# What's Your Favourite "Story" Song **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 25, 2009, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favourite-story-song/497598 "2009-05-25T19:59:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2009, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favourite-story-song/497598/1 "2009-05-25T19:59:41Z")
I’m sure there’s a technical word for it but I’m not sure what it is. I think it used to be ballad but the meaning has changed somewhat. Anyway what I mean is a song that basically tells a story. Like “Ode to Billy Joe,” or “Harper Vally PTA,” or “Wreck of the Edumnd Fitzgerald.” I don’t know if I have a favourite but I always like the above songs as well as Vicki Lawrences “Night the Lights Went Out in Gerogia.” You can tell I’m stuck in the 60s and 70s huh? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![ivan\_astikov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@ivan\_astikov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivan_astikov)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2009, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favourite-story-song/497598/2 "2009-05-25T20:05:42Z")
I’d have to put “Hurricane” by Bob Dylan at the top of that list, I think. Pushed closely by Peter Gabriel’s “Biko” and “The Ghosts Of Cable Street” by The Men They Couldn’t Hang. ---
**Author:** ![Estilicon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/848f3c/32.png) [@Estilicon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Estilicon)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2009, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favourite-story-song/497598/3 "2009-05-25T20:53:15Z")
Hurricane, American Pie or the Argentinian National Anathem 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_T-Cups](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Sir\_T-Cups](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_T-Cups)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2009, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favourite-story-song/497598/4 "2009-05-25T20:55:01Z")
If it counts…Horse With No Name. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2009, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favourite-story-song/497598/5 "2009-05-25T21:00:49Z")
I’m partial to _John Henry_ and _El Paso_. I love the way the dead cowboy accepts his fate. He died for love. It’s not really a story song (maybe a **short** story) but I love _Gimme Three Steps_ too. Some of the sappy stories from the 50’s and 60’s still do it for me – _Blind Man in the Bleachers_, _Patches_, _Teen Angel_, _Last Kiss_. ---
**Author:** ![Southern\_Yankee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/southern_yankee/32/2800_2.png) [@Southern\_Yankee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Southern_Yankee)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2009, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favourite-story-song/497598/6 "2009-05-25T21:10:11Z")
_Lily, Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts_ ---
**Author:** ![Ferd\_Burfel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecccb3/32.png) [@Ferd\_Burfel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferd_Burfel)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2009, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favourite-story-song/497598/7 "2009-05-25T21:30:54Z")
\*\*Taxi \*\*by Harry Chapin **Have Som Madeira My Dear** by The Limeliters **Scenes From An Italian Restaurant** by Billy Joel ---
**Author:** ![ToeJam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dfb087/32.png) [@ToeJam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ToeJam)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2009, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favourite-story-song/497598/8 "2009-05-25T21:58:20Z")
Alice’s Restaurant. Duh. ---
**Author:** ![Jorge\_Burrito](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Jorge\_Burrito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jorge_Burrito)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2009, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favourite-story-song/497598/9 "2009-05-25T22:10:11Z")
Favorite not mentioned so far is The Mariner’s Revenge by The Decemberists. All time favorite is probably American Pie. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2009, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favourite-story-song/497598/10 "2009-05-25T22:17:05Z")
“Eurotrash Girl” by Cracker “Norwegian Wood” by the Beatles “Spiders and Snakes” by Jim Stafford ---
**Author:** ![MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MPB_in_Salt_Lake)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2009, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favourite-story-song/497598/11 "2009-05-25T22:20:02Z")
Grateful Dead’s “Wharf Rat” has some powerful imagery. Van Morrisons’ “Madame George” is also very evocative, though Van himself has recently mentioned he’s actually still not sure what his own song is really about… ---
**Author:** ![River\_Hippie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/river_hippie/32/26_2.png) [@River\_Hippie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/River_Hippie)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2009, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favourite-story-song/497598/12 "2009-05-25T22:33:28Z")
[The Road Goes On Forever](http://www.ely.com/LoveAndDanger.html#The%20Road%20Goes%20on%20Forever) by **Joe Ely** \* “Sonny’s playin’ eight-ball at the joint where Sherry works When some drunken out-a-towner put his hand up Sherry’s skirt Sonny took his pool cue–Laid the drunk out on the floor Stuffed a dollar in her tip jar and walked on out the door She’s runnin’ right behind him, reachin’ for his hand The road goes on forever and the party never ends.” - Written by Robert Earl Keen, Jr. ---
**Author:** ![enomaj](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/59ef9b/32.png) [@enomaj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enomaj)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2009, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favourite-story-song/497598/13 "2009-05-25T22:42:47Z")
Children’s Story - Slick Rick ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2009, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favourite-story-song/497598/14 "2009-05-25T23:15:56Z")
Taxi is a good one. Piano Man is right up there. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2009, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favourite-story-song/497598/15 "2009-05-25T23:16:58Z")
Widdecombe Fair - traditional English folk song Barrett’s Privateers by Stan Rogers ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2009, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favourite-story-song/497598/16 "2009-05-25T23:21:13Z")
Richard Thompson - “1952 Vincent Black Lightning” ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_T-Cups](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Sir\_T-Cups](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_T-Cups)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2009, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favourite-story-song/497598/17 "2009-05-25T23:26:39Z")
I wanna add: **Mama Said** by Metallica. One of the few country songs by the metal band, and about the only song close to country I like. ---
**Author:** ![River\_Hippie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/river_hippie/32/26_2.png) [@River\_Hippie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/River_Hippie)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2009, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favourite-story-song/497598/18 "2009-05-25T23:32:23Z")
> [@Shoeless](#): > > Richard Thompson - “1952 Vincent Black Lightning” Good one ! ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2009, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favourite-story-song/497598/19 "2009-05-25T23:37:05Z")
Harry Chapin had a number of them. One of my favourites is “Better Place to Be,” though “Flowers are Red” and “Bummer” are good too. Elton John’s “Ticking” from the Caribou album is worth mentioning too. And another from Stan Rogers: “The Mary Ellen Carter.” ---
**Author:** ![MadTheSwine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MadTheSwine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MadTheSwine)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2009, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favourite-story-song/497598/20 "2009-05-26T01:03:37Z")
> [@AuntiePam](#): > > I’m partial to _John Henry_ and _El Paso_. I love the way the dead cowboy accepts his fate. He died for love. You might like another Marty Robbins song called Utah Carroll. [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/apq8EDzflPI/hqdefault.jpg "Marty Robbins - Utah Carol") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apq8EDzflPI) Marty has a bunch of very good story songs.The best story teller in the history of music, IMO. The Masters Call Running Gun The two sequels to El Paso; El Paso City Feleena [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LOPD-p8tM4M](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LOPD-p8tM4M) (I really like this video,simple but very neat) Strawberry Roan They’re Hanging me Tonight Big Iron Billy the Kid Several others [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favourite-story-song/497598.md?page=2)