# What's your favorite "story song"? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 10, 2002, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-story-song/136107 "2002-11-10T05:27:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![DaToad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@DaToad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DaToad)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2002, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-story-song/136107/61 "2002-11-11T22:05:48Z")
Most of the ones that I would call great have been named earlier, but here are a couple that I remember listening to during my S.E. Asian vacation, way back in 1969. Trouble Every Day, F. Zappa Ballad of the Hulk, Jerry Jeff Walker ---
**Author:** ![Bomzaway](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e480ec/32.png) [@Bomzaway](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bomzaway)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2002, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-story-song/136107/62 "2002-11-11T22:33:35Z")
Although **Red Barchetta** is excellent, I think **The Trees** is a bit better. And one that I think is a bit obscure is **The Outsider** which comes from one of the greatest yet most overlooked albums of all time, **You’re Never Alone With a Schizophrenic** by Ian Hunter. Oh, and since nobody mentioned it yet, **Bohemian Rhapsody**. ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2002, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-story-song/136107/63 "2002-11-11T23:32:10Z")
I don’t think this one has been mentioned yet… **The Scotsman** by ? About the Scottish bloke who falls asleep under a tree and a couple of young women wander by and take a peek beneath his kilt. When he wakes up there’s a blue ribbon tied around his…uhhh…willy. Hilarious! ---
**Author:** ![Joe\_Cool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ecb155/32.png) [@Joe\_Cool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joe_Cool)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2002, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-story-song/136107/64 "2002-11-11T23:33:01Z")
I have to second all the Kenny Rogers songs, plus name El Paso by Marty Robbins. But the most fun one is Watching Scotty Die, by the Dead Milkmen. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![fizgig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f04885/32.png) [@fizgig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fizgig)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2002, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-story-song/136107/65 "2002-11-12T00:19:30Z")
I can’t believe I forgot **Too High for the Supermarket** by the Uninvited. Also, **Gin N’ Juice** especially as covered by Phish. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Jerevan\_Somerville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c37758/32.png) [@Jerevan\_Somerville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jerevan_Somerville)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2002, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-story-song/136107/66 "2002-11-12T00:31:40Z")
_Fairytale of New York_, by _Kirsty MacColl_\* and **The Pogues** Her version of _Miss Otis Regrets_ is good, too (echoing an earlier vote). _Two Hot Girls on a Hot Summer Night_, by **Carly Simon** And at the possible risk of being accused of schlock-mongering, _All I Wanna Do Is Make Love to You_, by **Heart**. In part because I didn’t “get” the final lyrics on the first listen. (Don’t laugh; neither did Ann Wilson!) ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2002, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-story-song/136107/67 "2002-11-12T02:22:46Z")
“Comin’ After Jinny” by Tex Ritter. Written by that ole cowboy himself, “famed” country song writer Shel Silverstein. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2002, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-story-song/136107/68 "2002-11-12T02:24:55Z")
Oops! And one of his other songs is also in this list! ---
**Author:** ![moonchilde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3e96dc/32.png) [@moonchilde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moonchilde)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2002, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-story-song/136107/69 "2002-11-12T03:21:46Z")
Another vote for “Mr. Tanner” from Harry Chapin. Also “Suzanne” by Leonard Cohen, and a bunch from another great story teller, Jimmy Buffett…“Spider John”, “West Nashville Grand Ballroom Gown”, “A Pirate Looks at 40”, “He Went to Paris” (okay, i really like his early stuff best :). And above all of the Buffett songs… “God’s Own Drunk”! ---
**Author:** ![chiefhardcrab](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e68b1a/32.png) [@chiefhardcrab](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chiefhardcrab)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2002, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-story-song/136107/70 "2002-11-12T05:10:07Z")
“The Scotsman” is by Mike Cross Bryan Bowers does a version also. ---
**Author:** ![WavyDavy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/3da27b/32.png) [@WavyDavy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WavyDavy)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2002, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-story-song/136107/71 "2002-11-12T16:06:14Z")
How about **The Road Goes on Forever** sung by the The Highwaymen (Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash and Kris Kristofferson) and written by James Earl Keen Jr. ---
**Author:** ![Algernon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a183cd/32.png) [@Algernon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Algernon)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2002, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-story-song/136107/72 "2002-11-12T18:28:54Z")
Already named, but I want to add my votes for… **Taxi** - Harry Chapin **Paradise By The Dashboard Lights** - Meatloaf ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2002, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-story-song/136107/73 "2002-11-12T18:57:54Z")
_Sittin’ there on that sack of seeds…_ ---
**Author:** ![In\_Conceivable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/4bbf92/32.png) [@In\_Conceivable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/In_Conceivable)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2002, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-story-song/136107/74 "2002-11-12T19:00:44Z")
**Sink the Bismark** by Johnny Horton > [@](#): > > They’ll find that German battleship that’s makin’ such a fuss > We’ve gotta sink the Bismarck ‘cause the world depends on us > Hey hit the decks arnnnin’ boys and spin those guns around > For when we find the Bismarck we gotta cut 'er down. **Leader of the Pack** by > [@](#): > > One day my dad said, find someone new > I had to tell my Jimmy we’re through > (Sorry Jimmy) > He stood there and asked me why > But all I could do was cry > I’m sorry I hurt you (the leader of the pack) ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2002, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-story-song/136107/75 "2002-11-12T19:08:40Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Shodan \* > \*\*Ringo. > Or its companion piece, Irving, the 142nd Fastest Gun in the West. > No idea who sang either. > > Regards, > Shodan > > Although Big Bad John is almost equally classic. \*\* Can’t give you _Irving…_, but _Ringo_\* was brought to the airwaves by Lorne “Ben Cartwright/Alpo Man/Voice of Doom/Battlestar-Galactica-guy”\* Greene. \*[sub]Not necessarily in the order given[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![crazy4chaucer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b5e925/32.png) [@crazy4chaucer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crazy4chaucer)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2002, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-story-song/136107/76 "2002-11-12T20:05:32Z")
Rocky Raccoon, by the Beatles Escape (The Pina Colada Song) – not really, but I had to mention it anyway!! 😃 The Unicorns, by Shel Silverstein (sung by The Clancy Bros & Tommy Makem) ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2002, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-story-song/136107/77 "2002-11-12T21:01:07Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by WavyDavy \* > \*\*How about **The Road Goes on Forever** sung by the The Highwaymen (Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash and Kris Kristofferson) and written by James Earl Keen Jr. \*\* Wavy, a post like that could get you hurt where I’m from! :mad: First off, it’s **Robert** Earl Keen. (and James Earl **Jones** was Darth Vader) 😛 Second, though I haven’t heard the Highwaymen version, anything other than Robert Earl’s own performance of **The Road Goes On Forever** just wouldn’t be _right._ Since you mentioned The Highwaymen, the song **The Highwayman** is a good story song. Just wanted to clear that up. We take REK seriously around here. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Typo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5fc32e/32.png) [@Typo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2002, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-story-song/136107/78 "2002-11-12T22:22:08Z")
Okay, for a seriously sick but still kind of fun story song - “Country Death Song” by **The Violent Femmes**. \ I gave her a push, I gave her a shove. I pushed with all my might, I pushed with all my love. I threw my child into a bottomless pit. She was screaming as she fell, but I never heard her hit. She was screaming as she fell, but I never heard her hit. \ Lyrics [here](http://www.leoslyrics.com/listlyrics.php?sid=%22%E4%A0C%87%24%25%0C) ---
**Author:** ![chiefhardcrab](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e68b1a/32.png) [@chiefhardcrab](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chiefhardcrab)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2002, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-story-song/136107/79 "2002-11-12T22:50:29Z")
“The Ballad of Irving” - Frank Gallop ---
**Author:** ![Labdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/439d5e/32.png) [@Labdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labdad)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2002, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-story-song/136107/80 "2002-11-13T01:28:27Z")
**Kalashnikov** has already mentioned _Copperhead Road_ by Steve Earle, who for my money is one of the best “story” songwriters working today. Two Earle favorites of mine are _Tom Ames’ Prayer_ and _Taneytown_. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-story-song/136107.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-story-song/136107.md?page=5)