Narrative songs

[RobertaTheGreat]

They played 'The Devil Went Down to Georgia' by the Charlie Daniels band on the radio the other day, which obviously got me furiously playing my air fiddle, and also got me thinking about other narrative songs, and how songs that tell a story don't seem to be such a thing anymore. They were quite popular back in the day but I can't think of many modern ones. So what are your favourites/least favourites? That's chart songs, not songs from musicals.

Another one I thought of, that became an ear worm yesterday, is the Pina Colada song - which provides a lesson for us all 😄

@Cherryblossomandcornflakes

Tell Laura I love her MacBook?

I love that one. But I was thinking more of a girl-group song..

@NC4Now

The Cat in the Cradle by Ugly Kid Joe - I think it’s a cover actually but not sure who did it first

Harry Chapin?

Ruby (don't take your love to town) by Kenny Rogers

The wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald by Gordon Lightfoot

Walking in Memphis by Marc Cohn

Googled! It was “The Leader of the Pack” by the Shangri-Las.

Loads from Joan Baez and Bob Dylan

Lily, Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts
Long Black Veil
Hurricane
North Country Blues

Loads more

'A little time', that's the one! Thank you 😊

@MacbookHo

Googled! It was “The Leader of the Pack” by the Shangri-Las.

I was just going to say 'Leader of the Pack'. I'll never forget him ☺️

Quite a few of Frank Turner's songs are narrative, and a good sing along too. Nancy Mulligan by Ed Sheeran is a nice one, about his nan and grandad meeting and eloping to get married.

In a country churchyard by Chris De Burgh
Patricia the Stripper by Chris De Burgh

That haunting one, “The Three Bells”.

All the chapel bells were ringing...

The Killing of Georgie by Rod Stewart

Stan Eminem

Loads of Chris de burgh. The duchess.

Love a narrative song.

There's one, 'I'm looking for something in red..' which is very poignant.

'When Billy Jo jumped off the tallahatchey bridge'

Hazard by Richard Marx. Haunting song.

There were some funny ones in the 70s and 80s, like Benny Hill's 'Ernie, The Fasted Milkman in the West', and' Convoy GB' by Laurie Lingo and the Dipsticks...

Thus began the saga
On the M1 Motorway
Of the biggest bloomin' convoy
Outside the USA.
Why not join our line-up?
It's completely free.
All you need is transport
And a current MOT.
Convoy!

Whisky in the Jar
Hotel California
Baker Street

Taylor swift has a few...

Off the top of my head, 15, Betty and the last great American dynasty.

Marty Robbins - El Paso, Feleena and El Paso City. Three songs in the same narrative. Very wild west.

Highway Patrolman by Bruce Springsteen.
Young Turks by Rod Stewart.
Coat of Many Colours by Dolly Parton.
The Goodman by Kate Rusby.
She’s Leaving Home by The Beatles.
Hazard by Richard Marx.

Lorraine-Bad Manners

Don’t You Want Me Baby by The Human League? Does that count?

Country Death Song by the Violent Femmes

Pearl’s A Singer by Elkie Brooks.
Copacabana by Barry Manilow!

A Woman of a Certain Age by The Divine Comedy is fantastic. It tells her whole life story and I can picture her in my mind as it's written so well.

Jesse by Joshua kadison.Its my favourite narrative song about a man whos trying to get over a woman but she keeps making false promises

Honey - Bobby Goldsboro
Ebony Eyes - The Everly Brothers
In the Ghetto - Elvis
Summer the First Time - Bobby Goldsboro
Summer Breeze - Isley Brothers
Green Green Grass of Home - Tom Jones
Delilah - Tom Jones
Tie a Yellow Ribbon 🎗 - Brotherhood of Man
Save all your kisses for me - Brotherhood of Man
Angelo - Brotherhood of Man

Love a narrative song. Me and my DD call them story songs and have a play list of them for the car