I Wanna Tell You A Story: Great Storytelling Songs

Is this the greatest songwriting skill of all? Telling a coherent story in 3-4 minutes?

I’m thinking of the epic Elvis unleashed with In the Ghetto or when Rod Stewart emerged from a 70s disco jacuzzi, overflowing with his own bubbling spunk and sexiness to give us The Killing of Georgie (Parts 1 and 2).

 

One of the greatest, surely? Masterpiece.

 

Yes. I can't listen to it. Too close to home. Not seen my 2 sons for 16 years....

 

Big hug (((((TUT))))).

 

Bonkers, but fun.

 

Equally bonkers.

 

A story telling song by Jack White side band The Raconteurs which, as the opening verse says, "I'm not sure if there's a point to this story but I'm gonna tell it again..." is actually a retelling of the song 'Ask The Milkman' by The Pickins County Bandits

This is also explained by the final line in 'Carolina Drama', "...now you heard another side to the story but you wanna know how it ends. If you must know the truth about the tale, go and ask the milkman"

The Raconteurs - 'Carolina Drama'



The Pickins County Bandits - 'Ask The Milkman' (ignore the video, it's awful, but I can't find another version on YouTube)

 

Nice, instant hook.

 

oh and Led Zeps Stairway to Heaven

 

Bowie’s classic tale of space exploration gone wrong, sung in a haircut your Nan had.

 

I always loved this.

 

Gosh, you kept that quiet. Sorry to hear that.

 

Does this count? Fantastic anyway. One for @wfcmoog

 

Also fantastic. If you disagree, you’re wrong.

 

Absolute classic.

 

And on a similar theme of hidden love…

 

You’re not going to top that.

Also, phwooarr.

 

I think the story is really the video here, but it’s sheer genius.

 

Fairport Convention - 'Matty Groves'



and that reminded me of The White Stripes - 'Black Jack Davey'
There are plenty of versions of this traditional song, most notably by Bob Dylan and also Steeleye Span, but this is my favoured listen. Almeda Riddle has a great stripped back recording of it though



Just to add to my earlier post re. The Pickens County Bandits... Lots of speculation & posts all over the place looking for Jack White/White Stripes clues (and they're there) as they seem to be an existing non-existent group with just three tracks recorded but not available to buy/download (yet)

 

You reckoned without….Paper Lace…

 

Hamell On Trial - 'Choochtown' - contains explicit lyrics

Spoiler: Explicit Lyrics

My name is Chooch, I don't know what you heard about the night in question, Word!
It's only half the story, cuz a lot more went down,
I don't hang out with Bobby Man, he's a ******* clown
Oh, I mean I might sell him drugs, or a stereo that's hot,
but I hang out with players, and Bobby definitely is not,
I hang in bars, uptown, I got a Credit Card scam,
I got a call from McCluskey, he thinks he's the Man,
Cuz he's a hot **** Lawyer, friend to the stars,
and it's mad, crazy money,
and it's style, and fast cars,
He calls me up to his office,
cuz he knows I know the street,
Close the door. Very discrete,
he's got a little problem, maybe I can check,
He says "You wanna make a thousand?"
and I say, "what the heck"
Seems he's got a famous Client,
who's had his house cleaned,
in more ways than one, if you know what I mean,
And the Housemaid stole some Photos,
of him, with some kids, and I mean,
If this stuff should surface,
well, his Client hits the skids,
there's this Blackmail letter,
I didn't ask how much,
He gave me an address,
I said I'd be in touch,
and Hey, I'm gonna go,
I'm gonna go, I'm gonna go,
You know,
So I check out the address,
She was on the fifteenth,
there's a guy, Joe Brush lives there,
and he spills the beans,
seems she moved out at night,
didn't pay the rent,
she's got a boyfriend calls the shots,
but he don't know where they went,
then Joe remembers, that her boyfriend's a cook,
at the Thai Lo House, so I go over there and take a look,
It's the graveyard shift, I'm there three am,
I ask about the photos, but things get out of hand,
so I stuff him in the cooler, cuz I re-arrange his face,
and I rifled through his pockets,
I find a lease on a new place,
I hear noises in the back, so I go out, where they're eating,
there's ****in' Bobby man, givin' the place a verbal beat,
and I'm trying to be invisible, and he's
"Hey Chooch, c'mere",
and I''m "**** off"
I sit with these guys, til I can make it clear,
But I gotta hit the cook's house,
Y'know, tonight, and just as we're leaving,
******* Bobby starts a fight, well, hey,
I'm gonna go, I'm gonna go, I'm gonna go, Yknow!
So I ditch these guys quick,
take a Cab to the address,
and the Housemaid gives up the photos,
with very little stress, but as I round the corner,
something dawns on me, I recognise from these photos,
some old actor, from TV, and he's having sex with Children,
now this would close the door, on future shots,
on Baywatch, and Mary ******* Tyler Moore,
so I visit this old actor, firmly explain my situation,
and he gives me 90G's,
to show his appreciation,
and I buy an Al Camino, until the heat dies down,
I think Ill hit Texas, hey, I like that Houston town,
Hey,I'm gonna go, I'm gonna go, I'm gonna go, Yknow!
Hey, uh, Bobby there,
you're always writing songs about, uh, Joe Brush,
Bobby, why don't you write something about me, Man,
Hey, I got something for ya, hey, listen to this!
"Maybe you know, a little place you can go,
where there's always Blow! Choochtown! "
Waddya think, Man, pretty cool, huh?
Hey, hey Paulie, step over here by the cooler,
lets talk about this for a second,.......

 

I'll get my coat

 

That’s very sad. I’m sorry to hear that, but good on you for sharing something so heartfelt.

 

Everything ok mate?

 

Lucky bugger

 

Stick In The Wheel - 'Bedlam'
A variant of a traditional song describing the journey of Mad Maudlin to visit her lover Mad Tom.
I didn't know how to describe it so asked Wikipedia; "There were in fact many versions of such songs, all celebrating/mocking the delusions and antics of the lunatics from Bedlam (Bethlehem Royal Hospital in Beckenham, South-east London)."

Spoiler: Click For Lyrics

For to see Mad Tom of Bedlam
Ten thousand miles I've travelled
Mad Maudlin goes on dirty toes
For to save her shoes from gravel

I went down to Satan's kitchen
To break my fast one morning
And there I got souls piping hot
All on the spit a-turning

Still I sing bonny boys, bonny mad boys
Bedlam boys are bonny
For they all go bare & they live by the air
And they want no drink or money

There I took a cauldron
Where boiled ten thousand harlots
Though full of flame I drank the same
To the health of all such varlets

My staff has murdered giants
My bag a long knife carries
To cut mince pies from children's thighs
For which to feed the fairies

repeat chorus

No gypsy, slut or doxy
Shall win my mad Tom from me
I'll weep all night, with stars I'll fight
The fray shall well become me

Of thirty bare years have I
Twice twenty been enraged
And of forty been three times fifteen
In durance soundly caged

repeat chorus

The moon's my constant Mistrisse
And the lowly owl my morrowe
The flaming Drake and the Nightcrow make
Me music to my sorrow

I know more than Apollo
For oft, when he lies sleeping
I see the stars at bloody wars
In the wounded welkin weeping

repeat chorus

With a host of furious fancies
Whereof I am commander
With a burning spear and a horse of air
To the wilderness I wander

By a knight of ghostes and shadowes
I summon'd am to tourney
Ten leagues beyond the wild world's end
Methinks it is no journey.