitar.
A Boy Named Sue- Johnny Cash
Telegraph Road - Dire Straits
Mark Knofler: Sailing to Philadelphia. The story of the Mason Dixon line.
Convoy. this also wins best film ever threads.
Hung my head....
Jonny cash .... Although I have a feeling it was written by Sting, great song though
You can take most folk songs and add to the list, they were written to tell a story, the exception being jigs and reels, which are dance music!
Obviously. đŸ˜€
Right, here's a few more, and the first is slightly unusual, but it tells of one of the Classic stories:
Cassandra - ABBA
The Day Before You Came - ABBA
Fifty Years After The Fair - Aimee Mann
This House - Alison Moyet
A Horse With No Name - America
A Nervous Tic Motion Of The Head To The Left - Andrew Bird & The Mysterious Production Of Eggs
Sloop John B - Beach Boys
St Swithin's Day - Billy Bragg
A New England - Billy Bragg
Across The Wire - Calexico
Lost Cat - Catatonia
Thinking Of Making A Move To Memphis - Colorblind James Experience
History Eraser - Courtney Barnett
Stations Of The Cross - Cry Cry Cry
Dead Woman's Jewels - The Dear Janes
Girl Of Your Dreams - The Dear Janes
Brides Of The Cross - The Dear Janes
New York Minute - Don Henley
New Frontier - Donald Fagen
Just A Girl She Said - Dubstar
The Sweet Spot - The Duckworth Lewis Method
Patience Of Angels - Eddie Reader
Scattered Black and Whites - Elbow
Starlings - Elbow
Poor Fractured Atlas - Elvis Costello
Jerusalem Tomorrow - Emmylou Harris
Bang The Drum Slowly - Emmylou Harris
Missing - Everything But The Girl
Whatever's Written In Your Heart - Gerry Rafferty
For What Is Chatteris... Half Man Half Biscuit
Enjoy đŸ˜€
Iron Maiden - Rime of the Ancient Mariner
Guy Clarkes let him roll. Cash did it but Townes son does it best
immigrant eyes guy clarke
and finally Marie by Townes Van Zandt
Public Enemy - Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos
Disposable heroes of Hiphoprisy - Death is the Silence
The Velvet Underground - The Gift - bizarre and brilliant!
Any number of Richard Thompson songs - Beeswing anyone?
Bob Dylan and Tom Waits have loads.
Leonard Cohen? Story of Isaac et al.
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds ........
One of my favourites (and I love these type of songs) is Matty Groves, a folk song usually done by Fairport Convention.
Dire Straits however? Really?
Funky Cold Medina - Tone Loc
The killing of Georgie. -Rod Stewart
Son of Hickory Hollows Tramp. -OC Smith
one of mine and Rusty Spanners favourites
Oooh Billy Bragg. Can I add Levi Stubbs Tears?
Bob Seger; Hollywood Nights
Ed you git!
I have to ration myself with Billy Bragg - I just end up crying like a fat girl in a cake shop.
Everyone goes on about the political stuff, but he wrote some of the best love songs ever.
I was going to post St Swithins Day, but it just ruins me.
And Matty Groves too - it doesn't get much better - is there a more wonderful song?
Really?
Try this one:
A love story for the modern age:
Wreck Of the Edmund Fitzgerald, Gordon Lightfoot.
Kathy's Song - Simon & Garfunkel.
and finally Marie by Townes Van Zandt
Goddammit. Beat me to it.
Just ensure you keep away from any/all sharp objects, tall buildings, ropes, guns, pills etc when you listen to it.
Anything by Mastodon is gold.
Also, King Park by La Dispute.
Patti Smith Horses/Land. It is dark very dark.
Cats in the cradle - Harry Chapin