# Has there ever been a better "story song" than...
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-ever-been-a-better-story-song-than/734526
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [October 13, 2015, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-ever-been-a-better-story-song-than/734526 "2015-10-13T06:08:00Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)
#### Post date: [October 13, 2015, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-ever-been-a-better-story-song-than/734526/1 "2015-10-13T06:08:00Z")
Ever since I was a little kid [VAUGHN MONROE, GHOST RIDERS IN THE SKY, A COWBOY LEGEND](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UluM5trt47I) has been the Gold Standard for such things for me.
If that’s not your basis for comparison, what is? 🙂
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### Author:  [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)
#### Post date: [October 13, 2015, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-ever-been-a-better-story-song-than/734526/2 "2015-10-13T06:09:15Z")
Convoy? It’s the first thing that popped into my head, but please note that I hate hate HATE it.
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### Author:  [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)
#### Post date: [October 13, 2015, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-ever-been-a-better-story-song-than/734526/3 "2015-10-13T06:11:09Z")
> [@snfaulkner](#):
>
> Convoy? It’s the first thing that popped into my head, but please note that I hate hate HATE it.
Good example, in any case. Marty Robbins “El Paso” is another contender for me.
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### Author:  [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)
#### Post date: [October 13, 2015, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-ever-been-a-better-story-song-than/734526/4 "2015-10-13T06:33:29Z")
Yes. [The Wreck of the Edmund Fitgerald](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hgI8bta-7aw).
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### Author:  [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)
#### Post date: [October 13, 2015, 6:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-ever-been-a-better-story-song-than/734526/5 "2015-10-13T06:44:33Z")
> [@Oakminster](#):
>
> Yes. [The Wreck of the Edmund Fitgerald](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hgI8bta-7aw).
It’s high on my list as well.
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### Author:  [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)
#### Post date: [October 13, 2015, 6:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-ever-been-a-better-story-song-than/734526/6 "2015-10-13T06:57:55Z")
_The Devil Went Down To Georgia_ or _Uneasy Rider_, both by the Charlie Daniels Band.
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### Author:  [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)
#### Post date: [October 13, 2015, 7:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-ever-been-a-better-story-song-than/734526/7 "2015-10-13T07:19:05Z")
The Ballad of Irving the 144th Fastest Gun in the West
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### Author:  [@Battle\_Pope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Battle_Pope)
#### Post date: [October 13, 2015, 7:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-ever-been-a-better-story-song-than/734526/8 "2015-10-13T07:20:05Z")
_Cold Missouri Waters_ [https://youtu.be/KgQNeGPJdcQ](https://youtu.be/KgQNeGPJdcQ)
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### Author:  [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)
#### Post date: [October 13, 2015, 7:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-ever-been-a-better-story-song-than/734526/9 "2015-10-13T07:31:43Z")
> [@Battle\_Pope](#):
>
> _Cold Missouri Waters_ [https://youtu.be/KgQNeGPJdcQ](https://youtu.be/KgQNeGPJdcQ)
Thanks for that! Makes the thread worth it. New to me.
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### Author:  [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)
#### Post date: [October 13, 2015, 7:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-ever-been-a-better-story-song-than/734526/10 "2015-10-13T07:39:35Z")
Squeeze, “[up the junction](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQciegmLPAo)” or perhaps “l[abelled with love](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FCnvn1ejEXU)”
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### Author:  [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)
#### Post date: [October 13, 2015, 7:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-ever-been-a-better-story-song-than/734526/11 "2015-10-13T07:40:23Z")
_Alice’s Restaurant_.
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### Author:  [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)
#### Post date: [October 13, 2015, 7:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-ever-been-a-better-story-song-than/734526/12 "2015-10-13T07:52:43Z")
[“Lily, Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0qRqZTXNks) - Bob Dylan
“Pancho and Lefty” - by either [Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CvdmxszsDM8) or [Townes Van Zandt](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SjwO17gsqU)(who wrote and originally recorded it)
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### Author:  [@chappachula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chappachula)
#### Post date: [October 13, 2015, 8:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-ever-been-a-better-story-song-than/734526/13 "2015-10-13T08:10:44Z")
how about Harry Chapin ?
Almost all his songs tell a story, and with emotion.
_Taxi_ and its sequel are probably his best.
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### Author:  [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)
#### Post date: [October 13, 2015, 8:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-ever-been-a-better-story-song-than/734526/14 "2015-10-13T08:14:29Z")
> [@NDP](#):
>
> [“Lily, Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0qRqZTXNks) - Bob Dylan
> “Pancho and Lefty” - by either [Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CvdmxszsDM8) or [Townes Van Zandt](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SjwO17gsqU)(who wrote and originally recorded it)
Excellent choices. The Dylan is new to me, too.
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### Author:  [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)
#### Post date: [October 13, 2015, 8:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-ever-been-a-better-story-song-than/734526/15 "2015-10-13T08:17:50Z")
> [@chappachula](#):
>
> how about Harry Chapin ?
> Almost all his songs tell a story, and with emotion.
>
> _Taxi_ and its sequel are probably his best.
Your mention reminds me (for some reason I can’t name) of [Al Stewart - Roads To Moscow](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_ZG6tRGMYk) as well as some other things of his.
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### Author:  [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)
#### Post date: [October 13, 2015, 8:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-ever-been-a-better-story-song-than/734526/16 "2015-10-13T08:47:20Z")
Would a Boy Named Sue qualify?
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### Author:  [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)
#### Post date: [October 13, 2015, 9:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-ever-been-a-better-story-song-than/734526/17 "2015-10-13T09:00:38Z")
> [@madsircool](#):
>
> Would a Boy Named Sue qualify?
I some way, for sure. There’s a line between story songs and novelty songs but I’m not sure where to draw it. Some Country songs are in that area, for my tastes.
Others I can name offhand:
Sixteen Tons
Davy Crockett
Tennessee Stud
And here’s another Vaughn Monroe oldie that’s probably in that same box: [Vaughn Monroe - Black Denim Trousers and Motorcycle Boots](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WdWAAYDiRdE)
which may have prompted Robert Mitchum to write and produce the movie: [Robert Mitchum sings The Ballad of Thunder Road](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdwUpxkfSJw)
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### Author:  [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)
#### Post date: [October 13, 2015, 9:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-ever-been-a-better-story-song-than/734526/18 "2015-10-13T09:20:43Z")
American Pie
Highwayman by Lorena McKennett
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### Author:  [@Robert163](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robert163)
#### Post date: [October 13, 2015, 9:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-ever-been-a-better-story-song-than/734526/19 "2015-10-13T09:47:01Z")
[Sam Stone](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sl9ZkYViEIs) John Prine
is House Of The Rising Sun a story? If so, my favorite version is by Bob Dylan (not available on YouTube).
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### Author:  [@Robert163](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robert163)
#### Post date: [October 13, 2015, 9:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-ever-been-a-better-story-song-than/734526/20 "2015-10-13T09:55:10Z")
> [@Zeldar](#):
>
> Excellent choices. The Dylan is new to me, too.
The whole album is good, I rate every track at least a 7 out of 10, several 9/10. [Blood On The Tracks.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blood_on_the_Tracks) I rate [Idiot Wind](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BbhRHzMWRvs) 10/10 but I guess people will disagree what is the best song on that album… so many good choices.
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