# Why did the story song and instrumental fall out of favor in pop music? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 8, 2006, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-story-song-and-instrumental-fall-out-of-favor-in-pop-music/359889 "2006-06-08T14:22:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2006, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-story-song-and-instrumental-fall-out-of-favor-in-pop-music/359889/21 "2006-06-09T02:16:04Z")
Well, there was R. Kelly’s “Trapped in the Closet.” 😛 Actually, “Panic at the Disco” seems to do narrative style songs. ---
**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2006, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-story-song-and-instrumental-fall-out-of-favor-in-pop-music/359889/22 "2006-06-09T02:22:31Z")
> [@Don Logan](#): > > Have any instrumentals charted in the US since the Miami Vice theme? Kenny G made the charts a few times, off the top of my head. ---
**Author:** ![xnylder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/bbce88/32.png) [@xnylder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xnylder)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2006, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-story-song-and-instrumental-fall-out-of-favor-in-pop-music/359889/23 "2006-06-09T02:27:05Z")
> [@Exapno Mapcase](#): > > How are “epics” related to story songs? Can you give some examples? One example that springs to mind is “Crusader” by Chris de Burgh. It’s a story song that retells history in an epic (albeit biased) way. ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2006, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-story-song-and-instrumental-fall-out-of-favor-in-pop-music/359889/24 "2006-06-09T04:39:16Z")
> [@Exapno Mapcase](#): > > Huh? I’ve never heard of [“I’ve Been to Paradise (but I’ve never been to Me)”] and googling it confirms that it never penetrated my consciousness at all. As was mentioned previously, consider yourself fortunate. Listening to this song is like being forced at gunpoint to read the works of Danielle Steele. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2006, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-story-song-and-instrumental-fall-out-of-favor-in-pop-music/359889/25 "2006-06-09T04:40:19Z")
“Blind” response to the OP: Reason against the “Instrumental:” Such a song would force people to actually listen to listen to music and judge it on its own merits. This is rarely done in music today. You can’t sing along with it exactly, and the name of the song is often forgotten. I often see instumentals as albub tracks, though. Reason against the “Story Song:” Such a song would force people to actually listen to listen to the lyrics and judge it on its own merits. 😉 This is done in country music, but less now than in years past; it is rare in pop music. Most story songs lack a bridge and can be too long for a modern radio single. On that note… Around half the tracks by my favorite band (Gaelic Storm) are instrumentals, and their most popular song is a story song (“Johnny Tarr”). ---
**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:** [June 9, 2006, 7:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-story-song-and-instrumental-fall-out-of-favor-in-pop-music/359889/26 "2006-06-09T07:36:33Z")
A heavy-metal ‘story’ song: “Iron Man”, by Black Sabbath (or is it an Ozzie solo track?) And the lyrics are just godawful. I’m sure it must have been the inspiration for Spinal Tap. Story songs are alive and well. Any **Fountains of Wayne** album will have a couple. **The Decemberists** have whole bunch of them. **John Prine** still sings them. And rap music is full of them. **Eminem** has a bunch. Some autobiographical, some not. ---
**Author:** ![RandMcnally](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b782af/32.png) [@RandMcnally](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RandMcnally)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2006, 7:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-story-song-and-instrumental-fall-out-of-favor-in-pop-music/359889/27 "2006-06-09T07:58:32Z")
> [@Sam Stone](#): > > **Eminem** has a bunch. Some autobiographical, some not. That’s who I came in here to mention. Whether you like him or not, you can’t say some of his songs tell a story. If you ask nicely, maybe **Diosabellisima** or whatever her name is, will explain how she finds Eminem’s “Kim” is the “Annabel Lee” of today’s generation. Or something like that. ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2006, 11:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-story-song-and-instrumental-fall-out-of-favor-in-pop-music/359889/28 "2006-06-09T11:16:54Z")
The funniest thing about “I’ve Been to Paradise” is that it was on the Motown label. Yes, _that_ Motown. If you haven’t heard the song, trust me, it’s the last song you’d imagine sharing studio space with Marvin Gaye or Rick James. ---
**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:** [June 9, 2006, 11:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-story-song-and-instrumental-fall-out-of-favor-in-pop-music/359889/29 "2006-06-09T11:47:50Z")
> [@NDP](#): > > As was mentioned previously, consider yourself fortunate. Listening to this song is like being forced at gunpoint to read the works of Danielle Steele. Yeah, but I’ve got a worse one: Undercover Angel, by Alan O’Day. I heard it on the radio yesterday and I was laughing so hard I almost ran off the road. Great stuff. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Don\_Logan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f07891/32.png) [@Don\_Logan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_Logan)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2006, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-story-song-and-instrumental-fall-out-of-favor-in-pop-music/359889/30 "2006-06-09T13:26:30Z")
If I’m not mistaken, another funny thing about “I’ve Never Been to Me” is that it was released in 1977, and barely scraped the bottom of the Hot 100. Then in 1982,(lucky for us) some DJ, for reasons lost in history, began playing it and it became a huge hit. ---
**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:** [June 9, 2006, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-story-song-and-instrumental-fall-out-of-favor-in-pop-music/359889/31 "2006-06-09T13:57:45Z")
You’ve gotta love those **Iron Man** lyrics… Has he lost his mind? Can he see or is he blind? Can he walk at all, Or if he moves will he fall? Is he alive or dead? Has he thoughts within his head? Well just pass him there Why should we even care? He was turned to steel In the great magnetic field Ah yes… The great magnetic field. It was turning things into steel left and right. ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2006, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-story-song-and-instrumental-fall-out-of-favor-in-pop-music/359889/32 "2006-06-09T18:19:52Z")
> [@Walloon](#): > > The funniest thing about “I’ve Been to Paradise” is that it was on the Motown label. Yes, _that_ Motown. If you haven’t heard the song, trust me, it’s the last song you’d imagine sharing studio space with Marvin Gaye or Rick James. But keep in mind this was late 70’s/80’s Motown–well after its Detroit-based heyday. By the time of “I’ve Never Been to Paradise,” the company had moved itself to LA, lost its distinctive “sound”, and had become just another record label. > [@Dung Beetle](#): > > Yeah, but I’ve got a worse one: Undercover Angel, by Alan O’Day. I heard it on the radio yesterday and I was laughing so hard I almost ran off the road. Great stuff. I only vaguely remember this one. Was that a story song? ---
**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:** [June 9, 2006, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-story-song-and-instrumental-fall-out-of-favor-in-pop-music/359889/33 "2006-06-09T19:14:23Z")
[link](http://www.alanoday.com/alllyrics.html) ---
**Author:** ![BMax](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bmax/32/4267_2.png) [@BMax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMax)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2006, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-story-song-and-instrumental-fall-out-of-favor-in-pop-music/359889/34 "2006-06-09T19:50:00Z")
> [@Dung Beetle](#): > > Yeah, but I’ve got a worse one: Undercover Angel, by Alan O’Day. I heard it on the radio yesterday and I was laughing so hard I almost ran off the road. Great stuff. 🙂 LMAO. Isn’t that song was about wet dreams, or masturbation? ---
**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:** [June 9, 2006, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-story-song-and-instrumental-fall-out-of-favor-in-pop-music/359889/35 "2006-06-09T20:01:27Z")
Wet dream, I think. The best part is Underneath the covers The answer lies I’m lookin’ for my angel In your sweet lovin’ eyes. She said WHAT? I bet she did. ---
**Author:** ![JohnBckWLD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d6d6ee/32.png) [@JohnBckWLD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnBckWLD)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2006, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-story-song-and-instrumental-fall-out-of-favor-in-pop-music/359889/36 "2006-06-09T20:05:29Z")
Remakes of **David Geddes** _Run Joey Run_ & _Last Game of the Season (A Blind Man in the Bleachers)_ :eek: ---
**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:** [June 13, 2006, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-story-song-and-instrumental-fall-out-of-favor-in-pop-music/359889/37 "2006-06-13T12:34:42Z")
Sorry for resuscitating the thread, but I heard Run Joey Run on the radio yesterday and I wanted to ask a dumb question. The lyrics go: Daddy, please don’t It wasn’t his fault He means so much to me Daddy please don’t We’re going to get married Just you wait and see. What exactly wasn’t his fault? Was she pregnant? (Next smart-ass question: How come it wasn’t his fault? Did she steal his “guys” and use a turkey baster?) Sheds a whole different light on this song, I tell ya. I thought Dad shot him because Dad was a psycho who didn’t want his child dating boys from the wrong side of the tracks or something. ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2006, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-story-song-and-instrumental-fall-out-of-favor-in-pop-music/359889/38 "2006-06-13T16:34:54Z")
I’m guessing the girl is saying either, “It wasn’t his fault, I seduced him,” or “It wasn’t his fault I got pregnant, I forget to take my birth control pill.” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-story-song-and-instrumental-fall-out-of-favor-in-pop-music/359889.md?page=1)