Comments on: Discussion: A Song With A Story

By: lanibug

lanibug — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 19:17:36 +0000

I have to agree with the River by Chely Wright — and while I have never been a great fan of Toby Keith, I do like his early stuff and I just added his early albums to my ipod – and the song “New Orleans” is a great story song….

By: brandedsons

brandedsons — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 16:59:23 +0000

It’s a shame that more of these songs can’t fight their way onto radio. Everything has to have a catchy hook and sound like 4 other songs on the charts. You can never go wrong w/ a Jerry Reed song!

By: Soul Miners Daughter

Soul Miners Daughter — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 13:23:07 +0000

“Very Last Country Song” … Sugarland

By: JHD

JHD — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 13:16:16 +0000

Man, so many. Hard to choose. Just some stuff I’ve been listening to lately:

GUITAR MAN -- Jerry Reed

LORD MR. FORD -- Jerry Reed

BILOXI -- Jimmy Buffet

HE WENT TO PARIS -- Jimmy Buffet

I really need to get out more! :-o

By: Erik North

Erik North — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 05:12:13 +0000

This is what the late, great jazz master Miles Davis said attracted him to country music, “the stories, Man, the stories.”

So, that said, how about a story with a great, and arguably, chilling mystery to it–”Ode To Billie Joe”, that classic from Bobbie Gentry that was a #1 pop smash in the late summer of 1967. What REALLY happened up there on the Tallahachie Bridge?

By: Cory DeStein

Cory DeStein — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 20:41:00 +0000

Its more so a love song, but Marty Robbins song “My Woman, My Woman, My Wife” is a great story song. I love the journey played out in the song. And of course the Yearwood classics especially “Walkaway Joe”

By: Chad

Chad — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 20:37:57 +0000

Lots of good suggestions above…

I think Reba is one of the all time great with story songs…just listen to the For My Broken Heart cd.

One of the most heartbreaking of hers though is “Moving Oleta” from Room to Breathe.

Not only is it a powerful song, but hearing Reba sing “hard, hard road” with a crack in her voice gets me everytime. Here’s one of my favorite stanzas

They tell me this is all that’s left
Say this hell on earth is best
I list all those reasons and I still don’t understand it
He cursed his body old and weak
Tears of failure burned his cheek
And he said
Oh, don’t you know I prayed to die before this day
Love is a hard, hard road

By: Chris D.

Chris D. — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 20:04:17 +0000

“You’ll Never Leave Harlan Alive” (By Patty Loveless or Kathy Mattea, both are great) is one of my favorites. I love the sound of Patty’s version, but I like the faster tempo of Kathy’s version. Either way, it’s a great story and a great song.

By: Blake Boldt

Blake Boldt — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 19:14:57 +0000

“El Paso,” Marty Robbins

By: Kevin J. Coyne

Kevin J. Coyne — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 19:12:58 +0000

Old-school favorites:

Jeannie C. Riley, “Harper Valley P.T.A.” (I love the delayed applause until she sings the title for the first time, as if the audience didn’t know it was that song until then.)

The Browns, “The Three Bells”

Couldn’t find clips for these two, but they’re also among my favorites:

Willie Nelson, “The Troublemaker”

Merle Haggard, “In My Next Life”

New-school favorite:

Alison Krauss, “Jacob’s Dream”