Three more Dylan ones
Black Diamond Bay from Desire. Ends with a volcano erupting. Hilarious.
Tweeter and the Monkey Man on the first Traveling Wilburys album - Dylan out Springsteens Springsteen.
Best of all, if it counts, is Talking World War III Blues.
Lit a cigarette on a parking meter and walked on down the road
Just a normal day
Also the best science fiction song ever - covers just about every after the war cliche in a verse each.
Oh, also forgot to add: “The Thunder Rolls”, by Garth Brooks. It’s not so much a great song, it’s what’s -not- in the song that I love. Y’see, the first time I heard it, I heard the live version. Liked it. Then I heard the radio edit… There’s an entire verse missing. The final verse. The reaction of the cheated-upon-wife. It drives such an image into my head I find it a pity it’s not on the radio edit… But given what it is, I can understand why radio stations might be a tad jittery about playing it.
Two great ones that have been covered by The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem deserve mention:
Fairytale of New York.
A couple from the Eagles:
Lyin’ Eyes
Life In The Fast Lane
And a more recent entry from Steely Dan:
Cousin Dupree
Or how about:
Aqualung by Tull?
(talk about a world-class visual from a song that’s really more allegory than tale: Jethro Tull’s Mother Goose with the line “Walked down by the bathing pond to try and catch some sun–Saw at least a hundred school girls sobbing into handkerchiefs as one–” Can you picture a sun-dappled hillside slopng gently to a small lake with 100 schoolgirls in plaid skirts & white kneesocks milling about on the slope, all sobbing into handkerchiefs simultaneously? Just squicks me, in a surreal way, every time. Can’t imagine why I thought of that…)
–Beck
I love hearing a good Nick Cave story song, so I second O’Malley’s Bar. It’s so good!
I haven’t heard most of these songs. I need to get out more.
Somebody ought to mention “A Boy Named Sue,” as performed by Johnny Cash.
Hey look, I just did!
Hey, look at post #26:
“Billy the Mountain” by Zappa and The Mothers.
Ooop. Missed that one, Oaky. Good call.
There used to be this ban called the Beatles. They had a song called “Rocky Raccoon” you may have heard of.
On a more obscure note, Bill Monroe recorded a couple of songs that I think fall into the Traditional category.
“Midnight on the Stormy Deep” which either he or Doc Watson ironically introduced as a Love Ballad. (The estranged lover intones: I’d rather make my home upon some icy lake – Where the southern sun refuses to shine than to trust a love so false as thine.)
Also “Banks of the Ohio” which carries the important message to prospective brides to wait to turn down a proposal until you’re at least twenty yards away from a major body of water.
My other favs have already been mentioned so I’ll add Supper’s Ready by Genesis.
I have a few, several already mentioned but also practically anything by Red Sovine. Teddy Bear and Giddy-up Go are the sort to bring a tear to my eye, as does Daddy’s Girl. Another excellent one by him is Phantom 309.
Oh gosh, if we’re talking Stan Rogers there’s too many to mention!
Barrett’s Privateers
Athens Queen
Maid on the Shore
White Squall
Woodbridge Dog Disaster
Lies [most brilliant song evah!]
It has to be “The JCB Song” by Nizlopi. It is a story of how Luke, 5, likes to escape the bullies by riding in his Dad’s JCB.
That’s such a good story song, that when I was in high school the junior play was based on it.
For Zappa, besides Billy the Mountain I’d add Yellow Snow.
I like The Bold Pedlar and Robin Hood. Robin Hood accosts a travelling salesman, who shows defiance despite Robin’s reputation. They duel, and during the duel realise they are cousins, so they put their weapons away and go and get drunk instead. It dates from 1684, but the version I know is a rousing but haunting one Steeleye Span did in the 1970s.
Steeleye did it under the title “Gamble Gold.”
Ah yes.
Another one with a story arc, even though it’s actually a “realtime” monologue, is Tom Waits’s Martha, which I find very moving.
Some of my traditional favorites have been mentioned (also “Kilkelly”, which I really did not like). Some more:
Springhill Mining Disaster (Seeger & MacColl) (not the U2 version; they cut out so many verses it hardly remains a story)
Hey Johnny Cope (trad.)
The Haughs of Cromdale (trad.)
Little Musgrave (trad.)
Whiskey in the Jar (trad.)
If you haven’t heard Tom Smith’s “Seven Drunken Nights in Space”, you should. He not only updates the old tune, he gives it an ending, making it a story song as well as a joke song.