“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.
The audio quality isn’t great on this one, but it’s the only live version I found.
I’ve done that song with a small group at karaoke. Well.
A couple of Aussie ones by Paul Kelly:
This one is about civil rights activist Vincent Ligiari.
This one is about Don Bradman.
Came here to mention “Spill the Wine” but Kent Clark beat me to it, so I figured I’d add:
This puppy is best with headphones and 11 volume. More of a yelled than sung “chorus”.
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), which seems to fit this thread.
I may have missed it above, but there’s Arlo Guthrie’s The Motorcycle Song - - several versions.
Also The Little Nash Rambler (Beep, beep) by The Playmates
I don’t understand this part. What’s one got to do with the other?
The Shangri-Las’ “Leader of the Pack”. It has spoken word and sound effects!
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