# 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:** 3
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2009, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favourite-story-song/497598/41 "2009-05-26T13:02:09Z")
“Bowie Knife” by Frankie Lane. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2009, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favourite-story-song/497598/42 "2009-05-26T13:07:02Z")
“Famous Flower of Serving Man” and “Willie’s Lady” - Martin Carthy - plus tons of other ballads he’s recorded “Tam Lin” and “Matty Groves” - Fairport Convention “Willy o’ Winsbury” - Pentangle In a different vein, “Henry” and “Dirty Business” - New Riders of the Purple Sage “Me toos” for “Hurricane,” “Long Black Veil,” “1952 Vincent Black Lightning.” ---
**Author:** ![Frustrated\_Wonderer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a4c791/32.png) [@Frustrated\_Wonderer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frustrated_Wonderer)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2009, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favourite-story-song/497598/43 "2009-05-26T13:07:36Z")
“Scenes From An Italian Restaurant” - Billy Joel ---
**Author:** ![enomaj](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/59ef9b/32.png) [@enomaj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enomaj)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2009, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favourite-story-song/497598/44 "2009-05-26T13:26:42Z")
> [@Charger](#): > > “Devil Went Down to Georgia” by Charlie Daniels [KMC KRU - The Devil Came Up To Michigan](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pi8iiqD0ADM) ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2009, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favourite-story-song/497598/45 "2009-05-26T13:37:24Z")
Let us also shed a tear for One Tin Soldier by Coven, and Cher’s Gypsies, Tramps, and Thieves. 🙂 Another good ‘un: Tweeter and the Monkey Man, by The Traveling Wilburys. ---
**Author:** ![BubbaDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bubbadog/32/333_2.png) [@BubbaDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BubbaDog)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2009, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favourite-story-song/497598/46 "2009-05-26T14:01:31Z")
A story and a fairly accurate historical account - Al Stewart - [Roads to Moscow](http://www.alstewart.com/lyrics/roadstomoscow.htm) From the perspective of an unlucky Russian soldier pining for his home it tells the story of the WWII German army racing through Russia with ease on its way to Moscow. Repeating Napoleon’s mistake the Germans are cut off from the rear by the harsh Russian winter and then ambushed repeatedly during retreat. In the end the Russian army is on its way to Berlin and has little trouble dealing with the “old men and children” that are the last line of defense of that city. But for his years of service fighting the Germans the unlucky soldier is sent off to one of Stalin’s Siberian camps because he was briefly a prisoner of the German army. The lyrics read as a poem are fantastic while Steart’s voice and musical arrangement create a hypnotic an compelling experience. ---
**Author:** ![Yorikke](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yorikke/32/4335_2.png) [@Yorikke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorikke)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2009, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favourite-story-song/497598/47 "2009-05-26T14:29:27Z")
> [@Jeff](#): > > Tom Waits - **Romeo is Bleeding** , or **Frank’s Wild Years** , or **Murder in the Red Barn** > > _Now the ravens nest in the rotted roof > of Chenoweth’s old place > and no one’s asking Cal > about that scar upon his face > 'Cause there’s nothing strange > about an axe with bloodstains in the barn > There’s always some killing > you’ve got to do around the farm_ Yeah, Tom Waits is the king. Not originally by Waits, so maybe it doesn’t count, but I LOVE his “Big Joe and Phantom 309.” Joe ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2009, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favourite-story-song/497598/48 "2009-05-26T14:34:40Z")
“Country Death Song” - The Violent Femmes ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2009, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favourite-story-song/497598/49 "2009-05-26T14:37:48Z")
> [@BubbaDog](#): > > Al Stewart - [Roads to Moscow](http://www.alstewart.com/lyrics/roadstomoscow.htm) Ooh, wish I’d mentioned this one myself. Incredible song. Stewart’s gentle, almost dispassionate vocal delivery makes it even more chilling. ---
**Author:** ![Don\_Draper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Don\_Draper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_Draper)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2009, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favourite-story-song/497598/50 "2009-05-26T15:04:20Z")
[Uneasy Rider](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMN7fGZW_BY) - Charlie Daniels, wins my vote for - funniest. song. ever. Other songs that have stories: Of course, the ‘murder ballads’ mentioned in another ongoing CS thread. “Dark Lady” by Cher (hate the song, but it _is_ nevertheless a story song.) “One Tin Soldier” (Ugh, ditto) “Space Oddity” by David Bowie ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2009, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favourite-story-song/497598/51 "2009-05-26T15:06:15Z")
Short and sweet Paul Kelly [To Her Door](http://www.lyricsfreak.com/p/paul+kelly/to+her+door_20315912.html) The fantastical [The Strange Case Of Frank Cash And The Morning Paper](http://www.gugalyrics.com/T-BONE-BURNETT-THE-STRANGE-CASE-OF-FRANK-CASH-AND-THE-MORNING-PAPER-LYRICS/295377/) by T-Bone Burnett, one of the cleverest uses of the pop song ever. About a guy who finds that his daily paper lists next weeks football scores. Shades of _Early Edition_. Pretty funny too. And what about Eminen’s _Stan._ ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2009, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favourite-story-song/497598/52 "2009-05-26T16:00:10Z")
Add: “Dress Rehearsal Rag” and “Joan of Arc” - Leonard Cohen ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2009, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favourite-story-song/497598/53 "2009-05-26T19:29:49Z")
David Bowie - “Ground Control To Major Tom” ---
**Author:** ![Laalune](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/977dab/32.png) [@Laalune](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laalune)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2009, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favourite-story-song/497598/54 "2009-05-26T20:23:53Z")
Kylie Minogue & Nick Cave - \*Where The Wild Roses Grow \* Randy Travis - _Three Wooden Crosses_ Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers - _Into The Great Wide Open_ ---
**Author:** ![batsto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b2d939/32.png) [@batsto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/batsto)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2009, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favourite-story-song/497598/55 "2009-05-26T20:37:01Z")
Harry Chapin’s ‘30,000 lbs of Bananas’ Warren Zevon’s “Hit Somebody” or “Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner” ---
**Author:** ![AllShookDown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d9b06d/32.png) [@AllShookDown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AllShookDown)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2009, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favourite-story-song/497598/56 "2009-05-26T20:54:14Z")
> [@Dung\_Beetle](#): > > Another good ‘un: Tweeter and the Monkey Man, by The Traveling Wilburys. This one’s my favorite. ---
**Author:** ![SiXSwordS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/49beb7/32.png) [@SiXSwordS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SiXSwordS)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2009, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favourite-story-song/497598/57 "2009-05-26T21:11:40Z")
You never even called me by my name Featuring the immortal line: I was drunk the day my mom got outta prison ---
**Author:** ![Creaky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e68b1a/32.png) [@Creaky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Creaky)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2009, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favourite-story-song/497598/58 "2009-05-26T22:27:04Z")
“The Battle of New Orleans” by Johnny Horton. I so love that song. We learned it in school when I was nine. ---
**Author:** ![Gail](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Gail](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gail)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2009, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favourite-story-song/497598/59 "2009-05-26T23:50:10Z")
[Pills of White Mercury](http://www.traditionalmusic.co.uk/folk-song-lyrics/Pills_of_White_Mercury.htm) (traditional Irish) ---
**Author:** ![Apollyon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/apollyon/32/4238_2.png) [@Apollyon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apollyon)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2009, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favourite-story-song/497598/60 "2009-05-27T00:01:03Z")
Two all-time favourites: House of the Rising Sun (the Animals version). Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner (Warren Zevon). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favourite-story-song/497598.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favourite-story-song/497598.md?page=4)