“Run Joey Run” by David Geddes-Not only the best story song, but simply the greatest song ever written
“One Tin Soldier” by Coven - Surprise ending really makes the listener ponder the innordinate value we place on material riches
“Billy Don’t Be A Hero” by Bo Donaldson and the Heywoods -
historically accurate representation of one man’s sense of
honor and responsibility during the Civil War
Where did you find it,Amadeus?
IIRC Yusef Islam (the artist formerly known as Cat Stevens(the artist formerly known as Stephen Demetri Georgiou)) recorded an album in the late 70’s called “Cat’s Cradle”,but never recorded Harry Chapin’s song “Cat’s in the Cradle”.
Gotta be this week’s winner of the SDMB Sraight Faced Leg Pull. Well done, **craiger **. Anyone who had the misfortune to be a disc jocket in the mid-70s and was required to not only actually play such dreck but to also pretend to be excited about it knows true anguish.
Both folk and country music offer huge quantities of story songs. Most of Dylan’s output falls into that category, and my personal favorite is “Lily, Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts” as sung by Joan Baez. It has a great tune, good Dylan imagery and a subject that includes old flames, love triangles, an outlaw, and evil mine owner, a robbery, a stage play, a murder-by-penknife and a hanging.
In the country field, I would suggest Townes Van Zandt’s “Pancho & Lefty” as sung by Merle Haggard and Willie Nelson for its historical roots about Pancho Villa and the strong suggestion that he was sold out by Lefty. Not the least of the appeal (aside from a haunting melody and superb singing) is the conclusion:
Pancho needs your prayers, it’s true
But save a few for Lefty, too
He only did what he had to do
And now he’s growing old.
Plus you gotta love any song with the line “his breath it stank like kerosene”.
In the rock venue, I’m drawn to Lynryd Skynyrd’s “Saturday
Night Special” featuring a series of vignettes depicting the tragedy of inexpensive, easily available handguns. It’s a most unlikely topic, particularly for a kickin’ southern rock song.
Ahh, I got it off of Napster. 
Don’t tell anyone. (Was actually spelled Kat Stevens, probably to skip the filters.
If it is not the original I would not be surprised. I once found the song “Dust in the wind” by the Moody Blues on napster. I thought I found some rare remix or something, and sent it to a friend to listen to it. His guess is that it was still Kansas, but [the moody blues] orchestrated it. Still not sure on it.
Alice’s Restaurant and The Motorcycle Song - Arlo Guthrie
Let’s see…
Born in the USA- Bruce Springsteen
Janie’s Got a Gun- Aerosmith
I guess the whole Wall or Dark Side of the Moon album could be interpreted as such…
I thought I knew so many…I’ll be back when my brain learns how to function…
And that’s not even mentioning the MP3’s on Nps*er that are purely mislabeled. There seems to be a lot of “Gee, what’s this song? Oh, I think it’s this title by…um…oh, yeah, I know I heard of this artist doing that song somewhere…” And of course, since your downloads are usually available for upload once they’re on your hard drive, the misinformation spreads.
I once downloaded “On My Own” from Les Mis, labeled as being sung by Bernadette Peters. I was excited…I’d never heard that version. I listened to it once it was finished…it was the original off the cast recording, which was not Bernadette Peters, though it does sound like her a bit. Mislabeling is rampant…
jayjay
“Killing an Arab” by the Cure
“With Arms Wide Open” by Creed
“The River” by Bruce Springsteen
“I Was Meant For You” by Jewel
Uneasy Rider - Charlie Daniels
Not only a funny tale of a longhair’s bad luck on a trip in the deepest South of the early 1970’s, it also has couplets that are sung/spoken such that you almost want to speak in the same way for a short time after hearing it. And you tend to read passages to yourself the same way too. It’s hard to describe, guess you have to experience it for yourself. 
Why stop there? Just about EVERYTHING by Pink Floyd and/or Roger Waters after Syd Barrett left. The Wall, Dark Side, Wish You Were Here, The Final Cut, Pros & Cons of Hitchhiking, Amused to Death (my favorite)… note that those latter two were part of Waters’ solo career.
I always thought Deep Purple’s “Smoke On The Water” had some realy stupid lyrics. I later found out it was a true story of a disastrous gig in Switzerland. I still think it’s stupid.
The Beatles – Rocky Raccoon
Oscar Brown Jr. – Signifyin Monkey, But I Was Cool, The Snake
Sting – Rock Steady, Seven Brides
Several of Jimmy Buffets song tell stories and they are all the greatest works of art ever. period end of discussion.
So highlights are
God’s Own Drunk
Gypsise in the Palace
Fins
Jolly Mon
and of course
Margaritaville
date rape by sublime!
not only is this one of the greatest songs ever written, it has an complete storyline and a great message.
I know I’m sounding like a broken record, but John Prine is the king of the ‘story’ songs. Some of his best:
“Sam Stone” - a story about a Vietnam vet who gets addicted to morphine after being wounded and becomes a junkie. (“There’s a hole in daddy’s arm, where all the money goes…”)
“Donald and Lydia” - a story of two people who have never met, but are both lonely.
“Hello in There” - a very sad song about aging, and winding up bored and lonely. ("Me and Loretta, we don’t talk much more. She sits and stares at the backdoor screen. And all the news just repeats itself, like some forgotten dream. That we’ve both seen. ")
“Angel from Montgomery” - The life story of an old woman looking back. (“If dreams were lighting, and thunder was desire, this old house would have burned down a long time ago”).
“Far from Me” - A story of a relationship failing. "We used to laugh together, and dance to any old song. Well you know, she still laughs with me, but she waits just a second too long. And the sky is black and still now, on a hill where the angels sing, “Ain’t it funny, how an old broken bottle looks just like a diamond ring.”)
“Christmas in Prison” - “It was Christmas in prison, and the food was real good. We had turkey, and pistols carved out of wood.”
And there are many, many more. Almost all his songs are ‘story’ songs.
I agree Sam Stone. I like his lighter stuff, too.
Dear Abby, Dear Abby…
Well I never thought
That me and my girlfriend would ever get caught
We were sitting in the back seat just shooting the breeze
With her hair up in curlers and her pants to her knees
Signed Just Married
Just Married, Just Married…
I can’t believe everyone’s already missed the OBVIOUS choice. I mean, they even TELL you straight up it’s a story song!
“Here’s the story/ Of a lovely lady!”
A whole bunch of songs by The Band, for instance, “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down”, “King Harvest”, “Acadian Driftwood”, “Daniel and the Sacred Harp”, and many more.
How about “Tangled Up in Blue” by Dylan? Not to mention “The Man in the Long Black Coat”, “Hurricane”, and many of his early folk songs.
Lynyrd Skynyrd, “What’s Your Name”,
George Thorogood, “One Bourbon, One Scotch, and One Beer”
Garth Brooks, “The Thunder Rolls”
Meatloaf, “Paradise By The Dashboard Light”
Jethro Tull, “Agualung”
Dire Straits, “Brothers in Arms”
Cab Calloway “Minnie the Moocher”
plus thousands more…
The Beatles- Eleanor Rigby
Blink 182 - Rock Show
3 doors down- be like that