# 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:** 2
**Author:** ![Hamadryad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6de8d8/32.png) [@Hamadryad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamadryad)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2000, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-story-song/26842/21 "2000-07-26T03:59:31Z")
Heh…“The Scotsman.” ---
**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, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-story-song/26842/22 "2000-07-26T04:00:44Z")
::ahem:: that’s “Except” damn lack of typing skills. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2000, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-story-song/26842/23 "2000-07-26T04:06:03Z")
I kinda like… “Isis” by Bob Dylan (from “Desire,” his best album, IMHO) “Copperhead Road” by Steve Earle “Scenes From an Italian Restaurant” by Billy Joel “Matthew” by John Denver “The Unicorn” by The Irish Rovers (I had the .45 when I was 7… sue me) A HOST of songs by Ray Davies and the Kinks (Davies and DYlan are the best storytellers in music history.) ALmost anything from “The VIllage Green Preservation Society” or “Arthur” works. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2000, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-story-song/26842/24 "2000-07-26T04:27:28Z")
Back to Dylan, I always thought that “Lily, Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts” was a rather entertaining little story. “Towne’s Blues” by Cowboy Junkies is a fun tale of gambling on the way to their next concert. “The Ballad of Rocky Raccoon” (hoping I have that title right) by the Beatles deals with love in a sense, but isn’t really the focus of the song. ---
**Author:** ![capacitor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e47774/32.png) [@capacitor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/capacitor)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2000, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-story-song/26842/25 "2000-07-26T06:18:23Z")
“Parents Just Don’t Understand” by DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince For a bonus Wil Smith gives us two stories. “All I Wanna Do” by Sheryl Crow Who would have thought spending a day in a bar would be so interesting. Only 4 non-repeated lines rhyme in that song. So is it just a prose song? ---
**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, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-story-song/26842/26 "2000-07-26T06:36:44Z")
Joph, have I told you lately what a cool guy you are? ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2000, 7:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-story-song/26842/27 "2000-07-26T07:30:44Z")
…but my favorite is “Mr. Meadowlark” by Walter Donaldson and Johnny Mercer. Honorable mentions go to “Miss Otis Regrets” by Cole Porter, “Sit Down, You’re Rockin’ the Boat” by Frank Loesser, and “Is That All There Is” by Lieber & Stoller. ---
**Author:** ![Last\_Of\_The\_Runaways](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Last\_Of\_The\_Runaways](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Last_Of_The_Runaways)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2000, 9:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-story-song/26842/28 "2000-07-26T09:23:06Z")
My favorites are not just ONE song but entire “concept-albums” my favorite ‘concept albums’ are Queensryche - Operation:Mindcrime Dream Theater - Metropolis Part 2: Scenes From a Memory… anyone agree thats these albums rock?! ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2000, 10:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-story-song/26842/29 "2000-07-26T10:46:39Z")
LOTR, we will get along fine. These albums do, indeed, rock! And I can’t believe I’m the first one to mention _my_ favourite Story Song. I kept scrolling down, thinking “don’t mention it, [generic other poster]!”. And here we are, bottom of the thread, and this classic is **still** missing! The best story song of all time is _A Boy Named Sue_ by **Johnny Cash**. All hail the Man in Black! ---
**Author:** ![DAVEW0071](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e19b73/32.png) [@DAVEW0071](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DAVEW0071)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2000, 10:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-story-song/26842/30 "2000-07-26T10:59:45Z")
When I saw the thread title I immediately thought of Gordon Lightfoot’s _Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald_, a haunting song about a haunting tragedy. That’s tops in my book. ---
**Author:** ![Geek\_Mecha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecae2f/32.png) [@Geek\_Mecha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Geek_Mecha)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2000, 11:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-story-song/26842/31 "2000-07-26T11:09:54Z")
_Uncle Tom’s Cabin_ by Warrant _Janie’s Got a Gun_ by Aerosmith _I Live With It Everyday_ by Barenaked Ladies _Summertime_ by Will Smith _Fast Car_ by Tracy Chapman Previously suggested were _Brick_ and _House at Pooh Corner_, and I second these votes. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2000, 12:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-story-song/26842/32 "2000-07-26T12:04:47Z")
Harry Chapin’s “A better place to be” still brings tears to my eyes. I’ll second (or third) “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” by Gordon Lightfoot . ---
**Author:** ![robinh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b77776/32.png) [@robinh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robinh)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2000, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-story-song/26842/33 "2000-07-26T12:21:04Z")
_Harris and the Mare_, Stan Rogers. ---
**Author:** ![Osakadave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/f07891/32.png) [@Osakadave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Osakadave)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2000, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-story-song/26842/34 "2000-07-26T12:25:33Z")
> [@](#): > > As long as being extremely depressing doesn’t disqualify a song, I’ll have to say “Waltzing Matilda” by the Pogues Giving credit where it’s due, this was originally a poem by Eric Bogel. And Adding to the excellent list so far: Dylan’s The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carol Peter LaFarge’s The Ballade of Ira Hayes Peter Rowan’s Land of the Navajo Finnegan’s Wake ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2000, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-story-song/26842/35 "2000-07-26T12:28:05Z")
Coldfire I am **vastly** disappointed in you. One of my favorite story songs: “This is a song about car…this is called The Red Barchetta.” Drum yourself out of the Rushfan ™ ranks my good man. Others… **"Too High For the Supermarket" by The Uninvited.** A great little song about going to the supermarket to get the ingredients for a tuna fish sandwich while completely blown on spliff. “Fifteen different brands of tuna! Chicken of the Sea or Big Kahuna Packed in oil packed in water Dolphin friendly dolphin slaughter! O God what about the bread? Should I get white or wheat instead Or…RYE! Rye’s the best I’ve tasted Rye is best whenever you’re wasted!” or the ever popular couplet: “Hey check it out raddichio! These red leaves man they almost glow!” And finally, upon his leaving the store: “Ohhh…I forgot the tuna and the bread.” ---
**Author:** ![rundogrun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/5daacb/32.png) [@rundogrun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rundogrun)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2000, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-story-song/26842/36 "2000-07-26T12:52:02Z")
I don’t believe anyone’s mentioned David Bowie’s “Major Tom”. That’s one of my all time favs. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Zero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c4cdca/32.png) [@Saint\_Zero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Zero)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2000, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-story-song/26842/37 "2000-07-26T13:04:31Z")
Ghost Riders in the Sky, Johnny Cash does a version. Dream Theater: 6am (I think that’s the title) Devil Comes Back to Georgia: Cash, Travis Tritt and Marty Stuart, on one version. That’s what I can think of for now. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![SwimmingRiddles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/43a26b/32.png) [@SwimmingRiddles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SwimmingRiddles)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2000, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-story-song/26842/38 "2000-07-26T13:49:24Z")
- She’s Leaving Home\* Beatles. Sgt. Pepper was one of my favorite albums as a tyke, and that song always made me wonder what happened afterward. - John Brown\* Bob Dylan. The best last line: “As he dropped his metals down into her hand.” - Alice’s Resturant\* Ditto. - Abby Yo-Yo\* I think it might be a folk song (and I think Waltzing Matilda is a folk song, too…) but it’s about a giant and a little kid. I rememeber LOVING it when I was little. - Boy Named Su\* Johnny Cash is the man. ---
**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 26, 2000, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-story-song/26842/39 "2000-07-26T14:12:36Z")
Wow, what great songs that I had forgotten. Especially She’s Leaving Home Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald (and I grew up in Mich, argh) Too High for the Supermarket plus some I think I need to check out (never heard of Dream Theater). I’m going to go find Sgt. Pepper right now, thanks to Swimming Riddles… ---
**Author:** ![Spiny\_Norman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de0a6/32.png) [@Spiny\_Norman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiny_Norman)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2000, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-story-song/26842/40 "2000-07-26T14:19:39Z")
Can’t remember the artist, but “Hot Rod Lincoln” is a GREAT song to sing to yourself at the top of your lungs while speeding. Tom Lehrer, anyone ? “The Irish Ballad”, “The hunting song”, “I hold your hand in mine”, “Who’s next” ? Slightly macabre, but funny. (“I went and shot the maximum the game laws would allow - two game wardens, seven hunters and a cow”) Highly recommended. S. Norman [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-story-song/26842.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-story-song/26842.md?page=3)