# Non-Fiction songs. Examples? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 2, 2005, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-fiction-songs-examples/333759 "2005-12-02T17:05:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Scott\_Plaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Scott\_Plaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scott_Plaid)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2005, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-fiction-songs-examples/333759/1 "2005-12-02T17:05:54Z")
Now, I am a real fan of fantasy novels. However, I have heard of this new trend called “Non-fiction” writing. There are non-fiction books, non-fiction comic strips, and even non-fiction movies. How would have thought of such a thing! 😛 Now, I was listening to an interview with Arlo Guthrie a little while ago, and he mentioned that all the events of the song “Alic’s Resturant” actually happened. The garbage dumping, the sheriff, etc. This makes me wonder, what other songs actually make reference to things that actually happened? ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2005, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-fiction-songs-examples/333759/2 "2005-12-02T17:07:30Z")
The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2005, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-fiction-songs-examples/333759/3 "2005-12-02T17:09:55Z")
What’s that Vietnam War era song about the riots at Kent State University? _Four Dead in Ohio_? ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2005, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-fiction-songs-examples/333759/4 "2005-12-02T17:12:41Z")
> [@ivylass](#): > > What’s that Vietnam War era song about the riots at Kent State University? _Four Dead in Ohio_? That song’s just called “Ohio”. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2005, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-fiction-songs-examples/333759/5 "2005-12-02T17:19:03Z")
Speaking of Neil Young, how about Woodstock? ---
**Author:** ![Scott\_Plaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Scott\_Plaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scott_Plaid)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2005, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-fiction-songs-examples/333759/6 "2005-12-02T17:25:58Z")
> [@ShibbOleth](#): > > That song’s just called “Ohio”. To be more specific, it’s by [Neil Young](http://www.thrasherswheat.org/fot/ohio.htm) and recorded by Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young. ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2005, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-fiction-songs-examples/333759/7 "2005-12-02T17:35:11Z")
There are lots of songs with at least parts that are based on identifiable, real world events. To wit, “The Ballad of John and Yoko”, which contains references to actual events: Standing in the dock at Southampton, Trying to get to Holland or France. The man in the mac said, “You’ve got to turn back”. You know they didn’t even give us a chance. In this case, they weren’t allowed to go to France because of Lennon’s earlier drug conviction, IIRC. But that’s not a non-fiction song along the lines of “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald”. Are you interested in both types, or just purely “documentary” songs? ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2005, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-fiction-songs-examples/333759/8 "2005-12-02T17:37:25Z")
> [@Dung Beetle](#): > > Speaking of Neil Young, how about Woodstock? That’s Joni Mitchell’s song; covered by CSNY. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2005, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-fiction-songs-examples/333759/9 "2005-12-02T17:38:48Z")
Smoke on the Water - Deep Purple About an actual hotel fire in Montreux Switzerland. ---
**Author:** ![Scott\_Plaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Scott\_Plaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scott_Plaid)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2005, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-fiction-songs-examples/333759/10 "2005-12-02T17:40:22Z")
> [@ShibbOleth](#): > > Are you interested in both types, or just purely “documentary” songs? The key word is “identifiable, real world events” Thus, I am looking for both types. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2005, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-fiction-songs-examples/333759/11 "2005-12-02T17:41:58Z")
Hurricane, by Bob Dylan. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2005, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-fiction-songs-examples/333759/12 "2005-12-02T17:43:22Z")
Hurricane, by Bob Dylan. We Didn’t Start the Fire, by Billy Joel. How many points do I get for that? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![YaWanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/bbce88/32.png) [@YaWanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YaWanna)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2005, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-fiction-songs-examples/333759/13 "2005-12-02T17:44:41Z")
Jimmy Buffett has a song called “Jamaica Mistake” which tells the true story of how Jamaican authorities shot at his seaplane (which he was piloting at the time) because they mistook it for a drug-running plane. His wife, kids, and a friend were with him at the time. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2005, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-fiction-songs-examples/333759/14 "2005-12-02T17:46:37Z")
For What It’s Worth - Buffalo Springfield 1966 Sunset Strip riot. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2005, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-fiction-songs-examples/333759/15 "2005-12-02T17:47:53Z")
And do I get extra points for double-posting? :smack: ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2005, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-fiction-songs-examples/333759/16 "2005-12-02T17:56:14Z")
_American Pie_ by Don McLean. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2005, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-fiction-songs-examples/333759/17 "2005-12-02T17:58:22Z")
New York Mining Disaster, 1941 - The Bee Gees (When they were good!) ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2005, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-fiction-songs-examples/333759/18 "2005-12-02T18:02:39Z")
:smack: The ultimate example, IMHO, _Where Were You When the World Stopped Turning_ by Alan Jackson, about the Sept 11 terrorist attacks. ---
**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:** [December 2, 2005, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-fiction-songs-examples/333759/19 "2005-12-02T18:05:06Z")
1812 Overture 🙂 _Creeque Alley_ by the Mamas and the Papas was the story of the group’s formation. _Joe Hill_, the old labor organizing song sung by Joan Baez at Woodstock, is based on a real person. _Money for Nothing_ by Dire Straits was based upon an actual overheard conversation. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Borgia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_borgia/32/156_2.png) [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2005, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-fiction-songs-examples/333759/20 "2005-12-02T18:06:09Z")
Bob Dylan: “The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll.” Paul Kelly took the music from this song and wrote his own song “From little things big things come” about an Australian land dispute between indigenous miners and the mine owners. (IIRC) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-fiction-songs-examples/333759.md?page=2)