# 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:** 3
**Author:** ![HomeSlice](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/9d8465/32.png) [@HomeSlice](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HomeSlice)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2000, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-story-song/26842/41 "2000-07-26T15:10:51Z")
Either _Jeremy_ by Pearl Jam (whom i will be seeing on Aug 4) or _Long Black Veil_ covered by Dave Matthews Band (whom i will be seeing on Sep 2). ---
**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, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-story-song/26842/42 "2000-07-26T16:04:48Z")
I just thought of another good one - Lightning Crashes by Live ---
**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, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-story-song/26842/43 "2000-07-26T17:01:59Z")
Oskadave, Thanks I’ve had the cd without a case for years and was wondering if it had been written earlier, But the song is made by Shane McGowan’s raspy brougue. Other ones I’ve thought of. Ballad of the Green Beret Tommy Missisippi squirrel revival ---
**Author:** ![popokis5](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@popokis5](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/popokis5)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2000, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-story-song/26842/44 "2000-07-26T17:16:43Z")
Bruce Springsteen! Just leave out the love ones. Even though most of them aren’t happy joy love ones. ---
**Author:** ![Edward\_The\_Head](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ce73a5/32.png) [@Edward\_The\_Head](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Edward_The_Head)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2000, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-story-song/26842/45 "2000-07-26T17:20:53Z")
I haven’t seen Jim Croce here yet with: Bad, Bad, Leroy Brown You don’t Mess around with Jim Speedball Tucker Ball of KerryMuir (sp) Croce was a hell of a story teller and funny as hell. I also second Maiden’s Rime of the Ancient Mariner plus Alexander the Great and the whole Seventh Son of a Seventh Son plus Golden Earring’s Going to the Run Johnny Make Believe there’s plenty more I could come up with too but I’ve got work to do. ---
**Author:** ![betenoir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/258eb7/32.png) [@betenoir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/betenoir)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2000, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-story-song/26842/46 "2000-07-26T17:36:06Z")
It’s on an album, it’s a song: The Gift by The Velvet Underground Wait, there’s more. Let me think… ---
**Author:** ![jesuslynch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e99b99/32.png) [@jesuslynch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jesuslynch)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2000, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-story-song/26842/47 "2000-07-26T18:57:42Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Spiny Norman \* > \*\*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. > \*\* That’s Commander Cody Sam Stone - John Prine Paradise - John Prine Hello In There - John Prine Hell, damn near any John Prine He Went To Paris - Jimmy Buffett God’s Own Drunk - Lord Buckley ---
**Author:** ![seriousart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@seriousart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/seriousart)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2000, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-story-song/26842/48 "2000-07-26T19:50:13Z")
Ditto on Waltzing Matillda & Pogues’ Fairytale of New York. Also… When The Tigers Broke Free (Pink Floyd b-side from the Wall) ---
**Author:** ![barton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@barton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/barton)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2000, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-story-song/26842/49 "2000-07-26T19:59:10Z")
Funniest - “Pictures of Lily” by the Who. For the ignorant, it’s about a boy solving his, ahem, “childhood problems”. Rocks, too. Many Dylan songs - “Tombstone Blues” and “The Ballad of Frankie Lee & Judas Priest”, among others, are also fun. The full, female-perspective version of “House of the Rising Sun” as done by him or Joan Baez is also mentionable. Folk artists tend to get story down more easily. While I’m thinking about it, “1983” by Jimi Hendrix is a helluva story as well. ---
**Author:** ![Odieman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a87d85/32.png) [@Odieman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odieman)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2000, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-story-song/26842/50 "2000-07-26T20:41:08Z")
I will leave out all of the ones that have been mentioned and I would like to add four more; Matty Groves by Fairport Convention Vincent Black Lightning '52 by Richard Thompson 4th of July Asbury Park (Sandy) by Bruce Springsteen. Jesus the Missing Years by John Prine ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2000, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-story-song/26842/51 "2000-07-26T20:50:39Z")
Some may think of this as a love song, but I nominate Suzanne Vega’s “The Queen and the Soldier”. It can be taken allegorically, but it’s even more efective if taken as an actual story. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2000, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-story-song/26842/52 "2000-07-26T21:48:29Z")
Lot of non-story song suggestions here, but some great ones. Once I saw the post, I thought Alice’s Restaurant. Bob Dylan was mentioned a few times, but no mention of “The Hurricane”. Although, you’re not going to get a good story song off the radio. ---
**Author:** ![Sealemon88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c68b51/32.png) [@Sealemon88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sealemon88)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2000, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-story-song/26842/53 "2000-07-26T22:22:08Z")
Hemispheres and 2112 by Rush I Shot The Sherrif, by Bob Marley. ---
**Author:** ![bunnymom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c4cdca/32.png) [@bunnymom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bunnymom)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2000, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-story-song/26842/54 "2000-07-26T22:24:10Z")
I would like to second the vote for “Sit down, you’re rocking the boat”.But I have to say I like the Don Henley version from “Leap of Faith” better. As for concept albums, I think Billy Thorpe’s “Children of the Sun” is pretty damn impressive.According to the cassette insert, it was intended to become a type of ‘rock opera’ but the funding never came through. Tony Carey has written some ‘story songs’ that I really like.And he has an album under the name Planet P called “Pink World” that is another ‘rock opera’ in waiting that tells an interesting story throughout the entire album. One more : The Highwaymen-Cash,Jennings ---
**Author:** ![kawliga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ea666f/32.png) [@kawliga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kawliga)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2000, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-story-song/26842/55 "2000-07-26T23:04:46Z")
Lefty Frizzell recorded the definitive version of “Long Black Veil” as well as “Saginaw, Michigan”, another great story song. Johnny Bond’s 1960 recording of “Hot Rod Lincoln”, wit Joe Maphis’ brilliant guitar work, blows away Commander Cody’s so-so remake. Some other favorites: “Partners” by Jim Reeves “El Paso” and “Big Iron” by Marty Robbins “King of California” by Dave Alvin “Detroit City” and “All American Boy” by Bobby Bare. ---
**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, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-story-song/26842/56 "2000-07-26T23:22:40Z")
I’m suprised that no one has mentioned Shawn Colvin’s _Sunny Came Home_. Then again, I didn’t mention it either my first time, so there you go. Also, while I’m at it I’ll throw out Black 47’s _James Connolly_. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2000, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-story-song/26842/57 "2000-07-27T04:40:03Z")
“Donald and Lydia” - John Prine “Hello in There” - John Prine “Angel from Montgomery” - John Prine Another vote for “Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner” - Warren Zevon “If dreams were thunder, And lightning was desire, This old house would have burned down, A long time ago.” - Angel from Montgomery ---
**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 27, 2000, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-story-song/26842/58 "2000-07-27T05:13:57Z")
She’s on Time, Barenaked Ladies Luka, Suzanne Vega ---
**Author:** ![jb\_farley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9d8465/32.png) [@jb\_farley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jb_farley)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2000, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-story-song/26842/59 "2000-07-27T06:18:57Z")
trailer trash by modest mouse. the album is lonesome crowded west. characters so thick you could eat them. ---
**Author:** ![Osakadave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/f07891/32.png) [@Osakadave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Osakadave)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2000, 7:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-story-song/26842/60 "2000-07-27T07:58:10Z")
Oh, and let us not forget Al Stewart’s Roads to Moscow, Lord Grenville, and the Running Man. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-story-song/26842.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-story-song/26842.md?page=4)