I’m trying to create a playlist of songs which have theme of telling a story .
Up to know I have
Patches – Clarence Carter
I’m living in shame- Diana Ross and the supremes
Hurricane – Bob Dylan
Red Army Blues- The Waterboys
The night they drove old Dixie Down- The Band
Can you help by adding to the list
Thanks Ed

Any old folky/rocky stuff would do you I’d have thought.

Neil Young
Crosby Stills & Nash (and Young)
Lynyrd Skynyrd
John Fogerty / Creedence Clearwater Revival

Spanish Train – Chris de Burgh

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0ffIJ7ZO4U[/video]

[video]http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ACG9wv69bKU&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DACG9wv69bKU[/video]

Don’t Pay The Ferryman – Chris de Burgh

ode to billie joe

That one about the fella playing the violin against the devil.

does they story have to be really explicit ?
Does it have to be true ?
Does it have to be about a specific event ?

stimela – hugh masakela
ghost town – specials
let him dangle – elvis costello
and the band played waltzing matilda – pogues cover

Plenty of stuff by The Pogues.

… and camo-flage, obvz

who killed liddle towers
jilted john
biko
smoke on the water
(nearly) everything by nick cave

A classic

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSLZFdqwh7E[/video]

Les Mort Dansant – Magnum

A Grand Don’t Come For Free – The Streets. The whole album is one long story which is best listened to in order…if you can.

I did, but only because I was forced…

On that note, another album story is Husker Du – Zen Arcade.

Real story apparently

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_1ZqdkFReU[/video]

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAz3odasyo0[/video]

Poor ol’ Dan

😥

The sad demise of a once famous band:
[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zr8D1XScCgM[/video]

A love story with an unusual ending:
[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2NsjhBfKCwo[/video]

And stay away from the low down southern whisky, y’all….
[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OO3ZMdcL8Pc[/video]

Green Jelly – three little pigs

Almost anything by Jonny Cash

Cab Calloway – Minnie the Moocher

tymbian – Member

Green Jelly – three little pigs
damnit! first one i thought of and you beat me to it by a minute.

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

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

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7kLsDK19WM[/video]

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HjNTu8jdukA[/video]

Lightning Hopkin’s Rolling Mill is a nice wee tale with a heartwarming ending.

Don’t give up – Peter Gabriel
On The Border/Year Of The Cat – Al Stewart
Vincent Black Lightning – Richard Thompson
R.E.M. – Orange Crush
On The Banks Of The Nile – Sandy Denny
Shipbuilding – Robert Wyatt/Elvis Costello/Tasmin Archer
Somewhere Down The Crazy River – Robbie Robertson
The Last Chance Texaco – Ricky Lee Jones
What’s He Building In There – Tom Waits
Ol’55 – Tom Waits
Shape Of A Heart – Jackson Browne
Has He Got A Friend For Me – Richard & Linda Thompson/Maria McKee
San Jacinto – Peter Gabriel
Hearts And Bones – Paul Simon
René And Georgette Magritte With Their Dog After The War – Paul Simon
Nobody Knows – Paul Brady
Tony – Patty Griffin
Sonny Came Home – Shawn Colvin
Mother Of God – Patty Griffin
Stones In The Road – Mary Chapin Carpenter
The Needle And The Damage Done – Neil Young
Night Terror – Laura Marling
Green – Joni Mitchell
When An Old Cricketer Leaves The Crease – Roy Harper
First We Take Manhattan – Jennifer Warnes
Moon On The Rain – Fairground Attraction

There’s plenty more where those came from… 😀

Tenacious D? 😆

A fee johnny cash songs are story based too

Described by John Peel, if I remember correctly, as having one of the best pay-off lines in the history of pop:
[video]http://youtu.be/nVXmMMSo47s[/video]

[video]http://vimeo.com/56322885[/video]
[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SYElsv4-ecY[/video]

@ scaredypants: Jesus mate, nobody else has ever heard Who killed Liddel!

My nomination is ‘Talking Wall of Voodoo blues’ – Stan Ridgeway

When story songs are mentioned this is always the first I think of.

Coward of the county Kenny Rogers.

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=P4ZSds0GT64[/video]

Lily, Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts by Bob Dylan. Although just one of his many wonderful story songs.

Has anyone done Camouflage by Stan Ridgeway?

Quite a few by Springsteen. The River being the most obvious, also 4th of July, Asbury Park, Racing in the Street, Spirit in the Night.

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hf4EFDGP4yg[/video]

Lots of Springsteen stuff, Thunder Road, The River etc.

Edit: beaten to it

McAlpines Fusiliers by the Dubliners. Tells the story of Irish labour going to work on building sites in England. Mentions the Isle of Grain in particular.

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMvv3LL94GM[/video]

Down int the tube station at midnight- The Jam
One tin soldier- various different artist
I hung my head- Cash
Just the one- levellers

Skylon by Gruff Rhys

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8xhmkAGOH8%5D

And the best one of all….
In the ghetto – elvis

And the Band played Waltzing Mathilda

I know the Pogues version but it was originally Eric Bogle, and covered by dozens

Stack O’Lee (Stagger Lee)
Frankie and Albert

Mississippi John Hurt

When story songs are mentioned this is always the first I think of.

Coward of the county Kenny Rogers.

I think this one is the ultimate.
“You coulda heard a pin drop when tommy stopped and locked the door.”
That always makes the hairs on my arms go. Poor ol’ Beccy.