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Post by killerzzz on Aug 3, 2009 1:37:45 GMT
Aha, what about this then? In your mind, what are the best songs that are telling a story? And yes, most songs tell some small story, but I'm talking about the ones that really focus on telling you a story, not singing you a situation. For example, "Into The Ocean" by Blue October has a story behind it, but it's not directly telling a story. Barry Manilow's "Copa Cabana", on the other hand, pretty much narrates a story to you. So I guess to pick these, judge quality of the story and how its being told.  I'll give mine soon. Killerzzz |
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Post by Elliot Kane on Aug 3, 2009 1:56:38 GMT
Nice category, Kaz! I really like this idea! A Man And A Woman by Meat Loaf tells the story of a relationship over time. It's actually incredibly romantic, which is very rare for Metal. And for Meat Loaf, for that matter! ;D Bohemian Rhapsody. Of course. You all know that one 2112 by Rush. It's the story of the discovery of music in a society that has banned it and how the musician would rather die than live without music once he has found it. Not a good decision, given the twist ending. Rush are the masters of this style, of course... Hemispheres by Rush. Tells the story of a war between the gods of Love and Reason and how humanity suffered until the god of Balance made himself known and put a stop to the fighting. Story, but also allegory as is fairly typical for them. The Rhyme Of The Ancient Mariner by Iron Maiden. It's the story of Coleridge's poem, as told through the medium of Heavy Metal. Completely awesome. Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son by Iron Maiden. Tells the story of the titular character, who is born a seer as per the legend. Only story I can call to mind right now that takes the entire album to tell. Also Maiden's best album, IMO. Wind Of Change by The Scorpions. The fall of the Berlin Wall, set to music. If you were around at the time, you know this song captures perfectly how everyone felt, which was why it was a major hit around the world. If you weren't around - that's how it felt. I'm not sure I have ever heard a song capture the mood of the world so well. I'll probably add more later. Liking this category a lot |
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Post by killerzzz on Aug 3, 2009 2:51:33 GMT
Yay! I'm glad. ;D I'll definitely have to look into all those eventually... Have heard Rhyme Of The Ancient Mariner, though I prefer just reading it.  Okay, I have two that I can think of right now. Dance With The Devil by Immortal Technique. A gritty, tragic tale of corruption. Amazing lyrics. A story full of pain, downfall, and twists. Bluntly put, it drives its point. Rap. WARNING: contains lots of swearing and violence (in lyrics). The Greatest Story Ever Told by Ice Nine Kills. A story of the revenge of a tortured man. The song really displays the man's confusion, suffering, sorrow and anger in how it is sung. Rock. WARNING: contains some swearing and violence (in lyrics). I'll probably do more later. Killerzzz |
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Post by janggut on Aug 3, 2009 5:48:30 GMT
Some of the best story songs i know are from Dire Straits;
Romeo & Juliet (with a modern twist)
Telegraph Road (a song about a town, how it grows)
Sultans of Swing (about a band with the same name)
& then there's Johnny Cash;
Folsom Prison Blues (about a guy who shot somebody & went to jail)
Give My Love to Rose (about a dying man who wishes to give a message to his wife & son)
I Hung My Head (about a boy who played with gun & accidentally shot a man dead)
Jimi Hendrix!
Castle Made of Sand (3 short stories in fact)
Pearl Jam (the 3 songs are serial of story, about twisted relationship between son & mother)
Alive
Black
Once
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Post by Alrik on Aug 3, 2009 21:50:05 GMT
Oh, almost ALL older Genesis stuff ! ;D - Harold the Barrel - about a man who is being chased by the public, who believes him to be a criminal, because he served his toes for tea. - The Lady Lies - about some kind of warrior, who "rescues the maiden fair, but we know she's a demon to lure him to demon's lair". - White Mountain - tale of a wolf who has stolen (?) the wolf-king's crown and sceptre. He is sentenced to death by One-Eye, another wolf (and probably the wolf-king himself). - The Musical Box - tale of a young woman who has killed her brother, who later reappears as a ghost figure which succumbs itself to unspeakable lusts - until it is destroyed by a nanny who destroys the musical box which had conjured the ghost-figure. - The Fountain Of Salmacis - a kind of re-telling the original myth of Hermaphroditus. - The Battle of Epping Forest - kind of a tale of a weird and surreal gang-fight. - Eleventh Earl Of Mar - tale of a duke's son or so. - Firth Of Fifth - the classic: a tale of a king becoming kind of succumbed into the water ... the village remains king-less for eternity ... - Duchess - tale of a woman who just focuses on her music, becomes a music star, and later her star sinks - but she still focuses on her music, like she ever and always did. - No Son Of Mine - tale of violence in a family, with the son escaping it. - A Trick of the tail - Tale of a satyr-like creature which wanders out into the world, get's caught, is shown in a kind of carnival or circus, then manages to persuade some people to travel with him home ... "They've got no horns and they've got no tails, they don't even know of our existence ..." - Scenes from a Night's Dream - re-telling scenes from the famous Little Nemo - Say it's alright, joe - sad tale of a depressive one - Dodo - Lurker - a criminal tale - Whodunnit - follow-up to that - Abacab - kind of story noir with mystery ... - Home by the sea - also a mystery story with a house that catches peple without ever releasing them again ... I think that's it for now. The older the songs, the weirder the tales ... |
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Post by Alrik on Aug 3, 2009 21:54:03 GMT
Chris de Burgh : Early songs : - The Risen Lord - the most athmospheric tale I have ever heard in ages, despite its relatively short length. If you manage to imagine the whole scenery, then it's hugely impressive - at least it was to me. - Spanish train - a weird tale of the devil and god playing chess for souls ... - Don't pay the ferryman ... - until he get's you to the other side .. kind of a spooky mystery tale ... - The Getaway - people breaking free from prison Well, I can't remember too much more for now ... maybe later ... |
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Post by twoheadedragon on Aug 4, 2009 13:01:18 GMT
Dolly Parton:
-He's Alive
-Silver and Gold
-Coat of Many Colors
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Post by Hildor on Aug 6, 2009 11:07:55 GMT
Mile End by Pulp. About drug addicts. Well it certainly sounds like it's about that subject.
The Man's too Strong by the Dire Straits. Don't know if it's really about a certain story, I always imagine my own with the lyrics.
Iron Hand by the Dire Straits. Can't remember what it really was about, but the lyrics refer to something that actually happened in the past as far as I know.
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Post by rockergrl on Aug 6, 2009 14:49:14 GMT
Cool topic!
Love Story by Taylor Swift pretty self explanatory what it's about
Goodbye Alice And Wonderland by Jewel she's telling how she's sick of living in a fantasy world
Fall On My Sword by Alih Jey she's saying that she loves this person so much but she's willing to let them go if it's what they want, she just wants them happy even if it tears her apart
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Post by Ubereil on Aug 6, 2009 20:59:27 GMT
Another really good Genesus song with a story theme is Duchesse. It's about a female artist struggling to make a name for herself. Dire Straits has written a number of great story pieces too, like Tunnel of Love (about love on a carneval), Hand in Hand (about a relationship that didn't work out no matter how hard the singer tried) and the epic Telegraph Road (about the development of america to the factory closings in the 80's). I don't know if The Same Deep Water as You counts. It's a great song anyway, and it tells a story. Sort of. The Edge of the Deep Green Sea counts anyway. If you want to know what they're about you'll have to listen to them. Just Like Heaven might count too (I think it does). It's a love story (original topic). All songs by the Cure. Baker Street deserves to be named. It's about the life of this woman living in a desert town (so I don't know how Elliot can think it's about London), or more an unnamed major city. It's quite minimalistic from a story perspective, but with small means it really manages to tell this woman's life story. Brilliant song. The first song I thought of was Ruby with Supertramp by the way. It's about this guy called Ruby who's on a train to nowere. It tells us about his life situation and about how he can't bear it. He knows he has to change or he'll perish, but he can't. Great song too. And no, I'm not home yet, ;D We'll leave tomorrow afternoon. Übereil |
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Post by Elliot Kane on Aug 6, 2009 23:26:07 GMT
Ube, Baker Street is in London and the song is famously set IN London. That's how I can think it's about London! ;D
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Post by Ubereil on Aug 7, 2009 19:08:16 GMT
Ube, Baker Street is in London and the song is famously set IN London. That's how I can think it's about London! ;D Well, what I did was to listen to the actual song. I always figured that's the best way to figure out what a song is about. Early on I got the words wrong though (I heard desert city where the actual words is city desert, and the last time I looked London is not a desert city) and that feeling stuck. So I always associated Baker Street with a bigger (southern) american city. It feels more right anyway. That's art for you, by the way. ;D Übereil |
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Post by Elliot Kane on Aug 8, 2009 1:47:36 GMT
Also hearing wrong! ;D
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Post by kilgoretrout on Aug 10, 2009 4:08:55 GMT
Yay! I'm glad. ;D I'll definitely have to look into all those eventually... Have heard Rhyme Of The Ancient Mariner, though I prefer just reading it. Okay, I have two that I can think of right now. Dance With The Devil by Immortal Technique. A gritty, tragic tale of corruption. Amazing lyrics. A story full of pain, downfall, and twists. Bluntly put, it drives its point. Rap. WARNING: contains lots of swearing and violence (in lyrics). The Greatest Story Ever Told by Ice Nine Kills. A story of the revenge of a tortured man. The song really displays the man's confusion, suffering, sorrow and anger in how it is sung. Rock. WARNING: contains some swearing and violence (in lyrics). I'll probably do more later. Killerzzz Dance with the devil, ouch what a tragedy. Whenever I listen to it , I get kinda sick. Good song but really bad... |
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Post by kilgoretrout on Aug 10, 2009 4:09:55 GMT
"Stevie" by Pat travers.
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Post by ss on Aug 16, 2009 15:14:20 GMT
The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald....Gordon Lightfoot.
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