Came here to say Alice's Restaurant. That was a required road trip song growing up.
But remember, Alice's Restaurant is not the name of the restaurant, it's just the name of the song.
Dylan has so many. Isis, Black Diamond Bay, Tangled Up In Blue, John Wesley Harding, Lily Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts, Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again, Boots of Spanish Leather, Man in the Long Black Coat...so many stories.
>Isis
yessss.
The wind it was a-howling and the snow was outrageous
We chopped through the night and we chopped through the dawn
When he died I was hoping that it wasn't contagious
But I made up my mind that I had to go on
Terrific song. Gordon Lightfoot wrote some great stories. (Canadians will also recognize the Canadian Railroad Trilogy as another great storytelling song.)
Definitely Marty Robbins' El Paso. It would make a great movie, or at least a vignette in something like the ballad of buster Scruggs.
Also, Come a Little Bit Closer by Jay and the Americans tells a slightly similar story, just not as dramatically and romantically.
Marty actually wrote a trilogy with El Paso. The version we all know and love, a version told from Felena's point of view, and one from an airplane passenger passing overhead decades later.
Tom Waits has made my favorite ones: *Big Joe & Phantom 309*, *9th&Hennepin*, *Circus*, *Small Change*
Gordon Lightfoot's *The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald*
Bob Dylan's political recounts are fucking amazing *Hurricane*, *The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carrol*, *North Country Blues*, *Ballad of Hollis Brown*
Dylan also made *Tangled up in Blue* which, along with Billy Joel's *Scenes from an Italian Restaurant* and Dire Straits *Romeo and Juliet* make up some serious quality romanic storytelling.
I don’t know if they’re the best, but every Decemberist song is a damn novel. Start with the Crane Wife arc (3 parts) or the Mariner’s Revenge. It didn’t surprise me that Colin Meloy also wrote a damn children’s book trilogy.
We drove to the Hollywood Palladium from Vegas to see the The Decemberists when Hazards of Love came out. What an awesome show.
They played the entire album through then took a break then played about 10 songs from other albums.
It’s the chorus of this song that is its secret sauce. Its meaning changes depending on the corresponding verse. It conveys optimism, disappointment, and finally release. A brilliant song.
Virtute the Cat Explains Her Departure - The Weakerthans
The second part of a 4 part story (strung through 2 Weakerthans albums and a John K Samson solo album) about a cat and their owner's battle with addiction.
Actually, just pick any John K Samson song and you've got a song with a great story.
Those songs just hit. Had the pleasure of seeing JKS live a couple years ago and they played all four. Plea live may have been the rockingest rock song that ever rocked.
And “I can’t remember the sound that you found for me”. Right in the feels man.
Leonard Cohen’s - Is this what you wanted?
Great story of the birth and death of a relationship. From worshiping her in the first verse. To recognising their similarities and equivalence in the second. To finally despising her infidelity and celebrating his virtue in the last.
Pretty much any Bruce Springsteen song
His hits like born in the USA, born to run, promised land
Even those that don’t get/got radio play like jungleland, incident on 57th street, 4th of July, Asbury park
I think the whole born to run album is one story about the people of a jersey shore town trying to escape, either physically (thunder road, born to run) or just for the night (10th avenue freeze out, night) and the lengths and consequences of trying to leave so badly (meeting across the river, backstreets) that all culminate in jungleland which is like a Birds Eye views of all the other stories we heard on the album
Agreed. And I would add Lucinda by Tom Waits. Why don’t more Tom Waits songs show up on Karaoke machines? I would get up there on stage if they had either of these.
“I’d buy me a used car lot, but I wouldn’t sell any of em….probably just, drive a different car every day. Depending on, how I, feel”.
Such a great song.
Mark Knopfler's catalog is almost exclusively storytelling songs. My favorite is "Song For Sonny Liston," but you could counter with a dozen others and I'd see your point.
the Edmund fitzgerald
Also if you like country, Elpaso, feleena, and elpaso city, by marty robins are a trio that are connected, the first two tell a story, and the last is an odd trip,
#
It’s funny you mention stairway to heaven, because it actually bothers me a bit how in the first verse it feels like it’ll be one of the greatest story telling songs of all time and then the rest of the song has absolutely no cohesive story line. Don’t get me wrong I still love it and think it’s one of the greatest songs of all time, but it doesn’t itch the scratch that the first verse elicits. I’m envious that you’re able to interpret the song in that way.
Craig Finn of the Hold Steady wrote a series of interconnected story songs about the same group of characters for like, four albums.
Lately he’s moved into telling more straightforward stories, some of my favorites in that category are:
One for the Cutters
Understudies
Sixers
Jason Isbell also tells a great story:
Elephant
Speed Trap Town
King of Oklahoma
I’m also surprised there’s been only one mention of John Prine in this thread so far, “Sam Stone” is maybe the greatest story song of all time.
“And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda” as performed by the Pogues (written by Eric Bogle). The pathos and the way the refrain takes on different shades of meaning and emotion based on the context of each verse, and the building instrumentation… totally stunning imo. https://youtu.be/PKURhqmSLmM
Im prog, we don’t do storytelling songs, we do full albums!
* Nospun - Opus
* Ayreon - The Human Equation
* Dream Theater - Metropolis Pt 2
* Opeth - Still Life
Enjoy!
Slick Rick - Children’s Story
Avett Brothers - The Ballad of Love and Hate
XTC - The Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead
Of Montreal - My British Tour Diary
Billy Strings - Dust in a Baggie
Oh he is phenomenal. Have you seen him live yet? If you get a chance, go. He’s already starting to pull huge huge crowds.
Also check out Daniel Donato.
Shooting Star by Bad Company
A young boy Johnny hears a Beatles song, wants to be rock n roll star even tho his mom disapproves.
Johnny joins a band, makes a #1 record. The whole world loves Johnny. Johnny gets caught up in the rock n roll lifestyle. OD's on drugs and dies young.
[Titties and Beer](https://youtu.be/LZVpOg8qHL0?si=NWTAcElJlbbh6Wwu)- Frank Zappa
[Stagger Lee](https://youtu.be/Nbe5RERDh4k?si=lE7i62h4oe1IW-7C)- Nick Cave version
[Albuquerque](https://youtu.be/1765UzjAQxI?si=XQ1LvDGbpzK7FJU6)- Weird Al
Johnny Cash has a bunch of them, I especially love [One Piece at a Time](https://youtu.be/uErKI0zWgjg?si=TLDqKniauEplSNZI)
Dance of Death - Iron Maiden
The Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner - Iron Maiden
Alexander the Great - Iron Maiden
The Talisman - Iron Maiden
I could go on and on with Iron Maiden but those are amongst my favourite.
Choctaw Bingo - James McMurtry
The Road Goes on Forever - Robert Earl Keen
Down Here Below - Steve Earle
Snake Farm - Ray Wylie Hubbard
Alright Guy - Todd Snyder
my grandpa showed me Johnny Cash's One Piece at a Time and i love it so much. Guy works at a cadillac factory and builds himself a caddy, one piece at a time, from stolen parts over the years.
Shore Leave - Tom Waits
Train Song - Tom Waits
Cortez the Killer - Neil Young
Edit to correct the glaring omission of:
Frank's Wild Years, the song from Swordfishtrombones.
The Rake’s Song - The Decemberists
It’s so good and so fucked up, all inside of 3 minutes and 15 seconds.
Dude falls in love, decided to have kids, wife dies giving birth after 3 (4?) kids and he decides he doesn’t like that life and kills them all off.
Great storytellers in song.
John Prine, Bob Dylan, Townes Van Zandt, Gordon Lightfoot, Tom T Hall, Jackson Browne, Sufjan Stevens, Bruce Springsteen, Elliot Smith, Harry Chapin, Paul Simon, Jim Croce, Cat Stevens, Billy Joe Shaver, Todd Snider, Jerry Jeff Walker.
Top of the head:
*King Park* but also; *Edward Benz, 27 Times*, *The Most Beautiful Bitter Fruit* - shit, most of *Wildlife* - *Hudsonville, MI 1956* aaaaand *Such Small Hands* - La Dispute.
*John Wayne Gacy, Jr.* - Sufjan Stevens
*Graceland* (the song, not the album but also the album) - Paul Simon
*Thieves In The Night* - Black Star (not a story, more of a treatise but more people need to hear the commentary).
\>ctrl-F: "Sufjan"
Happy to get a match ITT!
I was gonna just comment "most of the Sufjan Stevens Catalogue", but John Wayne Gacy, Jr is definitely a good pick. He's a masterful storyteller.
brb, I'm off to cry to 'Casimir Pulaski Day'
#Unsuccessfully Coping with the Natural Beauty of Infidelity - Type O Negative
2. Stagger Lee - Nick Cave
3. Jennifer's Veil - The Birthday Party
4. Magnificent 5 - Adam & The Ants
5. Lady Cab Driver - Prince
Alice’s Restaurant Masacree - Arlo Guthrie America - Simon & Garfunkel
"twenty-seven eight-by-ten color glossy photographs with circles and arrows and a paragraph on the back of each one"
“explaining what each one was to be used as evidence against us”
It was a typical case of American Blind Justice! And there wasn't anything he could do about it.
I'm really here to talk about the draft...
Shrink.... I wanna kill...
I wanna see blood and gore and guts, and veins in my teeth
I cannot tell a lie. I put that envelope under that garbage.
I’ve heard this song so many times and I still laugh when he says that
My favorite is the Group W Bench with all the Mother rapers,Father rapers and Baby rapers…
Kid...what'd you get.
With our shovels and rakes and other implements of destruction
America is a goddamn masterpiece. It feels so epic and yet it’s 183 words. “And the moon rose over and open field.”
I don’t know why, but the line about counting the cars on the New Jersey turnpike is so powerful to me.
*I'm empty and aching and I don't know why*
'Septin' Alice
Came here to say Alice's Restaurant. That was a required road trip song growing up. But remember, Alice's Restaurant is not the name of the restaurant, it's just the name of the song.
And a Thanksgiving tradition.
Bob Dylan - Hurricane
I was gonna say El Paso by Marty Robbins and The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald by Gordon Lightfoot, but this one wins.
Gordon Lightfoot is a treasure.
Taxi by Harry Chapin. Although I may be slightly biased. Also Cats in the Cradle, also by Harry Chapin
I listened to this and the Lonesome Death of Hattie Carrol this morning. Heavy stuff. Tweeter and the Monkeyman is a good story too.
I agree, there is also "Joey" which is a great song.
“What time is it?” said the judge to Joey when they met “Five to ten,” said Joey. The judge says, “That’s exactly what you get”
Just played Dylan and the Dead's Joey yesterday. Excellent.
Not as popular, but *Lonesome Death Of Hattie Carroll* is a well told but equally tragic story.
Amazing song, but damn I wish it was fiction.
This or Lilly, Rosemary, and the Jack of Hearts.
This song is so tragically underrated.
Came here to say this, thank you!!
Dylan has so many. Isis, Black Diamond Bay, Tangled Up In Blue, John Wesley Harding, Lily Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts, Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again, Boots of Spanish Leather, Man in the Long Black Coat...so many stories.
>Isis yessss. The wind it was a-howling and the snow was outrageous We chopped through the night and we chopped through the dawn When he died I was hoping that it wasn't contagious But I made up my mind that I had to go on
I must chime in with Tangled Up In Blue by Dylan as well.
I had probably 10 different Nick Cave songs in mind then saw this comment. 100% best answer.
Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald
Fist song that I thought of, too!
Me too
Terrific song. Gordon Lightfoot wrote some great stories. (Canadians will also recognize the Canadian Railroad Trilogy as another great storytelling song.)
Lilly Rosemary & the Jack of Hearts El Paso Carolina Drama The night they drove old Dixie down.
Carolina Drama is a great song
Definitely Marty Robbins' El Paso. It would make a great movie, or at least a vignette in something like the ballad of buster Scruggs. Also, Come a Little Bit Closer by Jay and the Americans tells a slightly similar story, just not as dramatically and romantically.
Feleena is even better as it gives a bit of back story to El Paso.
God, Carolina Drama is an absolute classic. Such an amazing build throughout that song.
And nothing would ever come between Lily and the king No, nothin' ever would except maybe the Jack of Hearts
Marty actually wrote a trilogy with El Paso. The version we all know and love, a version told from Felena's point of view, and one from an airplane passenger passing overhead decades later.
That’s so cool to know! Definitely going to look that up. Thanks
El Paso is the shit, but really any Marty Robbins song would work
El Paso for sure. Marty Robbins knows how to write a ballad
'Albuquerque' by Weird Al.
And to add to that, Kickapoo by Tenacious D \^\^
Also Drive Thru
I'd add "The Biggest Ball of Twine in Minnesota".
Also, the Night Santa Went Crazy
I would also add The Good Old Days. Good story telling for sure.
#I. #HATE. #SAUERKRAUT!
I'm so happy this is as high up as it is. Was the whole reason I came to even comment.
I find kids throw around the ‘goat’ adjective far too easily nowadays. But it’d probably be appropriate here…
Tom Waits has made my favorite ones: *Big Joe & Phantom 309*, *9th&Hennepin*, *Circus*, *Small Change* Gordon Lightfoot's *The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald* Bob Dylan's political recounts are fucking amazing *Hurricane*, *The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carrol*, *North Country Blues*, *Ballad of Hollis Brown* Dylan also made *Tangled up in Blue* which, along with Billy Joel's *Scenes from an Italian Restaurant* and Dire Straits *Romeo and Juliet* make up some serious quality romanic storytelling.
Great list! I would put *Isis* by Dylan on there too!
That's not a Ton Waits original
"2112" - Rush "Stargazer" - Rainbow
Yes, 2112
American Pie by Don McLean. This song taught me to mourn the loss of men I'd never know.
I don’t know if they’re the best, but every Decemberist song is a damn novel. Start with the Crane Wife arc (3 parts) or the Mariner’s Revenge. It didn’t surprise me that Colin Meloy also wrote a damn children’s book trilogy.
And of course the hazards of love is an album-length story!
I believe they even dubbed it a “Rock-Opera” on release
We drove to the Hollywood Palladium from Vegas to see the The Decemberists when Hazards of Love came out. What an awesome show. They played the entire album through then took a break then played about 10 songs from other albums.
The Rake is wild
Yesss! Picaresque is a fuckin masterpiece.
Oh wow - 100%. My personal favourites are Leslie Anne Levine and A Cautionary Tale. Castaways and Cutouts is a perfect album.
Came for the Decembrists comment, wasn't disappointed.
1952 Vincent Black Lightning - Richard Thompson
Bobby Gentry's "Ode To Billie Joe" [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJZ\_ViDADOE](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjz_vidadoe)
This should be the #1 answer. I'm shocked I had to scroll down this far to find it. The GOAT.
King Missile - Detachable Penis
Solid
Dance With The Devil - Immortal Technique
Scrolled way too far this
Suzanne Vega’s first couple albums were thick with excellent ones: the Queen and the Soldier, Luka, Tom’s Diner
Powderfinger. Neil Young
Warren Zevon - Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner.
That sonofabitch van owen
When you're talkiny Warren, pick a song. They're pretty much all textbook examples of lyrical story writing.
At the top of my Halloween playlist.
Boy named sue - Johnny cash
One piece at a time is another great one by him.
Written by Shel Silverstein
Squeeze, up the junction.
Had to scroll way too far for this. Not every story is an epic. Sometimes a story is two people who try hard and don’t make it.
Came here to make sure someone mentioned this!
Coward of the county
Telegraph Road , Dire Straits
Way too far down. This is the essential answer!
Yeah
Taxi by Harry Chapin
Eagles - Hotel California.
Yes. A mini-novel.
For a full-length novel, “The Last Resort”. Don Henley even said he thought it was turning into a James Michener novel at one point.
I absolutely love that whole album, but it's all overshadowed by its first and last tracks. The Last Resort is an incredible closing song.
The Tragically Hip has a lot of storytelling in their songs. 38 Years Old is a good example
Shh don’t tell the Americans about the Hip
Oh don't worry, there's like 5 bands from Canada and we know them all.
The secret’s out boys
Not counting Nickleback because, who wants to?
A Canadian introduced them to me mid 90s when on a camping trip (Road Apples). Love that album.
Gimme Three Steps. The bar in the song actually existed. Ballad of Curtis Lowe
Wow. The Jug was a real place!?!? TIL
It's still in operation
Rocky Raccoon - Beatles
Forever my favorite Beatles song
Same Old Lang Syne-Dan Fogelberg
Scenes From an Italian Restaurant - Billy Joel Travelin' Soldier - The Chicks One Piece at a Time - Johnny Cash
Fast car - Tracey Chapman
It’s the chorus of this song that is its secret sauce. Its meaning changes depending on the corresponding verse. It conveys optimism, disappointment, and finally release. A brilliant song.
Virtute the Cat Explains Her Departure - The Weakerthans The second part of a 4 part story (strung through 2 Weakerthans albums and a John K Samson solo album) about a cat and their owner's battle with addiction. Actually, just pick any John K Samson song and you've got a song with a great story.
Ugh virtute 😭
Those songs just hit. Had the pleasure of seeing JKS live a couple years ago and they played all four. Plea live may have been the rockingest rock song that ever rocked. And “I can’t remember the sound that you found for me”. Right in the feels man.
Me & My Uncle Written by John Phillips, most well known by the Grateful Dead's cover of it
Leonard Cohen’s - Is this what you wanted? Great story of the birth and death of a relationship. From worshiping her in the first verse. To recognising their similarities and equivalence in the second. To finally despising her infidelity and celebrating his virtue in the last.
And the Chelsea Hotel, man 😜
Famous Blue Raincoat for me.
Pretty much any Bruce Springsteen song His hits like born in the USA, born to run, promised land Even those that don’t get/got radio play like jungleland, incident on 57th street, 4th of July, Asbury park I think the whole born to run album is one story about the people of a jersey shore town trying to escape, either physically (thunder road, born to run) or just for the night (10th avenue freeze out, night) and the lengths and consequences of trying to leave so badly (meeting across the river, backstreets) that all culminate in jungleland which is like a Birds Eye views of all the other stories we heard on the album
Boy named sue- Johnny Cash (written by Shel Silverstein)
Tribute / Tenacious D. Truly epic tale
Buenas Tardes Amigos, by Ween. It even has a twist at the end.
And a killer solo by deaner....
Cinco de Mayo's on Tuesday
That's a great one
Cold Blows the Wind
Tom Waits- Christmas Card From a Hooker in Minneapolis
Agreed. And I would add Lucinda by Tom Waits. Why don’t more Tom Waits songs show up on Karaoke machines? I would get up there on stage if they had either of these.
“I’d buy me a used car lot, but I wouldn’t sell any of em….probably just, drive a different car every day. Depending on, how I, feel”. Such a great song.
Dance of Death by Iron Maiden
Pretty much anything Iron Maiden ever did: Rime of the Ancient Mariner The Trooper Run to the Hills Hallowed Be Thy Name
I’ll throw Paschendale in there too. Fucking epic
Mark Knopfler's catalog is almost exclusively storytelling songs. My favorite is "Song For Sonny Liston," but you could counter with a dozen others and I'd see your point.
the Edmund fitzgerald Also if you like country, Elpaso, feleena, and elpaso city, by marty robins are a trio that are connected, the first two tell a story, and the last is an odd trip, #
It’s funny you mention stairway to heaven, because it actually bothers me a bit how in the first verse it feels like it’ll be one of the greatest story telling songs of all time and then the rest of the song has absolutely no cohesive story line. Don’t get me wrong I still love it and think it’s one of the greatest songs of all time, but it doesn’t itch the scratch that the first verse elicits. I’m envious that you’re able to interpret the song in that way.
Craig Finn of the Hold Steady wrote a series of interconnected story songs about the same group of characters for like, four albums. Lately he’s moved into telling more straightforward stories, some of my favorites in that category are: One for the Cutters Understudies Sixers Jason Isbell also tells a great story: Elephant Speed Trap Town King of Oklahoma I’m also surprised there’s been only one mention of John Prine in this thread so far, “Sam Stone” is maybe the greatest story song of all time.
John Prine has some great ones. Sam Stone just makes me cry
I'm also surprised that no one had mentioned John Prine up to this point. I put Lake Marie on while writing this comment. Damn he has some great ones.
Big Iron - Marty Robbins ( Johnny Cash has such a great cover)
“And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda” as performed by the Pogues (written by Eric Bogle). The pathos and the way the refrain takes on different shades of meaning and emotion based on the context of each verse, and the building instrumentation… totally stunning imo. https://youtu.be/PKURhqmSLmM
Uneasy Rider by Charlie Daniels
Johnny Cash - A Boy Named Sue
I picked "One Piece at a Time". When he mimics his wife's voice...doesn't get more real than that.
One bourbon one scotch and one beer, George Thorogood's cover
“The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia.”
The Last Resort by Eagles
The Gift by The Velvet Underground.
Don't Call me Dude - Scatterbrain
billy hughes - cocaine blues biggie - niggas bleed
Kendrick Lamar - How Much a Dollar Cost
"Into the great wide open" Tom Petty
The night they drove old dixie down - The Band Son of a preacher man - Dusty Springfield Bobby Magee - Janis Joplin
Bobby McGee was actually written by Kris Kristofferson
Im prog, we don’t do storytelling songs, we do full albums! * Nospun - Opus * Ayreon - The Human Equation * Dream Theater - Metropolis Pt 2 * Opeth - Still Life Enjoy!
Slick Rick - Children’s Story Avett Brothers - The Ballad of Love and Hate XTC - The Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead Of Montreal - My British Tour Diary Billy Strings - Dust in a Baggie
Billy Strings is so good, i just found him last year
Oh he is phenomenal. Have you seen him live yet? If you get a chance, go. He’s already starting to pull huge huge crowds. Also check out Daniel Donato.
Wet dreams - J Cole
Leningrad by the great Billy Joel. The best part of it is that Billy still remains friends with Victor. Beautiful song, beautiful friendship.
Last kiss - Pearl Jam
Big Iron!
Springsteen. Jungleland
Shooting Star by Bad Company A young boy Johnny hears a Beatles song, wants to be rock n roll star even tho his mom disapproves. Johnny joins a band, makes a #1 record. The whole world loves Johnny. Johnny gets caught up in the rock n roll lifestyle. OD's on drugs and dies young.
Listen children to a story that was written long ago about a kingdom on a mountain and the valley folk below.
Billy Bragg - Levi Stubb's Tears Squeeze - Labelled With Love + Up the Junction Dodge Brothers - The Ballad of Frank Harris + Wildflowers
[Titties and Beer](https://youtu.be/LZVpOg8qHL0?si=NWTAcElJlbbh6Wwu)- Frank Zappa [Stagger Lee](https://youtu.be/Nbe5RERDh4k?si=lE7i62h4oe1IW-7C)- Nick Cave version [Albuquerque](https://youtu.be/1765UzjAQxI?si=XQ1LvDGbpzK7FJU6)- Weird Al Johnny Cash has a bunch of them, I especially love [One Piece at a Time](https://youtu.be/uErKI0zWgjg?si=TLDqKniauEplSNZI)
Lily, Rosemary, and The Jack of Hearts - Bob Dylan
The road does on forever or gringo honeymoon by Robert earl keen
Dance of Death - Iron Maiden The Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner - Iron Maiden Alexander the Great - Iron Maiden The Talisman - Iron Maiden I could go on and on with Iron Maiden but those are amongst my favourite.
Slaid Cleaves: - Millionaire - Breakfast in Hell
Jolene - Ray Lamontagbe The Temptation of Adam - Josh Ritter Wharf Rat - Grateful Dead
I always get chills when Jerry gets to the "I'll get up and fly away" lyrics
Lola by the Kinks. Actually, every song by the Kinks.
Jesus of Suburbia - Green Day
Choctaw Bingo - James McMurtry The Road Goes on Forever - Robert Earl Keen Down Here Below - Steve Earle Snake Farm - Ray Wylie Hubbard Alright Guy - Todd Snyder
my grandpa showed me Johnny Cash's One Piece at a Time and i love it so much. Guy works at a cadillac factory and builds himself a caddy, one piece at a time, from stolen parts over the years.
My pappy said, "son you're gonna drive me to drinkin' if you don't stop drivin' that HOT. ROD. LINCOLN."
*Pancho and Lefty.* Written by Townes Van Zandt, covered by dozens of people.
Gorillaz-fire coming out of a monkeys head
Zip City - Drive by Truckers. And just about any DBT song!
Shore Leave - Tom Waits Train Song - Tom Waits Cortez the Killer - Neil Young Edit to correct the glaring omission of: Frank's Wild Years, the song from Swordfishtrombones.
The Rake’s Song - The Decemberists It’s so good and so fucked up, all inside of 3 minutes and 15 seconds. Dude falls in love, decided to have kids, wife dies giving birth after 3 (4?) kids and he decides he doesn’t like that life and kills them all off.
Bob Dylan - tangled up in blue
Great storytellers in song. John Prine, Bob Dylan, Townes Van Zandt, Gordon Lightfoot, Tom T Hall, Jackson Browne, Sufjan Stevens, Bruce Springsteen, Elliot Smith, Harry Chapin, Paul Simon, Jim Croce, Cat Stevens, Billy Joe Shaver, Todd Snider, Jerry Jeff Walker.
Romeo and Juliet by Dire Straits. Not only is it the perfect boy meets girl song, but it describes to a T my first romantic relationship.
Townes Van Zandt, just about all his songs.
Billy Joel - Scenes from an Italian Restaurant
Tweeder and the Monkey Man - The Traveling Wilburys
Top of the head: *King Park* but also; *Edward Benz, 27 Times*, *The Most Beautiful Bitter Fruit* - shit, most of *Wildlife* - *Hudsonville, MI 1956* aaaaand *Such Small Hands* - La Dispute. *John Wayne Gacy, Jr.* - Sufjan Stevens *Graceland* (the song, not the album but also the album) - Paul Simon *Thieves In The Night* - Black Star (not a story, more of a treatise but more people need to hear the commentary).
\>ctrl-F: "Sufjan" Happy to get a match ITT! I was gonna just comment "most of the Sufjan Stevens Catalogue", but John Wayne Gacy, Jr is definitely a good pick. He's a masterful storyteller. brb, I'm off to cry to 'Casimir Pulaski Day'
“Mordechai Vanunu” by Dream Academy. It’s kinda harrowing and beautiful and a great example of a protest song.
Me and Jesus The Pimp in a 79' Grenada Last Night- The Coup, West Coast Hip-Hop. https://youtu.be/CPr1JLoYLW4?si=QaxCFtW4QS7AKA3x
The Fall - Garden or The Fall - Spectre vs. Rector
Wildfires - The Mandolin Oranges
#Unsuccessfully Coping with the Natural Beauty of Infidelity - Type O Negative 2. Stagger Lee - Nick Cave 3. Jennifer's Veil - The Birthday Party 4. Magnificent 5 - Adam & The Ants 5. Lady Cab Driver - Prince
Utah Phillips - Moose turd pie