# Best story-song **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 25, 2000, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-story-song/26842 "2000-07-25T23:35:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![xizor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xizor/32/102_2.png) [@xizor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xizor)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2000, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-story-song/26842/1 "2000-07-25T23:35:53Z")
Hey fellow dopers, I am looking to find the best songs that tell a non-love story. Things to consider would be originality (which strikes out any love song ever), good tune, interesting story. Here are some of my early contenders: Cats in the Cradle - Harry Chapin Copperhead Road - Steve Earle The Greatest - Kenny Rogers Anybody else have some nominations? I searched and do not think this thread is a repeat, if it is, feel free to let me know and I will stand humbly corrected. ---
**Author:** ![Myrr21](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e495f1/32.png) [@Myrr21](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Myrr21)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2000, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-story-song/26842/2 "2000-07-26T00:07:55Z")
No contest… \* Alice’s Restaurant \* by Arlo Guthrie. ---
**Author:** ![Asmodeus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8dc957/32.png) [@Asmodeus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asmodeus)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2000, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-story-song/26842/3 "2000-07-26T00:08:15Z")
Does past love count? **Taxi** … by the aforementioned Harry Chapin. He is sorely missed. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Tof](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@The\_Tof](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tof)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2000, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-story-song/26842/4 "2000-07-26T00:10:15Z")
Alice’s Restaurent definately… Kudo’s to Scenes from Italian Restaurent by Billy Joel… (Which is the only thing I can think of off the top of my head… but its an interesting song with a few stories. 🙂 ) Screeme ---
**Author:** ![Asmodeus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8dc957/32.png) [@Asmodeus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asmodeus)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2000, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-story-song/26842/5 "2000-07-26T00:10:59Z")
myrr…almost a simupost! Great song. ---
**Author:** ![slackergirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b38774/32.png) [@slackergirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slackergirl)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2000, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-story-song/26842/6 "2000-07-26T00:13:09Z")
How about The Boxer or the one about Lincoln Duncan (maybe that’s the title?) by Paul Simon. ---
**Author:** ![Myrr21](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e495f1/32.png) [@Myrr21](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Myrr21)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2000, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-story-song/26842/7 "2000-07-26T00:15:48Z")
Asmodeus: moreover, you came up with one almost as good as my suggestion 🙂 I definitely second any of Harry Chapin. ---
**Author:** ![Falcon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/49beb7/32.png) [@Falcon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Falcon)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2000, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-story-song/26842/8 "2000-07-26T00:43:55Z")
Gonna beat Coldfire to this one: 2112, by Rush. ---
**Author:** ![Kat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b19c9b/32.png) [@Kat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kat)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2000, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-story-song/26842/9 "2000-07-26T00:48:23Z")
How about _The Devil Went Down to Georgia_? _Girls with Guitars_ If you’re into comedy, _Third Rock from the Sun_ (no connection to the TV show). ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2000, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-story-song/26842/10 "2000-07-26T01:00:10Z")
As long as being extremely depressing doesn’t disqualify a song, I’ll have to say “Waltzing Matilda” by the Pogues ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2000, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-story-song/26842/11 "2000-07-26T01:43:37Z")
How about “The Trees” by Rush? But my favorite–gotta be “The Blind Man in the Bleachers/The Last Game of the Season” by Dave Geddes. Heart-rending.☹ ---
**Author:** ![jayron\_32](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/41988e/32.png) [@jayron\_32](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayron_32)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2000, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-story-song/26842/12 "2000-07-26T02:18:15Z")
“Friend of the Devil” by The Greatful Dead: Depending on my mood, one of my favorite Dead songs, and sheer poetry. A great story-song. “Tangled Up In Blue” by Bob Dylan: Another great narrative song… And as much as I LOVE “Alice’s Restaurant,” I’m not so sure it qualifies as a proper song. It’s more of a monologue with a guitar track. Other than that, I second all of the previously mentioned songs. ---
**Author:** ![pepperlandgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f17d59/32.png) [@pepperlandgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pepperlandgirl)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2000, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-story-song/26842/13 "2000-07-26T02:22:28Z")
“The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” by Gordon Lightfoot “Poncho and Lefty” by Willie Nelson and Merle Hagard “Vincet (Starry Starry Night)” Don Mclean “House at Pooh Corner” Kenny Logins ---
**Author:** ![one\_sick\_puppy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/71e660/32.png) [@one\_sick\_puppy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/one_sick_puppy)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2000, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-story-song/26842/14 "2000-07-26T02:25:59Z")
“Detachable Penis” by King Missle and “Brick” by Ben Fold’s Five ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2000, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-story-song/26842/15 "2000-07-26T02:29:05Z")
I kinda like “Lola,” especially for its ambiguity (Is Lola a man? Or is she glad the singer’s a man?). Tom Chapin (Harry’s more talented and obscure brother) wrote quite a few – “Plenty of Room,” “It’s a Long Way Home,” “Parade Came Marching” – but most people undeservedly dismiss him because his songs are aimed at kids. ---
**Author:** ![GreatKingRat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@GreatKingRat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreatKingRat)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2000, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-story-song/26842/16 "2000-07-26T03:40:57Z")
“Utah Carol”, “The Strawberry Roan”, “The Masters Call”,“Ballad of The Alamo”, And “El Paso City”(not to be confused with El Paso)- Marty Robbins “Devils Right Hand”- Steve Earle A rather short song, but I also like “When The Tigers Broke Free” by Pink Floyd. “Roland The Headless Thompson Gunner”- Warren Zevon “Tweeter And The Monkeyman”- Travelling Wilburys ---
**Author:** ![Cestlavie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8dc957/32.png) [@Cestlavie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cestlavie)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2000, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-story-song/26842/17 "2000-07-26T03:45:55Z")
Long Arm of the Law Kenny Rogers ---
**Author:** ![Junior\_Spaceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Junior\_Spaceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Junior_Spaceman)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2000, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-story-song/26842/18 "2000-07-26T03:53:51Z")
Dress Rehearsal Rag - Leonard Cohen The Man in Black - Johnny Cash Papa Won’t Leave You Henry - Nick Cave Sister Ray - The Velvet Underground Marquee Moon - Television Frankie Teardrop - Suicide Rime of the Ancient Marriner - Iron Maiden (sure they stole it from Coleridge, but it’s still a great story) HenrySpencer ---
**Author:** ![Junior\_Spaceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Junior\_Spaceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Junior_Spaceman)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2000, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-story-song/26842/19 "2000-07-26T03:55:06Z")
Whoops - forgot one great one: Buenos Tardes Amigos - Ween (spelling’s probably wrong, but if you’ve heard it, you know what I mean) HenrySpencer ---
**Author:** ![Myrr21](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e495f1/32.png) [@Myrr21](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Myrr21)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2000, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-story-song/26842/20 "2000-07-26T03:59:03Z")
\*\* jayron 32: \*\* blasphemer–get thee gone from this hallowed place. Also, the entire \* Murder Ballads \* album by Nick Cave. Eexcept for the cover of “Death is Not the End”. It’s a good cover, but I don’t think it fits this category. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-story-song/26842.md?page=2)