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).
I just thought of another good one -
Lightning Crashes by Live
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
Bruce Springsteen! Just leave out the love ones. Even though most of them aren’t happy joy love ones.
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.
It’s on an album, it’s a song:
The Gift by The Velvet Underground
Wait, there’s more. Let me think…
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
Ditto on Waltzing Matillda &
Pogues’ Fairytale of New York.
Also…
When The Tigers Broke Free (Pink Floyd b-side from the Wall)
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.
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
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.
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.
Hemispheres and 2112 by Rush
I Shot The Sherrif, by Bob Marley.
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
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.
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.
“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
She’s on Time, Barenaked Ladies
Luka, Suzanne Vega
trailer trash by modest mouse. the album is lonesome crowded west. characters so thick you could eat them.
Oh, and let us not forget Al Stewart’s Roads to Moscow, Lord Grenville, and the Running Man.