Not All Stories Are in Books: Popular Songs Convey Stories, Too
Some of the best songs I know don't just soothe or energize, inform or persuade. They entertain by telling stories. We all turn to music for different purposes. But who among us doesn't appreciate a good tale, especially when there's irony or humor involved?
If you appreciate songs that tell a story as much as I do, then make yourself a playlist. We've got some of the most memorable pop, rock, and country storytelling songs here to start you off. How many do you already know?
1. "Travelin' Soldier" by The Chicks
This 2002 country song will make your eyes go misty. A lonesome young soldier, barely 18 years old, stops by a café. He's all decked out in his Army uniform and waiting for his bus. He'll be shipping off to Vietnam.
A sweet smile from a high school waitress prompts the soldier to ask if he can write to her while away. He has no one else. They spend an hour or so talking by the pier before his fate arrives to claim him.
They exchange heartfelt letters as he moves from an Army camp to war. But then the song ends sadly with the girl, a piccolo player in the high school marching band, crying under the football stadium stands as the names of local Vietnam dead are read.
2. "Devil Went Down to Georgia" by The Charlie Daniels Band
In this well-known song from 1979, the Devil has his sights set on stealing souls, and Johnny, a country boy from Georgia, is in his cross-hairs tonight. The sneaky devil contrives a fiddle playing contest and tempts Johnny with a golden fiddle. Johnny's pride and greed won't allow him to turn down the Devil's deal.
The Devil is extremely talented, but our Johnny is better. At the end of the contest, Johnny boasts:
Devil, just come on back
If you ever want to try again.
I done told you once you son of a b*tch
I'm the best that's ever been.
In radio versions of the song, the expletive is replaced by "son of a gun." In 1993, there was a follow-up story-telling song called, "The Devil Comes Back to Georgia."
3. "Copperhead Road" by Steve Earle
A third generation bootlegger, the redneck fella in this 1988 song isn't fooling around with the moonshine that his granddaddy made on Copperhead Road. He's also one-upping the home brewed whiskey that made his father and uncle locally infamous.
Returning from Vietnam, the young man decides to grow an marijuana. He warns, "You better stay away from Copperhead Road."
Copperhead Road was a real road in Johnson County, Tennessee, but officials had to rename the road, "Copperhead Hollow Road" because vandals kept stealing the street sign.
4. "Jeremy" by Pearl Jam
Jeremy was a quiet boy with a troubled mind, and no one cared enough to notice the signs. He was bullied by classmates, then one day someone pushed him too far. An angry lion had been unleashed. He bit the recess lady and finally spoke in class—menacing words no doubt.
This 1992 Grammy-nominated rock song was based on the tragic case of a high school student who shot himself in 1991 front of his English class. If you guess his name was Jeremy, you're right.
5. "7 Years" by Lucas Graham
In this 2015 international sensation, a man shares the life lessons he has learned throughout his 60+ years. From the tender age of seven, he has learned that life is all about relationships. They keep you from being lonely, and as teenagers you learn to test limits with your friends.
As a young adult he learns that "only those I really love will ever really know me." As a maturing adult, he treasures becoming a father and maintaining friendship connections. Then, finally as an older adult, his children provide him warmth and comfort.
6. "Fancy" by Reba McEntire
Fancy Rae Baker was born poor white Louisiana trash. However, she wouldn't stay that way, thanks to her mama's heart-wrenching decision. The family in this 1990 song was poverty-stricken and desperate. The father had abandoned them, her mother was gravely ill, and Fancy had an infant sibling who was hungry.
In an attempt to save her, Fancy's mama spent the family's last penny to buy the 18-year old a dancing dress. As she curled her daughter's hair and did her make-up, Mama advised Fancy, "Just be nice to the gentlemen, Fancy, and they'll be nice to you." Then she sent her out on her own.
Over the years, Fancy used her womanly charms on "a king, a Congressman, and an occasional aristocrat" and found that she was able to claw her way into high society.
7. "Someone Like You" by Adele
In this 2011 pop hit, Adele is a woman who is still reeling from a breakup. Hearing that her former lover has now married, she decides to play it creepy by turning up out of the blue uninvited just to say "hi."
She wants to make sure the old lover remembers that their relationship is not over yet for her. She reminds him of some of the things he once said and urges him not to forget her. (How could he?) Chances are very strong her little appearance has raised the hairs on the back of his neck.
8. "Papa Don't Preach" by Madonna
In this 1986 song, Madonna is a young woman who has ignored the warnings of her father. Dad doesn't like the guy she's been dating because the boyfriend doesn't treat her well. Now she finds herself pregnant and in need of advice from Dad.
Her friends tell her not to keep the baby, but she has illusions that she and Mr. Wrong will get married and be a happy little family. The troubled young woman begs for Dad's support and counsel rather than his judgment.
9. "Fast Car" by Tracy Chapman
A fast car is a means of escaping a negative home environment in this 1988 song. The narrator's mother left the family, and her father is an alcoholic who required that she quit school to take care of him. The narrator has a lover with a fast car, however, who can get them out of the bad situation.
She paints a picture of how she hopes it will be when they start a new life in a new town: new job, promotion, move out of the shelter and into a house of their own in the suburbs. She's not totally convinced that it will work, but she knows that if they don't make a change they'll wither and die if they don't fly away now.
10. "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen
For years, music fans have argued over the specific meaning of this 1975 musical masterpiece. At its core, the song tells the tale of a man's admission to his mother that he has just killed a man:
Mama ... just killed a man,
Put a gun against his head,
Pulled my trigger, now he's dead.
Mama, life had just begun,
But now I've gone and thrown it all away.
As he faces certain death for what he has done, he expresses guilt and his growing fear of what is to come.
11. "The Dance" by Garth Brooks
Garth Brooks shares the snapshot memory of a special dance the protagonist shared with his lover in this 1989 song. He describes the feeling of having it all when he held her under the stars. Even though their love affair ended, he wouldn't have missed their dance for the world. Must've been some dance, eh?
12."Three Wooden Crosses" by Randy Travis
Rare is the song that can win gospel awards, become a Country Music Association Song of the Year, and also cross over to the pop charts, too. However, that's exactly what this 2002 song did. It tells the story of a farmer, a teacher, a preacher and a prostitute who were on an ill-fated bus trip to Mexico, all for different reasons.
Their bus ran a stop sign and collided with an 18-wheeler. The farmer and teacher died, and as the preacher lay dying, he placed a bloodstained Bible into the hands of the hooker. Now all that exists at the accident site are three wooden crosses.
The song is told from the perspective of the woman's son, who is now a preacher himself. The listener is left to assume that the hooker read the blood-stained Bible, found redemption in its spiritual message, and went on to marry and have a family.
13. "You're So Vain" by Carly Simon
Taylor Swift doesn't have anything on Carly Simon when it comes to trashing former lovers. This 1972 song describes an ex-lover as a narcissistic ladies man. He's a jet setter who isn't beyond hooking up with "some underworld spy or the wife of a close friend." Sadly, those who mean something to him, he has no problem betraying.
The song describes Mr. Wonderful sashaying his way into a party. Wearing an obnoxious apricot scarf, he admires himself in the mirror while all the women dream of becoming his partner. She knows better, however, and understands that he can never love another as he does himself.
14. "A Boy Named Sue" by Johnny Cash
Life wasn't easy for a boy named Sue. This 1969 classic is told from the perspective of Sue. The only thing his father ever gave him before abandoning him at age three was his girly name. And because of that, the boy faced incessant ridicule and grew up mean.
As a young adult, Sue bounced from town to town, frequenting the honky tonks in search of his father. He was determined to get even.
Finally, he found him and got the (surprising) explanation he was waiting for:
... 'Son, this world is rough
And if a man's gonna make it, he's gotta be tough
And I knew I wouldn't be there to help ya along
So I give ya that name and I said goodbye
I knew you'd have to get tough or die
And it's the name that helped to make you strong.
15. "How to Save a Life" by the Fray
This emotionally impactful pop tune from 2005 describes a discussion between a troubled young person and a caring friend who seeks to help. The narrator provides a vivid description of a conversation between them. It seems to be a retrospective of how the narrator wishes their interaction had turned out:
Where did I go wrong? I lost a friend
Somewhere along in the bitterness
And I would have stayed up with you all night
Had I known how to save a life.
16. "Paradise by the Dashboard Light" by Meatloaf
This 1977 rock song lasts more than 8 minutes, but it's utterly entertaining. The song demonstrates how one moment of weakness can sentence two vulnerable people to be linked together forever.
A teenage couple is parked by the lake when their makeout session gets overheated and takes a very adult turn. Before consummating their lust, the young woman demands:
Do you love me?
Will you love me forever?
Do you need me?
Will you never leave me?
Will you make me so happy for the rest of my life?
Will you take me away, and will you make me your wife?
Rather than answer her, the aroused young man prefers to sleep on it. But that's not good enough because she needs an answer NOW. They eventually give in to their passions, as he promises on his mother's grave to love her until the end of time.
The song then cuts to years later, as they are unhappily married:
So now I'm praying for the end of time
To hurry up and arrive
'Cause if I gotta spend another minute with you
I don't think that I can really survive.
I'll never break my promise or forget my vow
But God only knows what I can do right now.
I'm praying for the end of time
It's all I can do (ooh, ooh)
I'm praying for the end of time
So I can end my time with you.
17. "Cat's in the Cradle" by Harry Chapin
If you had a parent who was emotionally absent while you grew up, then this 1974 chart-topper will certainly resonate. The song is told from the perspective of a father who is too consumed with his career to be involved with the details of raising his son. Even so, the boy looks up to him and seeks to emulate him.
As the boy grows into adulthood, their roles reverse. When the young man comes home from college, his dad finally has the time to spend, but all Junior wants is the car keys. Then, the son moves away and has a family of his own. Like his old man, he becomes too busy with work and other priorities to devote time to loved ones. Dad got what was coming to him.
18. "Coward of the County" by Kenny Rogers
This 1979 song describes Tommy, a young man known locally for his cowardice. His father died in prison, but before leaving the 10-year-old in the care of the boy's uncle, his Pa advised him:
Promise me, son, not to do the things I've done
Walk away from trouble if you can.
It won't mean you're weak if you turn the other cheek
I hope you're old enough to understand,
Son, you don't have to fight to be a man.
Tommy grew up and found a sweetheart, Becky. However, when the trouble making trio, the Gatlin boys, assaulted her, Tommy let loose on them. He showed that even cowards have their limits.
19. "Stan" by Eminem (featuring Dido)
One of Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, this powerful song from 2000 is about a mentally unstable fan who reveals his obsession with the rapper through fan mail. The man becomes increasingly consumed, agitated, and then angry that his interest in the famous performer is not returned.
Lashing out, the fan makes a recording in which he puts his pregnant girlfriend in the trunk of his car then drives off a bridge. In the last part of the song, the rapper writes the fan back and tries to reason with him about his violent and irresponsible statements. It's not until the song's end that he realizes that the media has already reported the death of a man driving his car off a bridge with his pregnant girlfriend in the trunk, and that man was Stan.
Eminem released a 2013 follow-up song, "Bad Guy" that tells a story of vengeance from the perspective of Stan's younger brother, Matthew. Older now and unable to move on from the death of his brother, a disturbed Matthew kidnaps Eminem and drives around Detroit with the rapper in his trunk.
20. "Mariner's Revenge" by the Decemberists
In this 2005 tale of vengeance, two mariners are stranded in the belly of a great whale, when one explains to the other that their lives are eerily connected. The narrator explains that when he was only three, his widowed mother fell for a young womanizer and gambler. He left her with debt and disease.
She lost her small estate because of her lover's debts. As she lay dying made her son promise:
Find him, find him
Tie him to a pole and break
His fingers to splinters
Drag him to a hole until he
Wakes up naked
Clawing at the ceiling
Of his grave.
The narrator then explains how he tracked down the mother's lover to honor her dying wishes. At the end of the song, it becomes horrifically obvious that the two men are no strangers.
Even More Songs That Tell a Story
| Song & Year Released | Artist | Story In Brief |
|---|---|---|
21. "What It's Like" (1998) | Everlast | The losing stories of a homeless man, a pregnant teen and a drug dealer urge people not to judge unless they've walked in their shoes. |
22. "Whiskey Lullaby" (2003) | Brad Paisley and Alison Krauss | A man dies after years of alcoholism; he tried to drown his heartbreak. The woman who broke his heart drinks herself to death in response. |
23. "Rain on the Scarecrow" (1985) | John Cougar Mellencamp | The family farm is auctioned off. |
24. "The Legend of Wooley Swamp" (1980) | The Charlie Daniels Band | Greedy teenagers try to steal the money from an eccentric backwoods loner and become part of a spooky local legend. |
25. "American Pie" (1971) | Don McLean | Referencing many post-WWII cultural events, this song is a commentary on how American culture is headed in the wrong direction morally. |
26. "Highwayman" (1985) | The Highwaymen | The daring life stories of a highwayman, a sailor, a dam builder and an astronaut are interconnected as risk takers throughout history. |
27. "Speak Now" (2010) | Taylor Swift | A young woman crashes the wedding ceremony of a former boyfriend and asks him to run away with her. |
28. "The House That Built Me" (2009) | Miranda Lambert | A woman visits her childhood home where someone else now lives and the memories come flooding back. |
29. "Kentucky Rain" (1970) | Elvis Presley | A man chases after the woman who has left him in the cold Kentucky rain. |
30. "Piano Man" (1973) | Billy Joel | A piano man has a dead end job with a local bar but the crowd enjoys him. |
31. "Gunpowder and Lead" (2007) | Miranda Lambert | A domestic violence victim decides to lethally strike back once her man gets out of jail. |
32. "Bullets in the Gun" (2010) | Toby Keith | A man and a dancer he just met become outlaws and are chased to Mexico. |
33. "Black Velvet" (1989) | Allanah Myles | The story of Elvis |
34. "Billie Jean" (1983) | Michael Jackson | A woman named Billie Jean claims that the narrator fathered her child. She obsessively wants to be with him. |
35. "Jessie" (1993) | Joshua Kadison | A man is hopelessly in love with a whimsical, undependable woman. |
36. "Goodbye Earl" (1999) | The Chicks | Female friends conspire to kill another old friend's abusive husband after he beats her badly. |
37. "My Name is Luca" (1987) | Suzanne Vega | An abused child tries to cover up what is happening in her apartment by making excuses to a neighbor. |
38. "Two Black Cadillacs" (2012) | Carrie Underwood | At a man's funeral, both his mistress and wife arrive in separate black Cadillacs after conspiring to kill him. |
39. "Back 2 Good" (1996) | Matchbox 20 | A guy comes to realize that his love relationship is nearing its end, and there's nothing he can do to get it back to good. |
40. "Harper Valley PTA" (1968) | Jeannie C. Riley | When a widowed woman is criticized by the PTA for wearing her skirts too short, she points out their hypocrisy. |
41. "Half Breed" (1973) | Cher | A woman who is half-Cherokee and half-Caucasian describes the rejection she felt from both races while growing up. |
42. "Thriller" (1983) | Michael Jackson | Evil night creatures come calling. |
43. "Wildfire" (1975) | Michael Martin Murphy | A girl dies looking for her treasured pony named Wildfire. Her memory haunts a man who loved her. |
44. "Phantom 309" (1967) | Red Sovine | A heroic ghost trucker gives a hitch hiker a ride. |
45. "Concrete Angel" (2008) | Martina McBride | An abused girl tries her best to take care of herself. |
46. "Seven Spanish Angels" (1984) | Willie Nelson and Ray Charles | On the run from authorities, a Mexican outlaw and his wife find themselves cornered. He is killed and she decides to die rather than face live capture. |
47. "The Ghetto" (1969) | Elvis Presley | An unwanted baby begins the sad cycle of poverty against a backdrop of a society unwilling to help. |
48. "The A Team" (2011) | Ed Sheeran | A drug addicted young hooker overdoses. |
49. "Operator" (1972) | Jim Croce | A heartbroken man asks the phone operator for help in placing a phone call to his ex-lover and former friend who are now a couple. |
50. "Irreplaceable" (2006) | Beyonce | A woman moves her cheating lover out of their home. |
51. "Space Oddity" (1969) | David Bowie | An astronaut is floating in space and feels alienation from the world he left behind. |
52. "That Summer" (1992) | Garth Brooks | A lonely widow employs a teenage field hand and makes a man out of him. |
53. "The Deeper In" (2003) | Drive-By Truckers | The son of a prisoner follows in his daddy's footsteps. |
54. "The Thunder Rolls" (1990) | Garth Brooks | A wife stays up half the night worried about her husband who is out in the storm, but he's been cheating so she kills him. |
55. "Papa Was A Rollin' Stone" (1972) | The Temptations | A son whose father just died wants to know the truth about his father, and it's painful. |
56. "I Heard Love Is Blind" (2003) | Amy Winehouse | A woman who cheated on her lover tries to justify her pathetic choices. |
57. "Fun, Fun, Fun" (1964) | The Beach Boys | A teenage girl lies to her dad and uses his car to go cruising. |
58. "Ol’ Red" (2001) | Blake Shelton | A convict finds a clever way to escape from prison. |
59. "Austin" (2001) | Blake Shelton | A man whose lover had left him records messages for her on his answering machine and finally reunites with her. |
60. "Trapped in the Closet" (2005) | R. Kelly | A couple has a one-night stand and the man has to hide in the closet because the woman's husband comes home. |
61. "Brick By Boring Brick" (2009) | Paramore | A disturbed young girl lives in a surreal world that turns very dark. |
62. "Copacabana" (1978) | Barry Manilow | A showgirl's lover is killed by a mobster, and she loses her mind. Decades later, she still sits in the bar where she used to perform. |
63. "Broken Wing" (1997) | Martina McBride | A woman escapes her abusive marriage the only way she knows how. |
64. "Independence Day" (1993) | Martina McBride | An abused woman sends her young daughter to the Fourth of July parade in town while she burns down the family home with her husband in it. |
65. "Desperado" (1973) | The Eagles | A hardened outlaw finds it difficult to allow someone to love him. |
66. "Lightning" (2006) | Eric Church | A repentant man faces the electric chair for his crimes. |
67. "Unanswered Prayers" (1990) | Garth Brooks | A man runs into his high school girlfriend and is thankful he didn't end up with her. |
68. "All I Wanna Do Is Make Love to You" (1990) | Heart | A woman in love with her infertile husband desperately wants a child, so she has a one-night stand. |
69. "Photograph" (2014) | Nickelback | Looking back through photographs brings back vivid memories of growing up. |
70. "Amnesia" (2014) | 5 Seconds of Summer | A couple has broken up, and although the girl has moved on, the guy ruminates about details of the past. He wishes he had amnesia. |
71. "Funhouse" (2008) | P!nk | A woman burns down the house that represents her broken love relationship. |
72. "I Drive Your Truck" (2012) | Lee Brice | A friend drives the old truck that belongs to his Army veteran buddy who is never coming back. |
73. "Baby Girl" (2004) | Sugarland | A struggling singer writes home at first wanting money and then sending money to her parents because she's made it big. |
74. "I Feel Lucky" (1992) | Mary Chapin Carpenter | A woman is convinced that she'll win the lottery and all kinds of good things will happen for her. |
75. "Lyin' Eyes" (1975) | The Eagles | A young woman marries a much older man who cannot give her the love and comfort she needs. She lies to him and sneaks to the other side of town to get what she needs. |
76. "The Beaches of Cheyenne" (1996) | Garth Brooks | The wife of a bull rider takes his death very badly after their last words were an argument. |
77. "The Eighth of November" (2005) | Big & Rich | A Vietnam veteran's story of wartime survival and remembrance of his fallen brothers years later |
78. "The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia" (1992) | Reba McEntire | A man's younger sister kills his adulterous wife and the wife's lover. Her brother is punished for her crimes. |
79. "Eleanor Rigby" (1966) | The Beatles | A lonely woman dies and is buried by a lonely minister, the only one who attends the service. |
80. "The Devil Comes Back to Georgia" (1993) | Charlie Daniels and Mark O'Connor (featuring Travis Tritt, Marty Stuart, Johnny Cash) | In a re-match with the devil, Johnny successfully defends his title as the best fiddle player there ever was. |
81. "Picture" (2001) | Kid Rock (featuring Sheryl Crow) | A couple breaks up and after only three days they are already sleeping with other people. Their photos of each other prompt them to reunite. |
82. "All Summer Long" (2007) | Kid Rock | A man recalls a summer love affair he had when he was 17 years old. |
83. "Rehab" (2006) | Amy Winehouse | An alcoholic woman refuses to go to rehab, offering a number of excuses. |
84. "Magic Man" (1975) | Heart | A young girl is seduced by a much older man and her mother calls to beg her to come back home. |
85. "Lose Yourself" (2002) | Eminem | A struggling rapper faces stage fright and other hardships on his way to stardom. |
86. "Coal Miner's Daughter" (1969) | Loretta Lynn | A woman recounts her difficult but loving upbringing in poverty. |
87. "Ruby Don't Take Your Love to Town" (1969) | Kenny Rogers and The First Edition | A paralyzed veteran who loves his wife begs her not to go out looking for a date. |
88. "Blow Up Your TV" (1972) | John Denver | A topless dancer and a soldier went off the grid and found true happiness. |
89. "Long Black Veil" (1965) | Johnny Cash | A woman mourns the wrongful execution of her adulterous lover. |
90. "The Leader Of The Pack" (1965) | The Shangri-Las | A teenage girl mourns the death of her ex-boyfriend who was from the wrong side of the tracks. |
91. "Just a Dream" (2007) | Carrie Underwood | A teenage bride shows up to the church on her wedding day, but it's her military groom's funeral. |
92. "People Are Crazy" (2009) | Billy Currington | Two men meet and talk for hours in a bar. The older one, a secret millionaire, later dies and leaves his fortune to the guy he met only once. |
93. "Ode to Billie Joe" (1967) | Bobbie Gentry | As dinnertime conversation, a family discusses the recent suicide of a local teen who jumped from a bridge. Just before his death the daughter was seen with him throwing an unknown object from the bridge. |
94. "El Paso" (1959) | Marty Robbins | A cowboy falls in love with a Mexican maiden and kills another man over her. He escapes then is tragically killed. |
95. "He Stopped Loving Her Today" (1980) | George Jones | A man who is madly in love with a woman who broke his heart stops loving her only when he dies. She comes to see him to say farewell. |
96. "D-I-V-O-R-C-E" (1968) | Tammy Wynette | A young mother's divorce becomes final today and she will be moving away with the couple's 4-year-old son. |
97. "Tight Fittin' Jeans" (1981) | Conway Twitty | A socialite trades in her pearls and champagne for a one-night stand with a cowboy. |
98. "Last Kiss" (2000) | Pearl Jam | A young man recounts a car wreck in which his girlfriend died and he was the driver. |
99. "The Carroll County Accident" (1968) | Porter Wagner | A single car accident claims the life of a supposedly happily married man while the driver is spared. The son of the deceased man discovers evidence of an affair. |
100. "Teddy Bear" (1976) | Red Sovine | A young boy with paraplegia gets on his CB and connects tells his sad story to truckers. (His deceased father was a trucker.) His dream comes true when many truckers show up at his house to give him a ride in their trucks. |
101. "Lucille" (1977) | Kenny Rogers | A man meets a woman in a bar and discovers she has left her husband and four kids. |
102. "Those Jeans" (2012) | Ray Scott | A guy in a bar gets his woman stolen by a greasball with a heck of a pickup line then decides to use it for himself with hilarious results. |
103. "I Don't Even Know Your Name" (1994) | Alan Jackson | A man in a roadhouse drinks too much tequila and winds up married to his waitress, who is missing her front tooth. He doesn't know her name. |
104. "The General" (1998) | Dispatch | On the eve of an important war battle, a decorated general has a dream and realizes that the battle is not worth fighting. He tells his soldiers to go home and live their lives. |
105. "Sympathy for the Devil" (1969) | The Rolling Stones | The Devil recounts evil acts throughout human history. |
106. "Take the Money and Run" (1976) | Steve Miller Band | Two young outlaws are pursued by a Dallas detective who is determined not to let them get away with their crimes. |
107. "The Leader of the Band" (1981) | Dan Fogelberg | The narrator pays tribute to his musician father by describing his life and commitment to music. |
108. "Jesus Take the Wheel" (2005) | Carrie Underwood | A young mother credits Jesus for saving her life and that of her infant when her car slips on ice |
109. "Red Headed Stranger" (1975) | Willie Nelson | A greedy woman attempts to steal the horse belonging to the dead wife of a grieving cowboy, and he kills her. |
110. "Camouflage" (1986) | Stan Ridgway | A young private in the Vietnam War is separated during battle from his unit and is saved by a ghost soldier. |
111. "Sylvia's Mother" (1972) | Dr. Hook & The Medicine Show | Sad about breaking up with his ex, a young man learns that she is leaving town and calls her mother to say goodbye to her, only to learn that his ex is marrying someone else. |
112. "I Was Only 19" (1983) | Redgum | A young Australian who served in the Vietnam War recounts his experiences. |
113. "Don't Cry Joni" (1970) | Conway Twitty | A young girl has a crush on an older boy who doesn't return her love then the years pass and the tables are turned |
114. "The Gambler" (1978) | Kenny Rogers | Over a game of cards, an older gambler provides a stranger some free advice. |
115. "Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" (1976) | Gordon Lightfoot | Based on a true story, a ship sinks with its passengers in the cold November Great Lakes. |
116. "Billy, Don't Be a Hero" (1974) | Bo Donaldson and The Heywoods | As a young soldier heads off to war, his sweetheart warns him not to be a hero in order to stay alive, but that's exactly what he does. He dies. |
117. "Angie Baby" (1974) | Helen Reddy | When a young man with evil on his mind goes missing, no one thinks to ask a mentally disturbed young woman named Angie. |
118. "One Tin Soldier (The Legend of Billy Jack)" (1973) | Coven | The warlike Valley People covet the hidden treasure of the peaceful Mountain People so they invade their territory and slaughter them only to discover that the treasured item is three words engraved on the underside of a rock: "Peace on Earth." |
119. "Riding with Private Malone" (2001) | David Ball | A man buys a 1966 Corvette that had belonged to a solider who did not make it back from war. He senses that the soldier's spirit rides with him, one night even saving his life. |
120. "Marie Laveau" (1974) | Bobby Bare | A witch who lives in the Louisiana bayou is approached by a man who promises to marry her in exchange for a magic spell that would make him a millionaire. When he recants, she seeks revenge through magic. |
121. "Hazard" (1992) | Richard Marx | The narrator is a young man who is an outcast in a small community and has a relationship with a young woman named Mary who goes missing. He is blamed for her suspicious disappearance but maintains his innocence. |
122. "Rime of the Ancient Mariner" (1977) | Iron Maiden | Based on the poem by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, this song tells the story of a sailor who has returned from a long sea voyage |
123. "The Trooper" (1983) | Iron Maiden | A soldier's brutal description of battle during the Crimean War |
124. "Tribute" (2002) | Tenacious D | The band member encounter a demon who demand that they play the best song in the world or have their souls eaten |
125. "One" (1989) | Metallica | A soldier loses all his limbs in World War I |
126. "Forever and Always" (2011) | Parachute | A woman rushes to the hospital bedside of her fiance who has been injured in an accident, and they marry |
127. "This Isn't the End" (2015) | Owl City | The father of an 8-year-old girl dies by suicide, leaving her deeply impacted |
128. "Kiss It Better" (2010) | He Is We | A woman dies in her lover's arms and he subsequently seeks vengeance against her shooter and ends up doing 25 years to life. |
129. "Hold On" (2017) | Chord Overstreet | A couple argue, and the woman locks herself in the bathroom. Shortly thereafter, her partner finds her unresponsive and the ambulance takes her away as he begs her to hold on. |
130. "Alone Again Naturally" (1971) | Gilbert O'Sullivan | A young man who is left at the altar contemplates jumping off a tower and ending it all, questions the existence of God, and recalls the deaths of loved ones. |
131. "One Piece at a Time" (1973) | Johnny Cash | Over a period of many years, an auto worker sneaks out car parts from the assembly line to built himself his dream car. They hilariously don't fit together right. |
132. "The Night Chicago Died" (1974) | Paper Lace | The son of a police officer recalls a shoot-out between Chicago police and gangsters tied to Al Capone. |
133. "Good Girls" (2009) | Tim McGraw | A young wife learns that her best friend and husband are cheating, so she invites her friend out for a girls' night out and they never come home. |
134. "Big Bad John" (1961) | Jimmy Dean | A mysterious miner who is large in stature becomes trapped in a fallen mine and saves every miner except himself. |
135. "Right Side of Wrong" (2002) | Bon Jovi | A friend does a favor by committing a robbery but it goes wrong and they get caught |
136. "The Wild Rose" (1999) | Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds | A man meets a virginal beauty, is immediately taken with her, and on the third day kills her |
137. "Scenes from an Italian Restaurant" (1977) | Billy Joel | Two old classmates meet in an IItalian restaurant and relive their memories together |
138. "Greatest Love Story" (2018) | LANCO | A high school troublemaker falls for a smart girl then they part ways before finally getting back together to marry. |
139. "Same Old Lang Syne" (1980) | Dan Fogelberg | Two old lovers bump into one another one Christmas Eve and spend time reminiscing about the past |
140. "Graffiti on the Train" (2013) | Stereophonics | A man spray paints a marriage proposal on a night train and loses his life doing so. |
141. "Pumped Up Kicks" (2010) | Foster the People | A mentally ill teenager from a dysfunctional family devises a plan to shoot up a school |
142. "Bobby" (1991) | Reba McEntire | A man goes to prison for ending his wife's life. His young son hates him until he grows up and understands the reason. |
143. "Strawberry Wine" (1996) | Deana Carter | A woman recalls her first love, a college boy helping out on her grandpa's farm. |
144. "1952 Vincent Black Lightning" (2011) | Red Molly | A rebel on a rare motorcycle hands the keys over to his girlfriend with his dying breath |
145. "50 Mission Cap" | The Tragically Hip | Canadian hockey player Bill Barilko scored the goal that won his team the Stanley cup. Months later, he disappeared and his body wasn't discovered for 11 years, eerily until the year his team won another Stanley cup. |
146. "Love, Me" (1991) | Collin Raye | Hours before his grandmother dies, a grandson recounts a note between his grandparents. It describes their plans as teens they to run away together. |
147. "I Built a Friend" (2018) | Alec Benjamin | A boy builds an imaginary friend to play with. When he grows up and returns from college, he finds that his old friend is gone. |
148. "The Chain of Love" (2000) | Clay Walker | A man helps out a wealthy woman and she wants to know how to repay him. He encourages her to pass it on, so at a cafe she gives a pregnant waitress a huge tip. The waitress happens to be the man's wife. |
149. "Last Name" (2008) | Carrie Underwood | A proper young woman drinks too much Cuervo, dances at a bar with a cute stranger, and ends up the next morning in Vegas married to him. She doesn't even know his last name (or now hers). |
150. "Story of Us" (2011) | Taylor Swift | A young woman runs into an ex-lover in a crowded setting and questions how their love story got them to this point |
151. "Dark Lady" (1974) | Cher | A gypsy fortune teller tells a woman that her lover has been untrue, and the woman discovers that the fortune teller is the other woman. She murders both her lover and the fortune teller. |
152. "Sink the Bismarck" (1960) | Johnny Horton | The British Navy pursue and then sink the German battleship, the Bismarck, during World War II |
153. "The Battle of New Orleans" (1959) | Johnny Horton | An American soldier comically recounts what happened during The Battle of New Orleans, a decisive battle in The War of 1812 |
154. "The Killing of Georgie (Part I & II)" (1975) | Rod Stewart | Based on a true story, a gay man is rejected by his family. He flees to New York City where he makes a new life for himself but is murdered by a gang. |
155. "Tell Laura I Love Her" (1960) | Ray Peterson | A young man enters a stock car race hoping to win its monetary prize so he could afford a ring for his girlfriend, Laura. He dies in the wreck and leaves her with a word-of-mouth goodbye |
156. "Taxi" (1972) | Harry Chapin | A taxi driver picks up a woman and realizes she is an old lover |
157. "Gimme Three Steps" (1973) | Lynyrd Skynyrd | The narrator is dancing in a bar with a woman named Linda Lou when her significant other bursts in and threatens him with a gun, believing her to be cheating |
158. "The Mayor of Candor Lied" (1976) | Harry Chapin | The narrator is a farm boy smitten with the daughter of the mayor whom he discovers is having an affair with his mother. The mayor goes to great lengths to keep the narrator from being with his daughter then in a plot twist at the end reveals why. |
159. "Jukebox Hero" (1982) | Foreigner | A boy who cannot afford a ticket to a sold-out rock concert buys a guitar, learns to play, and achieves musical stardom. He encounters a fan outside the stage door who reminds him of how his fame started. |
160. "Unforgiven" (1991) | Metallica | A young boy struggles throughout his life against forces that seek to keep him down |
161. "Janie's Got a Gun" (1989) | Aerosmith | Janie, a victim of child abuse at the hands of her father, acquires a gun and gets even |
162. "All in One Night" (2017) | Stereophonics | Two people meet and their lives completely change all in one night |
163. "Keeping the Wolves Away" (2012) | Uncle Lucius | A man describes his father who was injured in a workplace accident and struggled to recover and keep the family together over the years. |
164. "Mr. Webster" (1967) | The Monkees | A loyal bank employee, who has prevented many robberies, works for 27 years, never getting an expected raise or promotion. At retirement, he absconds with all the money from the bank vault instead of attending the modest retirement party they had planned. |
165. "Uneasy Rider" (1973) | Charlie Daniels | A long-haired, stereotypical pot smoking hippie stops in a redneck bar in the Jackson, Mississippi on his way to L.A. when his car has a flat. In order to avoid an impending fight, he must make political accusations humorously relevant to the time (the 1970s). |
166. "Walkaway Joe" (1992) | Trisha Yearwood (featuring Don Henley) | A 17 year-old girl falls for a bad boy who robs a gas station and leaves her. |
167. "Timothy" (1970) | The Buoys | Three men are trapped in a collapsed mine with no food. They resort to cannibalism, with only two emerging. |
168. "Partners in Crime" (2012) | Set It Off (featuring Ash Costello) | Two criminals in love swear that they will never be taken alive. When they find themselves cornered by the police during a robbery, they stay true to their word. |
Questions & Answers
Question: Where are songs by the master storyteller, Paul Kelly? Examples include: "How to Make Gravy," "Other People's Houses," "Deeper Water," "From Little Things," and so many more?
Answer: I'll be very honest and acknowledge that I had never heard of this Australian rock artist until your question. This is probably because his music has found popularity among audiences primarily in Australia and New Zealand rather than the United States where I am located.
While sometimes there is crossover and countries across the globe share interest in popular songs and artists, oftentimes music markets are more locally segmented.
Question: What is the song "Hotel California" about?
Answer: Some of the common interpretations of this Grammy Award-winning song have included drug addiction, cannibalism, Satanism, divorce, and mental illness. Rather than GUESS at the songwriters’ intentions, however, we can rely on their ACTUAL explanations. That’s because over the years, Eagles members Glenn Frey and Don Henley, who collaborated with Don Felder on writing the song, provided commentary to various media outlets. What better source than the songwriters themselves?
The songwriters have noted that “Hotel California” (1977) was intended to be a strange verbal montage of cinematic-like images and was not to be taken literally or as a representation of an actual location or people. The Hotel California is thus NOT a real place but rather a cautionary metaphor regarding the west coast-based entertainment industry that continually lures naïve yet talented people to California in search of their fortune and fame.
Although even the songwriters’ explanations have differed somewhat, they are nowhere close to the farfetched ideas provided above. The songwriters' intended meaning relates broadly to the materialism and hedonism of the time. (It was, after all, the "Me" generation.) Frey and Henley provided the following explanations by example:
1)a depiction of "the high life in Los Angeles" during the 1970s, particularly in the music business
2)traditional or classical themes of conflict: darkness and light, good and evil, youth and age, the spiritual versus the secular. I guess you could say it's a song about loss of innocence."
3)"a sociopolitical statement" on the deterioration of wider American values at the time, including "American decadence and burnout, too much money, corruption, drugs and arrogance; too little humility and heart."
© 2016 FlourishAnyway
FlourishAnyway (author) from USA on July 14, 2020:
Rob - Thanks for the song recommendations. Ray Peterson's song is already on there. It's a long list so it's easy to miss.
Rob on July 13, 2020:
Ray Peterson - Tell Laura I Love Her (1960)
Carole King - Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow? (1971)
FlourishAnyway (author) from USA on July 10, 2020:
Helena - Thanks for this addition. I hadn't heard this song and liked it.
Helena on July 09, 2020:
Partners in Crime - Set It Off
It is a story abbout criminals who are in love with each other and whatever happens they decided that they rather die togheter then that they get caught by the police.
FlourishAnyway (author) from USA on February 16, 2020:
V Brown - Thanks for your suggestions. George Jones' song is on the list at #95 (my favorite song ever). Have a great week.
V Brown on February 14, 2020:
He stopped loving her today -George Jones
Naughty lady of shady lane
The Born Again Gang-On My fathers Side
I'm going to Houston
FlourishAnyway (author) from USA on December 27, 2019:
LaustCawz - Thanks for your patience in my slower than typical response on this. I've been under the weather over the holidays and have also had a number of comments to respond to. I hope you had a happy holiday.
If you want to look at all of the articles I've written, click on my penname and then profile and there is a list of all the titles and a brief description/cover photo for each respective article. I appreciate your suggestions. I've never heard these songs. Loved that Charlie Daniels song! There is a what's old is new again type quality about it given all that's going on in the world today. Have a wonderful new year.
FlourishAnyway (author) from USA on November 30, 2019:
David Patterson - Thanks for the song suggestions. I've added it to the playlist about cars and driving.
David Patterson on November 29, 2019:
How about "Daddy's Cup" by Drive By Truckers?
FlourishAnyway (author) from USA on October 23, 2019:
Mikal - What a powerful song. Adding it also to the playlist, songs about poverty and homelessness.
Mikal on October 23, 2019:
Keeping the wolves away!! Uncle Lucius
Robert Sacchi on September 29, 2019:
You're welcome.
FlourishAnyway (author) from USA on September 29, 2019:
Bob - Thanks for the song recommendations. I have the George Jones song on the playlist of songs about cars and driving. Have a great week ahead.
Robert Sacchi on September 28, 2019:
Have your considered, "The One I Loved Back Then - The Corvette Song" by George Jones and "Motorpsycho Nightmare" by Bob Dylan.
FlourishAnyway (author) from USA on September 28, 2019:
Mark - Thanks for the song recommendations.
Mark Richardson from Utah on September 26, 2019:
The Stereophonics have more than just Graffiti on the Train that tells a story. As mentioned above, Mr and Mrs Smith. But also Stepped to Fill My Car Up, All in One Night. I'm sure there are more. Stereophonics are my favorite band right now. I like Kelly Jones's voice, the catchiness of their tunes, and the story telling.
Robert Sacchi on September 18, 2019:
You're welcome.
FlourishAnyway (author) from USA on September 18, 2019:
Bob - Thanks for the song suggestion.
Robert Sacchi on September 17, 2019:
Is "Liberty Valence" by Gene Pitney on one of your lists?
FlourishAnyway (author) from USA on September 17, 2019:
Bob - Thanks for the suggestion. I added this one to the playlist of Songs About Cowboys, Outlaws, and Dangerous Women.
Robert Sacchi on September 16, 2019:
There is a ballad by Marty Robbins it apparently is known as either "Sundown" or "The Texas Ranger".
FlourishAnyway (author) from USA on September 16, 2019:
Anonymous - Thank you for the suggestion. I've added the song to the I Love You Playlist: Songs About Falling in Love. Have a great week!
Anonymous on September 11, 2019:
There's a new song called Lover by Taylor Swift that really tells a story.
FlourishAnyway (author) from USA on September 02, 2019:
Meechll - Thanks for your suggestions. I've added them. Have a great week!
Meechll on August 27, 2019:
Metallica - Unforgiven. Definitely a story there.
Janie's Got a Gun - Aerosmith
(Just a few others)
FlourishAnyway (author) from USA on August 09, 2019:
Guessing Guy - I love that song. Thanks for trying to offer something up for Mr. Anonymous! Have a great day!
Guessing_Guy on August 08, 2019:
I could be wrong but I bet the person asking about the "song that is narrated by a man who is describing what you should accomplish or do at least once in your life" is Everybody's Free (To Wear Sunscreen) by Baz Luhmann
FlourishAnyway (author) from USA on July 26, 2019:
Anonymous - This song doesn't strike a chord with me but I'm hoping a reader can help you out.
Anonymous on July 25, 2019:
I am searching for a song that is narrated by a man who is describing what you should accomplish or do at least once in your life. I have tried every search topic and site and have had no luck. Can someone please help me?
FlourishAnyway (author) from USA on June 22, 2019:
joyfulisa - You invested so much into this comment. Thank you. The song "Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" is at #115, but it's a long list so I could imagine how it could be overlooked. I added that song by Harry Chapin which I had not heard before. You are right about that twist! The Dutchman song is on my Spinditty playlist, "Songs About Alzheimer's and Dementia." Poignant. Have a wonderful weekend and thanks again.
joyfulisa on June 21, 2019:
I may have overlooked it, but what about "Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" by Gordon Lightfoot? Longest song...but definitely tells a story!
I voted "Other" on your poll as I think the genre of folk/singer-songwriter (Storyteller) is probably the best for storytelling---though clearly country hits the mark easily, and some other songs in other genres, as you've shown.
Two of my faves: "The Mayor of Candor" by Harry Chapin is as sharp a story as they come with a big twist at the end! I won't share the lyrics here--so much better to listen and be surprised! LOL
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EMz2EyNvdfg
"The Dutchman" by Detroit artist Michael Smith. My father was a folk musician and his rendition, IMO, is the best. I struggled to find a cover that I liked enough to share (as I don't have one of my father :( . This gentleman does a nice job: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYmoHl2828s
It's a beautiful love song about loyalty, old age, and the care couples show eachother even on the hardest of days. Get your tissues!
The Dutchman's not the kind of man
Who keeps his thumb jammed in the dam
That holds his dreams in,
But that's a secret that only Margaret knows.
When Amsterdam is golden in the summer,
Margaret brings him breakfast,
She believes him.
He thinks the tulips bloom beneath the snow.
He's mad as he can be, but Margaret only sees that sometimes,
Sometimes she sees her unborn children in his eyes.
Let us go to the banks of the ocean
Where the walls rise above the Zuider Zee.
Long ago, I used to be a young man
And dear Margaret remembers that for me.
The Dutchman still wears wooden shoes,
His cap and coat are patched with the love
That Margaret sewed there.
Sometimes he thinks he's still in Rotterdam.
And he watches the tug-boats down canals
An' calls out to them when he thinks he knows the Captain.
Till Margaret comes
To take him home again
Through unforgiving streets that trip him, though she holds his arm,
Sometimes he thinks he's alone and he calls her name.
Let us go to the banks of the ocean
Where the walls rise above the Zuiderzee.
Long ago, I used to be a young man
And dear Margaret remembers that for me.
The winters whirl the windmills 'round
She winds his muffler tighter
And they sit in the kitchen.
Some tea with whiskey keeps away the dew.
And he sees her for a moment, calls her name,
She makes the bed up singing some old love song,
A song Margaret learned
When it was very new.
He hums a line or two, they sing together in the dark.
The Dutchman falls asleep and Margaret blows the candle out.
Let us go to the banks of the ocean
Where the walls rise above the Zuiderzee.
Long ago, I used to be a young man
And dear Margaret remembers that for me.
Robert Sacchi on June 14, 2019:
You're welcome. From reading your articles old tunes just pop into my head.
FlourishAnyway (author) from USA on June 14, 2019:
Bob - Thanks for the song recommendation.
Robert Sacchi on June 13, 2019:
What about "Ballad of Thunder Road" by Robert Mitchum?
Robert Sacchi on June 03, 2019:
You're welcome.
FlourishAnyway (author) from USA on June 03, 2019:
Bob - Thank you for the recommendation!
Robert Sacchi on May 31, 2019:
What about "Rocky Racoon" by The Beatles?
FlourishAnyway (author) from USA on May 31, 2019:
Rick - Thanks for tnese song suggestsions! I have added some here as well as to other Spinditty playlists, such as songs about arguments and fighting and songs about stalkers and obsession. Thank you! Have a great weekend!
RickAnnondale on May 30, 2019:
Great list Flourish!
Adds:
Brandy (You’re a fine Girl) - Looking Glass
Taxi - Harry Chapin
Gimme Three Steps - Lynyrd Skynyrd
Diary of Horace Wimp - ELO
50 Ways to Leave Your Lover - Simon & Garfunkel
More obscure but FANTASTIC:
Silhouettes - The Rays but I love the rendition by The Nylons
Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da - Marmalade (But I like the Beatles rendition)
FlourishAnyway (author) from USA on April 27, 2019:
PAPA - Thank you for the song suggestion. I've added it to my Spinditty playlist of songs about marriage and long term love relationships. I appreciate your kind comment. Have a wonderful weekend!
PAPA on April 26, 2019:
I was surprised not to see BOB SEGAR'S SONG "ITS YOU", This song has always been one of my favs. The message from the song hits it right in the bullseye..love your web page thks
Robert Sacchi on April 19, 2019:
You're welcome and enjoy the holiday.
FlourishAnyway (author) from USA on April 19, 2019:
Bob - Thank you for the recommendations. Have a great holiday weekend.
Robert Sacchi on April 18, 2019:
What about "The Unicorn Song" - by The Irish Rovers? There is also "Puff the Magic Dragon" by Peter, Paul, & Mary, which is either a "Toy Story" type song or a song about smoking pot then graduating to other drugs.:-)
FlourishAnyway (author) from USA on April 18, 2019:
Kelly - Thank you for these songs and for your kind comment.
Kelly on April 17, 2019:
Fantastic list! I’m making a stories playlist of my own and found some great inspiration here. There’s a few on my list that might find good company in yours? Dylan’s Lily, Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts (the impetus for making my list in the first place) or Hurricane, Springsteen’s Highway Patrolman, The Who’s A Quick One While He’s Away, Tori Amos’ Me and a Gun, Vienna Teng’s City Hall, Dire Straits’ Romeo and Juliet... so many good ones out there. Of course, you may have these on other lists I haven’t seen yet. Thanks for sharing!
Robert Sacchi on April 05, 2019:
Yes, "Ringo" definitely fits on that list.
FlourishAnyway (author) from USA on April 05, 2019:
Bob - Thanks for that suggestion. I added it to the Renegade Playlist: Songs About Cowboys, Outlaws, and Dangerous Women.
Robert Sacchi on April 03, 2019:
There is "Ringo" by Lorne Greene.
Robert Sacchi on March 18, 2019:
You're welcome. Have a great week.
FlourishAnyway (author) from USA on March 18, 2019:
Bob - Thanks for the song suggestions. I added "Tell Laura I Love Her" here. I appreciate you. Have a great week ahead.
Robert Sacchi on March 17, 2019:
What about: "The Wreck of Old 97" by just about every CW star of a certain era. "Man Who Never Returned" by Kingston Trio, same tune it's a protest song about MTA toll raise.
"Tell Laura I Love Her" by Ray Peterson
Robert Sacchi on March 11, 2019:
Thank you.
FlourishAnyway (author) from USA on March 11, 2019:
Bob - I appreciate your suggestion.
Robert Sacchi on March 10, 2019:
Would "In the Year 2525" by Zager & Evans fall into this category?
FlourishAnyway (author) from USA on March 10, 2019:
Hi, Kaatje from Holland! Thank you for suggesting this song which I've added to the playlist. What a sad tale, particularly knowing that it's based on a true story from 1974. Rod Stewart is awesome, then and now.
Kaatje on March 10, 2019:
Hi it's Kaatje from Holland! Ever got across "The Killing of Georgie part 1 + part 2" by Rod Stewart? Talking about telling a story.... brings tears to my eyes every time!!
Robert Sacchi on February 27, 2019:
Yes, that song seems right at home there.
FlourishAnyway (author) from USA on February 27, 2019:
Bob - I love that song, especially the country version by Janie Fricke & Johnny Duncan. I put the Jay and the Americans version on the playlist of songs about cheating and lying. Thank you for the suggestion!
Robert Sacchi on February 26, 2019:
Would "Come a Little Bit Closer" by Jay and the Americans?
Robert Sacchi on February 19, 2019:
You're welcome. An aviation list should really be fun. Johnny Horton also sang The Battle of Bull Run. Marty Robbins also sang Ballad of The Alamo.
FlourishAnyway (author) from USA on February 19, 2019:
Bob - Thank you for these suggestions. I've added the Johnny Horton songs and am saving the Snoopy vs. the Red Baron song for a playlist on aviation. (You gave me the idea.) I appreciate the inspiration!
Robert Sacchi on February 16, 2019:
Wow! What a list. Many memories here.
To name a couple more for consideration:
The Royal Guardsmen made the Snoopy songs, among them "Snoopy and the Red Baron" & "Snoopy's Christmas"
Johnny Horton sang many ballads, among them "Sink the Bismarck" and "The Battle of New Orleans". In the case of "The Battle of New Orleans" he also sang a British version.
FlourishAnyway (author) from USA on January 20, 2019:
Cup - Thank you for the song suggestions. Although I didn't add them to this list, many people read the comments, so they'll see them here. Have a wonderful week.
Cup on January 20, 2019:
Warren Zevon needs recognition, absolutely amazing lyricist.
The French Inhaler
Excitable Boy
Veracruz
Hit Somebody!
FlourishAnyway (author) from USA on January 10, 2019:
Spencer - Thanks for the suggestion which I have added at #150!
Spencer on January 04, 2019:
Story of Us - Taylor Swift
FlourishAnyway (author) from USA on December 25, 2018:
Ace - Thanks for the song suggestion.
Ace on December 23, 2018:
Heartless by kanye west
FlourishAnyway (author) from USA on November 08, 2018:
Lillian - THANK YOU for these songs suggestions. I added "I Build a Friend" as #147. In addition, I added "If We Have Each Other" to the following playlist: Songs About Supporting Someone and Being There." http://hub.me/akzb Also, "Boy In the Bubble" is now on the "Songs About Haters, Bullies, and Other Mean, Jealous People" Playlist. http://hub.me/aiVgR Thank you for taking the time to make these song suggestions. Have an excellent weekend!
Lillian on November 06, 2018:
I built a friend (boy who leaves behind his childhood and comes back to find it’s gone)
Boy in the bubble (boy who got in a fight, tries to hide it because it’s the bully’s life that has more issues)
If we have each other (pregnant teen seeing the best in her difficult situation, old couple not having money but still in love, and brother looking out for sister)
-all by Alec Benjamin
FlourishAnyway (author) from USA on October 14, 2018:
Jacob - Oh, goodness, how could I forget this? I love that song and have added it at #146, thanks to you. I appreciate you!
FlourishAnyway (author) from USA on October 14, 2018:
Jacob - Oh, goodness, how could I forget this? I love that song and have a#146 thanks to you. I appreciate you.
Jacob on October 14, 2018:
Hi, chanced upon your article and was expecting Love, Me by Collin Raye to be on it :)
FlourishAnyway (author) from USA on October 11, 2018:
Sean - I hadn't heard of this band, so thanks for the introduction and song suggestions. I've added 50 Mission Cap to the playlist. Have a great weekend.
Sean Moriarty on October 09, 2018:
I was thinking along the lines of 50 Mission Cap
38 Years Old
Three Pistols
All by The Tragically Hip
FlourishAnyway (author) from USA on October 09, 2018:
Sean - Thanks for the comment. Feel free to make specific song suggestions if you'd like. Have a great day.
Sean Moriarty on October 09, 2018:
Great list! However I believe that there are a couple songs from The Tragically Hip that could have made it on this list.
FlourishAnyway (author) from USA on September 25, 2018:
MW Pronto - Thank you for these suggestions. I've added two to this list and the third has given me an idea for another playlist. Also, I added the Red Molly song to songs about redheads. Have a great week!
MW Proto on September 22, 2018:
1952 Vincent Black Lightning: I like the rendition by Red Molly
Strawberry Wine: Deana Carter
(going way back) Tom Dooley: The Kingston Trio
FlourishAnyway (author) from USA on September 12, 2018:
Shannon - Thank you for the song suggestions. I've added one here and also to other playlists where they fit the subject. Hope you're doing well! It's great to know someone who enjoys country music like I do.
Shannon Henry from Texas on September 11, 2018:
Hi Flourish, what a list you have here. I do believe this one could go on forever. Story-telling songs are as old as time, especially in the current country music genre. These are just a few off the top of my head that I don't think I saw on your list. It's a long one, though, so I might have missed them.
Bobby - Reba McEntire
That's My Story - Collin Raye
Let That Pony Run- Pam Tillis
One Boy, One Girl - Collin Raye
Cop Car - Keith Urban
FlourishAnyway (author) from USA on August 18, 2018:
Beth MacCready - Thank you for your song suggestion.
Beth MacCready on August 17, 2018:
Howard's Song by Sick Puppies
FlourishAnyway (author) from USA on August 05, 2018:
Kyle - Thanks for those suggestions.
Kyle on July 10, 2018:
Primus: Tommy The Cat, Winona's Big Brown Beaver, & John The Fisherman
FlourishAnyway (author) from USA on June 12, 2018:
Noah Wenn - Tragic story that makes you think. I added it at #140. Thank you for the song suggestion!
Noah wenn on June 12, 2018:
Graffiti on the train, very good
FlourishAnyway (author) from USA on June 12, 2018:
Steve Sykes - I really like that one too. I added it at #139. Enjoy your week!
Steve Sykes on June 11, 2018:
I know you have a Dan Fogleber already, but "Another Auld Lang Syne" always gets me in the feels.
FlourishAnyway (author) from USA on June 04, 2018:
Cha - Thanks for the song suggestion. I love Billy Joel. I've added this song at #137.
Cha on June 02, 2018:
Scenes from an Italian Restaurant by Billy Joel.
FlourishAnyway (author) from USA on May 16, 2018:
Robert - Thanks for the suggestion.
robert on May 16, 2018:
What about Lil Pump esskeetit
FlourishAnyway (author) from USA on May 16, 2018:
Maria - Thank you for the suggestions. I've added several of them!
Maria on May 15, 2018:
My favourites:
Bon Jovi: Right Side of Wrong
Meatloaf: Objects in the rear view mirror ay appear closer than they are
Kylie Minogue & Nick Cave: Where the wild roses grow
Sting: Stolen car
FlourishAnyway (author) from USA on April 12, 2018:
Anonymous - Thanks for the recommendation. I've heard that this is loosely based on Ayn Rand's novel, Anthem.
Anonymous on April 09, 2018:
2112 by Rush. It’s about the year 2112, when creativity and self-expression have been outlawed.
FlourishAnyway (author) from USA on April 03, 2018:
JB - Thank you for the suggestions. I have added "Big Bad John." Have a wonderful week!
JB on April 01, 2018:
"Honey" by Bobby Goldsboro. Maybe too old for this list, but another of the same time frame is "Big Bad John" by JImmy Dean