Artificial Flowers - The Beautiful South is a story to make you cry.
Felice Brothers -Frankie's Gun; Ballad of Lou the Welterweight; Whisky in my Whisky
A big thanks for your suggestions, keep them coming.
Ed
Busted - Year 3000
Bizarrely a few Tony Christies songs told some quite good stories.
Just those two lines above has me seriously questioning my music taste :S
Edit - Chris de Burgh - A spaceman came travelling
Yep thats confirmed it, my music taste is terrible. I'll bow out now.
Alice's restaurant - Arlo Guthrie
There are two great animations that tell the whole story on youtube but i'm at work at them moment so can't link to them - a favourite with my youngest two children (maybe not totally suitable but a good bit of history for them anyway)
Outlaw Pete - Springsteen
1952 Vincent Black Lighting - Richard Thomson
Simply amazing - 1 man, 1 guitar.
A Boy Named Sue- Johnny Cash
Telegraph Road - Dire Straits
Mark Knofler: Sailing to Philadelphia. The story of the Mason Dixon line.
Convoy. this also wins best film ever threads.
Hung my head....
Jonny cash .... Although I have a feeling it was written by Sting, great song though
You can take most folk songs and add to the list, they were written to tell a story, the exception being jigs and reels, which are dance music!
Obviously. 😀
Right, here's a few more, and the first is slightly unusual, but it tells of one of the Classic stories:
Cassandra - ABBA
The Day Before You Came - ABBA
Fifty Years After The Fair - Aimee Mann
This House - Alison Moyet
A Horse With No Name - America
A Nervous Tic Motion Of The Head To The Left - Andrew Bird & The Mysterious Production Of Eggs
Sloop John B - Beach Boys
St Swithin's Day - Billy Bragg
A New England - Billy Bragg
Across The Wire - Calexico
Lost Cat - Catatonia
Thinking Of Making A Move To Memphis - Colorblind James Experience
History Eraser - Courtney Barnett
Stations Of The Cross - Cry Cry Cry
Dead Woman's Jewels - The Dear Janes
Girl Of Your Dreams - The Dear Janes
Brides Of The Cross - The Dear Janes
New York Minute - Don Henley
New Frontier - Donald Fagen
Just A Girl She Said - Dubstar
The Sweet Spot - The Duckworth Lewis Method
Patience Of Angels - Eddie Reader
Scattered Black and Whites - Elbow
Starlings - Elbow
Poor Fractured Atlas - Elvis Costello
Jerusalem Tomorrow - Emmylou Harris
Bang The Drum Slowly - Emmylou Harris
Missing - Everything But The Girl
Whatever's Written In Your Heart - Gerry Rafferty
For What Is Chatteris... Half Man Half Biscuit
Enjoy 😀
Iron Maiden - Rime of the Ancient Mariner
Guy Clarkes let him roll. Cash did it but Townes son does it best
immigrant eyes guy clarke
and finally Marie by Townes Van Zandt
Public Enemy - Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos
Disposable heroes of Hiphoprisy - Death is the Silence
The Velvet Underground - The Gift - bizarre and brilliant!
Any number of Richard Thompson songs - Beeswing anyone?
Bob Dylan and Tom Waits have loads.
Leonard Cohen? Story of Isaac et al.
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds ........
One of my favourites (and I love these type of songs) is Matty Groves, a folk song usually done by Fairport Convention.
Dire Straits however? Really?
Funky Cold Medina - Tone Loc
The killing of Georgie. -Rod Stewart
Son of Hickory Hollows Tramp. -OC Smith
one of mine and Rusty Spanners favourites
Oooh Billy Bragg. Can I add Levi Stubbs Tears?
Bob Seger; Hollywood Nights
Ed you git!
I have to ration myself with Billy Bragg - I just end up crying like a fat girl in a cake shop.
Everyone goes on about the political stuff, but he wrote some of the best love songs ever.
I was going to post St Swithins Day, but it just ruins me.
And Matty Groves too - it doesn't get much better - is there a more wonderful song?
Really?
Try this one:
A love story for the modern age:
Wreck Of the Edmund Fitzgerald, Gordon Lightfoot.
Kathy's Song - Simon & Garfunkel.
and finally Marie by Townes Van Zandt
Goddammit. Beat me to it.
Just ensure you keep away from any/all sharp objects, tall buildings, ropes, guns, pills etc when you listen to it.
Anything by Mastodon is gold.
Also, King Park by La Dispute.
Patti Smith Horses/Land. It is dark very dark.
Cats in the cradle - Harry Chapin