One of my favorites: Harry Nilsson, “Good Old Desk”
“My old desk does an arabesque / in the morning when I first arrive . . .”
No, it’s not. It apparently is about a dead woman, but it isn’t about that at all. All it takes is the knowledge that Stevens and D’arbanville were an item. Common knowledge at the time the song was released, to anyone who was a fan of Stevens. So not an obscure metaphor at all. Just poetic bitchiness on Steven’s part.
Yes, it does.
Well, yes. That’s what “really” means. It’s the difference between that and seeming
No. It’s really about Patti D’arbanville. Anything else is seeming.
I don’t doubt it - Heavy Horses is also an eco-polemic, for instance.
Then what’s your problem? I *didn’t *say it shouldn’t be listed, you’re right. It’s a cool song and it fits right in here.
Nobody’s mentioned the great Thanksgiving tradition that is Alice’s Restaurant?
“Mack the Knife” is a muderer.
“Big Bad John” is about a mining disaster.
“Sixteen Tons” is about miners.
“James K. Polk” is about that President.
Bruce Springsteen’s Murder Incorporated - about the Mafia
Bruce Springsteen Johnny 99 - about a guy who loses his job and kills a man and has to face the judge…
Bruce Springsteen - Nebraska- about Charles Raymond Starkweather
I had to include Get 'Em Out By Friday in this - although it is about tenants being evicted (not all that unusual), the theme includes a Genetic Control agency that is restricting the height of all humans to four feet, in order to accommodate twice as many people in a single floor of living space.
ZZ Top, “Master of Sparks.” AFAICT, it’s about a guy being welded into a steel cage, put in the back of a pickup, then, at speed, letting fly out the back, or something.
ZZ Top, “The Squank.” Nobody knows WTF that’s about.
For the soft-rock/easy-listening crew, Steely Dan, “Dr. Wu.”
Speaking of Oysterband, how about “Oxford Girl”?
“Poisoning Pigeons in the Park”, by Tom Lehrer. Also his song, “The Elements.”
“Sammy Was a Sailor”, about a guy being encouraged to swim after he fell overboard.
And, the immortal, “99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall”.
Heard an amazing new talent featured on the BBC World Service the other day.
Tiny Ruins
She’s from New Zealand, is absurdly young and talented, and writes haunting, minimalist songs, often on unusual topics. One of several standout songs is Priest With Balloons
It’s about Father Adelir de Carli, a Brazilian priest who tried to break the world record for cluster ballooning in 2008, to raise money for a spiritual truck stop in Brazil, but disappeared instead.
What was he looking for - truth or was it heaven?
Or did he just want to go out with a bang, so to speak?
“Chain Lightning” by Steely Dan, about a fascist party rally
This one cracks me up: “Dear Abby” by John Prine. As the title would suggest, it takes the form of Dear Abby letters and her stock answers.