What's your favorite song that tells a story?

Because that novel isn't going to delay itself
User avatar
emilycross
Posts: 17
Joined: January 14th, 2010, 7:01 pm
Contact:

Re: What's your favorite song that tells a story?

Post by emilycross » September 30th, 2010, 2:08 pm

The long black veil by Johnny Cash


sidekick
Posts: 5
Joined: December 7th, 2009, 1:29 am
Location: Lalaland, California
Contact:

Re: What's your favorite song that tells a story?

Post by sidekick » September 30th, 2010, 2:51 pm

HillaryJ wrote:"Keep it Together", by Guster. It's got a lovely melody and a bizarre topic for a pop song (building a colony from scratch and then holding it).
Guster is the definition of awesome.

Though I think my favorite story-song would be Rocky Raccoon.

Image

simon_the_boy
Posts: 1
Joined: September 30th, 2010, 3:19 pm
Contact:

Re: What's your favorite song that tells a story?

Post by simon_the_boy » September 30th, 2010, 3:24 pm

My vote is for "Red Barchetta" by Rush (so sue me, I like Rush).

unwieldy
Posts: 12
Joined: September 8th, 2010, 3:26 pm
Contact:

Re: What's your favorite song that tells a story?

Post by unwieldy » September 30th, 2010, 3:27 pm

kristycolley wrote:Casimir Pulaski Day by Sufjan Stevens
I absolutely love this song. Thanks for mentioning it!

I thought of another one. A Well Respected Man by The Kinks.


User avatar
ddegreeff
Posts: 34
Joined: February 12th, 2010, 1:53 pm
Contact:

Re: What's your favorite song that tells a story?

Post by ddegreeff » September 30th, 2010, 3:37 pm

Am I really going to be the first to mention "A Boy Named Sue" by Johnny Cash, as penned by Shel Silverstein?
Or, if you want to stick with country but go with more of a situation than a straight story, "Settle for a Slowdown" by Dierks Bentley weaves a great little web.
Davy DeGreeff
@TheBestDavy

OneJilian
Posts: 1
Joined: September 30th, 2010, 3:20 pm
Contact:

Re: What's your favorite song that tells a story?

Post by OneJilian » September 30th, 2010, 3:41 pm

I have 3 favorites:

1. Whiskey Lulliby - Allison Kraus/Brad Paisley

2. Stan - Eminem

3. Love Me - Collin Raye

They always make me cry.

owlandsparrow
Posts: 20
Joined: January 14th, 2010, 6:42 pm
Contact:

Re: What's your favorite song that tells a story?

Post by owlandsparrow » September 30th, 2010, 3:47 pm

If I had to pick just one, I'd pick "EVERY LITTLE BIT" by Patty Griffin. Really, though, every single Patty Griffin song tells an amazing story. Other favorites are "MOSES," "RAIN," "TIME WILL DO THE TALKING," "MAKING PIES," and "LONG RIDE HOME."

Deep, layered, subtle lyrics + an emotive voice + creative melodies/chords = why she's my favorite artist ever.

Nicole R
Posts: 186
Joined: September 30th, 2010, 4:40 pm
Contact:

Re: What's your favorite song that tells a story?

Post by Nicole R » September 30th, 2010, 4:46 pm

What a fun topic!

I love Bon Jovi's "Right Side of Wrong." But my all-time favorite is Trans-Siberian Orchestra's "Christmas Eve and Other Stories" album. The entire album tells a story - it's so cool - and during concerts, they have an amazing narrator who talks between the songs. It's incredibly moving!

If you want to check it out, the narration is the yellow text in the link below and the actual song lyrics are in white.
http://www.trans-siberian.com/lyrics_st ... ics-01.php

I used one of their lines as inspiration for an MG idea.


jetchez
Posts: 5
Joined: August 27th, 2010, 11:04 pm
Contact:

Re: What's your favorite song that tells a story?

Post by jetchez » September 30th, 2010, 8:39 pm

Tracy Chapman's Behind the Wall has to be one of the best!

Calliopenjo
Posts: 18
Joined: December 7th, 2009, 5:33 pm
Location: Overlooking tumbleweeds, while defending my home against the invading scorporions and roaches.
Contact:

Re: What's your favorite song that tells a story?

Post by Calliopenjo » October 1st, 2010, 12:09 am

http://youtu.be/_K6Y-YGZUec

This is my choice.
Reba MacIntyre: Fancy

User avatar
Regan Leigh
Posts: 207
Joined: January 15th, 2010, 4:24 am
Contact:

Re: What's your favorite song that tells a story?

Post by Regan Leigh » October 1st, 2010, 1:31 am

Nathan Bransford wrote:There are so many great ballads and songs that tell whole stories, from Hurricane by Bob Dylan to Rocky Raccoon by the Beatles. What's your favorite?

I'm going to have to go with the Mariner's Revenge Song by the Decemberists. It doesn't surprise me at all that the lead singer, Colin Meloy, is going to have a MG novel published:


Oh, did you like the new album? I saw them live last year and they did the entire album, songs back to back with no break. And Shara Worden was amazing. I had no idea about the MG book from Colin Meloy.

My concert :D (NOT me singing obnoxiously in the background.)



Marching Bands Of Manhattan is the song that comes to mind for me with this question just because I use it for writing all the time. Death Cab for Cutie seems to be a great band for telling a story.




And if we want to go old school... ;)

Image

User avatar
Regan Leigh
Posts: 207
Joined: January 15th, 2010, 4:24 am
Contact:

Re: What's your favorite song that tells a story?

Post by Regan Leigh » October 1st, 2010, 1:36 am

Ditto to both of these.

"Keep it Together", by Guster.

Casimir Pulaski Day by Sufjan Stevens

And let's not forget...



:D

I'm going to bed now before I post ten more videos.
Image

Sommer Leigh
Moderator
Posts: 1624
Joined: April 2nd, 2010, 11:07 pm
Location: Omaha, NE
Contact:

Re: What's your favorite song that tells a story?

Post by Sommer Leigh » October 1st, 2010, 8:38 am

"Airship Pirate" by Abney Park

And oh, pretty much all of Abney Park's songs.

May the word counts be ever in your favor. http://www.sommerleigh.com
Be nice, or I get out the Tesla cannon.

writermorris
Posts: 33
Joined: May 4th, 2010, 3:12 pm
Contact:

Re: What's your favorite song that tells a story?

Post by writermorris » October 1st, 2010, 10:50 am

We studied She Thinks His Name Was John by Reba McEntire in middle school to learn about ballad poetry, so that came to mind first. But my favorite must be Dar Williams' The Babysitter's Here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Pr5QE2Le6Q.

And Jaime... is it amazing or embarrassing that my wedding song with my husband was Jonathan Coultan's Skullcrusher Mountain?
writermorris
writermorris.blogspot.com

Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 15 guests