Great Songs that Tell a Story

a reply to: nonspecific

Hey one of the greatest stories ever told in music Arlo Guthrie's Alice's restaurant.

youtu.be...

Gotta love it.

I had to post this. My friend made me a singer songwriter cd a few years ago. He led with this. m.youtube.com...#
I hope it works. It's rake by Townes van zandt

Here's one that tells a hell of a story. She really doesn't hold back. don't hold me personally if you're offended by the lyrics please,but it's a powerful song that I'm hoping ats will apreciate and enjoy. I cant seem to take it off of my mixes. Jam on. youtu.be...

One of my favs....

EDIT: Great story

youtu.be...
Some Jeff Foucault with Peter mulvey.
What an ending.

originally posted by: nonspecific
Yes. that is the kind of thing I am thinking of! Only a man that looked like that could have had a music career in the 70s. But Bizzarely, it made me think of 'Up the Junction' by Squeeze. Hmmm... I have no idea why.

a reply to: notmyrealname

Same Title. Different Song.

There can be only one...

www.youtube.com...

a reply to: EnigmaAgent

Here's a Western novel containing a bank heist, a poker game, a love triangle, a murder, a hanging and a change of hair colour.

Watch it quick. It may be taken down by a copyright claim any minute.

"Dupree's Diamond Blues"

When I was just a little young boy,
Papa said "Son, you'll never get far,
I'll tell you the reason if you want to know,
'cause child of mine, there isn't really very far to go"

Well baby, baby wants a gold diamond ring
Wants it more than most any old thing
Well when I get those jelly roll blues
Why I'd go and get anything in this world for you.


Down to the jewelry store packing a gun,
says "Wrap it up. I think I'll take this one"
"A thousand dollars please," the jewelry man said
Dupree he said, "I'll pay this one off to you in lead"


Well you know son you just can't figure,
first thing you know you're gonna pull that trigger
and it's no wonder your reason goes bad -
jelly roll will drive you stone mad


Judge said "Son, this gonna cost you some time"
Dupree said "Judge, you know that crossed my mind"
Judge said "Fact it's gonna cost you your life"
Dupree said "Judge, you know that seems to me to be about right"


Well baby, baby's gonna lose her sweet man
Dupree come out with a losing hand
Baby's gonna weep it up for awhile
then go on out and find another sweet man's
gonna treat her with style


Judge said "Son, I know your baby well
but that's a secret I can't never tell"
Dupree said "Judge, well it's well understood,
and you got to admit that that sweet, sweet jelly's so good"


Well you know son you just can't figure,
first thing you know you're gonna pull that trigger
and it's no wonder your reason goes bad,
jelly roll will drive you stone mad


Same old story and I know it's been told,
some like jelly jelly - some like gold
Many a man's done a terrible thing
just to get baby that shiny diamond ring.

a reply to: nonspecific

Eric Bogle - The Band Played Waltzing Matilda

One of my favorite story songs




It makes me laugh

one of my first Heavy Metal experiences, I could not separate myself from Iron Maiden throughout most of my youth, even into early high school years.




"My son ask for thyself another
Kingdom, for that which I leave
is too small for thee"
(King Philip of Macedonia - 339 B.C.)

Near to the east
In a part of ancient Greece
In an ancient land called Macedonia
Was born a son
To Philip of Macedon
The legend his name was Alexander

At the age of nineteen
He became the Macedon King
And he swore to free all of Asia Minor
By the Aegian Sea
In 334 B.C.
He utterly beat the armies of Persia

[Chorus]
Alexander the Great
His name struck fear into hearts of men
Alexander the Great
Became a legend 'mongst mortal men

King Darius the third
Defeated fled Persia
The Scythians fell by the river Jaxartes
Then Egypt fell to the Macedon King as well
And he founded the city called Alexandria

By the Tigris river
He met King Darius again
And crushed him again in the battle of Arbela
Entering Babylon
And Susa, treasures he found
Took Persepolis the capital of Persia

[Chorus]
Alexander the Great
His name struck fear into hearts of men
Alexander the Great
Became a God amongst mortal men

A Phrygian King had bound a chariot yoke
And Alexander cut the 'Gordian knot'
And legend said that who untied the knot
He would become the master of Asia

Hellenism he spread far and wide
The Macedonian learned mind
Their culture was a western way of life
He paved the way for Christianity

Marching on, marching on
The battle weary marching side by side
Alexander's army line by line
They wouldn't follow him to India
Tired of the combat, pain and the glory

Alexander the Great
His name struck fear into hearts of men
Alexander the Great
He died of fever in Babylon




Hear the rime of the Ancient Mariner
See his eyes as he stops one of three
Mesmerizes one of the wedding guests
Stay here and listen to the nightmares of the Sea

And the music plays on, and the bride passes by
Caught by his spell and the Mariner tells his tale

Driven south to the land of the snow and ice
To a place where nobody's been
Through the snow fog flies the albatross
Hailed in God's name, hoping good luck it brings

And the ship sails on, back to the North
Through the fog and the ice and the albatross follows on
Yeah yeah yeah yeah

The mariner kills the bird of good omen
His shipmates cry against what he's done
But when the fog clears, they justify him
And make themselves a part of the crime

Sailing on and on and North across the sea
Sailing on and on and North 'til all is calm

The albatross begins with its vengeance
A terrible thirst, a curse has begun
His shipmates blame bad luck on the Mariner
About his neck, the dead bird is hung

And the curse goes on and on and on at sea
And the curse goes on and on for them and me

Day after day, day after day, we stuck nor breath nor motion
As idle as a painted ship upon a painted ocean
Water, water, everywhere and all the boards did shrink
Water, water, everywhere nor any drop to drink, no no

There calls the mariner, there comes a ship over the line
How can she sail with no wind in her sails and no tide

See, onward she comes
Onward she nears, out of the sun
See she has no crew
She has no life, wait but there's two

Death and she, Life in Death, they throw their dice for the crew
She wins the Mariner and he belongs to her now

Then crew one by one
They drop down dead, two hundred men
She, she, Life in Death
She lets him live, her chosen one

One after one by the star dogged moon
Too quick for groan or sigh
Each turned his face with a ghastly pang
And cursed me with his eye
Four times fifty living men and I heard nor sigh nor groan
With heavy thump, a lifeless lump
They dropped down one by one

The curse it lives on in their eyes
The Mariner he wished he'd die
Along with the sea creatures
But they lived on, so did he

And by the light of the moon
He prays for their beauty not doom
With heart he blesses them
God's creatures all of them too

Then the spell starts to break
The albatross falls from his neck
Sinks down like lead into the sea
Then down in falls comes the rain

Yeah
Yeah
Yeah

Hear the groans of the long dead seamen
See them stir and they start to rise
Bodies lifted by good spirits
None of them speak and they're lifeless in their eyes

And the revenge is still sought, penance starts again
Cast into a trance and the nightmare carries on

Now the curse is finally lifted
And the Mariner sights his home
Spirits go from the long dead bodies
Form their own light and the Mariner's left alone, yeah

And then a boat came sailing towards him
It was a joy he could not believe
The Pilot's boat, his son and the hermit
Penance of life will fall onto Him

And the ship it sinks like lead into the sea
And the hermit shrives the Mariner of his sins

The Mariner's bound to tell of his story
To tell his tale wherever he goes
To teach God's word by his own example
That we must love all things that God made

And the wedding guest's a sad and wiser man
And the tale goes on and on and on and on.

!!METALLICA!!

Slaves
Hebrews born to serve, to the pharaoh
Heed
To his every word, live in fear
Faith
Of the unknown one, the deliverer
Wait
Something must be done, four hundred years

So let it be written
So let it be done
I'm sent here by the chosen one
So let it be written
So let it be done
To kill the first born pharaoh son
I'm creeping death

Now
Let my people go, land of goshen
Go
I will be with thee, bush of fire
Blood
Running red and strong, down the Nile
Plague
Darkness three days long, hail to fire

So let it be written
So let it be done
I'm sent here by the chosen one
So let it be written
So let it be done
To kill the first born pharaoh son
I'm creeping death

Die by my hand
I creep across the land
Killing first born man
Die by my hand
I creep across the land
Killing first born man

I
Rule the midnight air the destroyer
Born
I shall soon be there, deadly mass
I
Creep the steps and flood final darkness
Blood
Lambs blood painted door, I shall pass

So let it be written
So let it be done
I'm sent here by the chosen one
So let it be written
So let it be done
To kill the first born pharaoh son
I'm creeping death

Alice's Restaurant by Arlo Guthrie is the first one that popped in my head. Pancho and Lefty by Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard and Cowboy Bill by Garth Brooks are great stories and so many more