Songs That Tell a Story...

Post Reply New Topic

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YpV2g3w75wM[/youtube]
Not surprisingly the Raconteurs have a few story songs. I really love the images here... reminds me of some dark, post-spaghetti western--maybe a sequel to High Plains Drifter.

... and ...

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZt5Q-u4crc[/youtube]

I love this classic from Bobbie Gentry... she sounds just like one of my aunts or girl cousins gossiping at sunday dinner back in the day.

Just about anything by James McMurtry.

Major Tom by Peter Schilling

English version [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BEG7OzvSMBA[/youtube]

German version [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6NXyxEtCR8[/youtube]

What about albums that tell stories? There are tons of concept albums that focus on definite narratives, and each song is only a part of the whole thing.

For example:
The Wall - Pink Floyd (1979)
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YR5ApYxkU-U[/youtube]

Operation Mindcrime - Queensrÿche (1988)
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2c3g6tTYoxM&ob=av2e[/youtube]

The Downward Spiral - Nine Inch Nails (1994)
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PL72Tyxe1rc[/youtube]

Francis the Mute - The Mars Volta (2005)
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JphZtpafdKY[/youtube]

A personal favorite

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZlgDQbvo9I&feature=related[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7OqwKfgLaeA[/youtube]

I posted this song in this forum before and I will post it again
This song is perfect at telling a story!
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fsAvWMhJRSA[/youtube]

Layne couldn't have had a more personal topic with this. That and, I'm one of those strange people where here and there a song's bridge is what gets me (yes, if I hear Two Joints by sublime I'll be all into the part no one else seems to hear), this bridge catches me off guard anytime I haven't heard this in a while.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qR0K0mmm6R4[/youtube]


from SP: Last Rights. Originally lyrics for this cd weren't published because they were too personal to the vocalist. They lost a band mate to H, the singer almost lost his own life, and this whole album from start to finish is kind of like the 'real' James Fry set to audio in the sense that it was his diary and thoughts as his system was purging.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0cb_ud-eL0[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wry9X5JCfxo[/youtube]

I prefer music sans lyrics typically, but regardless this is one of my favourite songs of all time. I can recite 99% of the story straight from my head.

Uno mas y estoy terminado por la noche!
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UokTE-njLRA[/youtube]

These songs are telling stories about things


[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NbLhHtaVIO4[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gw7gNf_9njs&ob=av2e[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FM9UyBQELc[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oeW3SDnu-PA[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VDss8V2OME4[/youtube]

I have some also!

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UxsJwweI9I4[/youtube]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2DglHU04rQ[/youtube]

And pretty much all of Johnny Cash's songs lol (this one is actually a cover though)
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ED5s1-Fe9FA[/youtube]

Define 'songs that tell a story'? It sounds WAY too broad.

^^^ There's plenty of good examples above... What wrong with broad, anyway?

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjKF7aQthcQ[/youtube]

My point is, it'll be hard for me to think of a song that DOESN'T tell a story. My favourite song is "Disco 2000" by Pulp. It definitely has a story, in my opinion.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ixqbc7X2NQY[/youtube]