# Story-songs (other than Alice's Restaurant) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** music\ **Created:** [October 20, 2021, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/story-songs-other-than-alices-restaurant/952802 "2021-10-20T01:34:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2021, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/story-songs-other-than-alices-restaurant/952802/141 "2021-10-23T18:14:52Z")
“You Never Call Me by My Name” by John Prine and Steve Goodman is a story song, with a talking part telling a story about making the story song. That’s some meta stuff there. [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TxKgj7w3tBU) The audio quality isn’t great on this one, but it’s the only live version I found. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2021, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/story-songs-other-than-alices-restaurant/952802/142 "2021-10-23T22:43:59Z")
> [@Sam\_Stone](#): > > “You Never Call Me by My Name” I’ve done that song with a small group at karaoke. Well. ---
**Author:** ![Capn\_Carl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/838e76/32.png) [@Capn\_Carl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capn_Carl)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2021, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/story-songs-other-than-alices-restaurant/952802/143 "2021-10-24T02:23:27Z")
A couple of Aussie ones by Paul Kelly: This one is about civil rights activist Vincent Ligiari. [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/6_ndC07C2qw/hqdefault.jpg "Paul Kelly - From Little Things Big Things Grow") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_ndC07C2qw) This one is about Don Bradman. [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/hjZHfEIEJ54/hqdefault.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEmCOADEOgC8quKqQMa8AEB-AH2BIAC4AOKAgwIABABGGIgYihiMA8=&rs=AOn4CLAsSiyG72mCFDu_iNz-kuSsO0o7Eg "Paul Kelly - Bradman (Official Video)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjZHfEIEJ54) ---
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2021, 8:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/story-songs-other-than-alices-restaurant/952802/144 "2021-10-24T08:10:30Z")
> [@elfkin477](#): > > Well, although there is music in the background, it’s for the most part a person telling a story. And there’s a chorus that’s actually sung. Came here to mention “Spill the Wine” but **Kent Clark** beat me to it, so I figured I’d add: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/4KP9PNSUME4/maxresdefault.jpg "Robbie Robertson - Somewhere Down The Crazy River (Official Music Video)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4KP9PNSUME4) [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/CuqEpjcBfaU/maxresdefault.jpg "Good Morning, Captain") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CuqEpjcBfaU) This puppy is best with headphones and 11 volume. More of a yelled than sung “chorus”. ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2021, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/story-songs-other-than-alices-restaurant/952802/145 "2021-10-24T19:11:49Z")
Last night I happened to turn on the TV when it was tuned to PBS, while “Bluegrass Underground” was airing, and caught the Del McCoury Band’s cover of “Vincent Black Lightning” (originally by [Richard Thompson](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Thompson_(musician))), which seems to fit this thread. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/K7uyG6RrBDE/maxresdefault.jpg "Del McCoury Band's "Vincent Black Lightning" from BLUEGRASS UNDERGROUND") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7uyG6RrBDE) ---
**Author:** ![lobotomyboy63](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobotomyboy63/32/2900_2.png) [@lobotomyboy63](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lobotomyboy63)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2021, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/story-songs-other-than-alices-restaurant/952802/146 "2021-10-24T19:21:22Z")
[![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/MgIwLeASnkw/maxresdefault.jpg "Elmo & Patsy - Grandma Got Run over by a Reindeer") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MgIwLeASnkw) ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2021, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/story-songs-other-than-alices-restaurant/952802/147 "2021-10-27T05:14:39Z")
I may have missed it above, but there’s Arlo Guthrie’s The Motorcycle Song - - several versions. Also [The Little Nash Rambler](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNAdGSpfBmM) (Beep, beep) by The Playmates ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2021, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/story-songs-other-than-alices-restaurant/952802/148 "2021-10-27T05:57:55Z")
> [@Treppenwitz](#): > > Having obtained his pork (and so ensured he has enough money for weed), I don’t understand this part. What’s one got to do with the other? ---
**Author:** ![aurora\_maire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aurora_maire/32/328_2.png) [@aurora\_maire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aurora_maire)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2021, 6:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/story-songs-other-than-alices-restaurant/952802/149 "2021-10-27T06:43:34Z")
The Shangri-Las’ “Leader of the Pack”. It has spoken word and sound effects! [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/t5vFOpVGjVc/hqdefault.jpg "The Shangri-Las - Leader Of The Pack [Full Stereo Version]") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t5vFOpVGjVc) ---
**Author:** ![Treppenwitz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treppenwitz/32/3445_2.png) [@Treppenwitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Treppenwitz)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2021, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/story-songs-other-than-alices-restaurant/952802/150 "2021-10-27T16:40:58Z")
I assume pork is the cheap option of all the choices the butcher boy offers. The song starts with Ozzy fretting about his finances, and worrying about how he is going to be able to buy weed. > Rasta Ozzy from up the hill > Decide to check on him grocery bill > And when him add up the things him need > [something] him see if he buy little weed For the purpose of assisting meditation, it would seem. Ozzy concludes his only option is to buy a (cheaper) meat that he will not mention by name, hence: > I make up my mind Lord > I might as well go 'gainst I man faith Much as I love this song, I don’t pretend it’s easy to follow. The lyric is easy enough to find online, but every version I’ve ever seen is full of errors (and no doubt I’m making errors of my own); and even when you can make out the words, what they actually mean can remain a mystery: > Butcher boy: Take fish then > Ozzy: Got children outta that range ? In any case, as I’ve said here before, there’s always a place in the world for the perfect pop song. j [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/story-songs-other-than-alices-restaurant/952802.md?page=7)