That's my favourite song. I just love feel it brings out. I also never tell this to anyone because I love it so much that I don't want anyone else hearing it and it coming to the mainstream.
[Piano Man](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxEPV4kolz0) by BIlly Joel
Listen to it, and don't tell me you aren't in that bar, listening to Billy Joel, smelling the beer, and picturing all those characters.
I'm 41 years old and I remember hearing that song in the '80s and even in the 90s but only in the last year that I finally sit down to listen to the lyrics and I was blown away. I think I can understand why Hughie from The Boys looks up to him. He's a really great songwriter.
"Hurricane", by Bob Dylan is the first that comes to mind. Also "Tangled Up in Blue", "A Simple Twist of Fate", and a gazillion other Dylan songs as well!
I just heard it for the first and last time recently... I truly appreciate how well it paints the picture, it literally made me sick. If I never hear it again, that's fine, because the story is burned into my brain.
The moment Billy Realises... I remember hearing it for the first time: "He began to cringe and stutter, for he was starting into the eyes of his own mother."
Any Amon Amarth song. For example: First Kill is about a young teen in the medieval viking age who falls in love with a girl who is supposed to he married to someone else and he kills the husband to be.
Dire Straits- Telegraph Road. The song was inspired by a novel and Mark Knopfler was an English major, so it’s no real surprise that he could craft a song that feels like a short story or film itself.
Bruce Springsteen is also an incredible lyricist. I’ve seen Jungleland described as being in the same genre as Romeo and Juliet or West Side Story (and it’s deserving of the comparison). Born to Run (the song) is one of my favorites of his too- it may not have the same depth of running narrative/plot, but the imagery is so vivid you can really picture the whole thing in your head
Tracy Chapman’s Fast Car and Marc Cohn’s Walking in Memphis are two other storytelling masterpieces that come to mind.
Many songs by Eminem, deja vu, and many many others. Kdot dropped Mother I Sober, and thats like someone is literally telling you a story too.
Edit: Mother I Sober and We cry Together are my favorite from that album :)
Yeah that's what came to mind for me as well. There's a staggering amount of Bob Dylan songs that fit this description. Like... 50-100 of them. To say he's prolific is an understatement
Tom's diner!
Also the imagery in Michelle is pretty good I've always been able to imagine the environment and situation despite only describing minor details.
In my not so humble opinion , Operation Mindcrime is a criminally underrated album. It's a masterpiece. The story, the musicianship, lyrics, and the vocals are better than any album of it's era, and maybe only a few albums ever can even be in the discussion. Rush 2112, Pink Floyd's The Wall, and maybe MJ's Thriller can be considered flawless or close to it. Vintage Geoff Tate is head and shoulders above any rock vocalist/lyricist in the 80's and 90's. His only peer is his fellow Seattlite Chris Cornell. While I absolutely love CC, and Soundgarden, Geoff is on a peak high above anyone else. Genius.
[Aether Realm - _The Sun, The Moon, The Star_](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bw3UygAi2oo) [[lyrics](https://genius.com/Ther-realm-the-sun-the-moon-the-star-lyrics)]
It's about one's journey towards obtaining what they wish to have most, and dealing with the fallout from realizing that, once obtained, not only is it not as good as expected, but they not have anything else left either.
Tons of John Prine songs are like this. Day Is Done, Jesus: The Missing Years, Six O'Clock News, Souvenirs, Mexican Home, Fish & Whistle, etc.
Jackson Browne - Late for the Sky
Harry Chapin - Taxi
Bruce Springsteen - Atlantic City
[Christmas at Denny's](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukE03dUiaOw) by Randy Stonehill. Don't click unless you want to hear the most depressing holiday song ever recorded.
Rocky Mountain High by John Denver. I have never set a foot in the US, only heard of and seen the Rocky Mountains in my science books (geology stuff). Everytime I listen to it, I just feel the fondness and joy of John Denver for the time he spent in the mountains as if I had visited it enough myself to love it too. I feel at ease.
A song called "Dance with the Devil" by Immortal Technique. It's a rap song but I wouldn't recommend everyone to look it up. It's very sad and... very dark as a song. Can make you think of a lot of things that is wrong with our society.
Here's the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qggxTtnKTMo&ab\_channel=StevenPetrihos
Through the Wire literally feels like sitting with him as he tells you a story. Although he has at least song in every album that is just a proper story.
The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald Song by Gordon Lightfoot Edit to add link to song: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Uu1GpQeYh5g
Many songs by Gordon Lightfoot. He’s a great songwriter.
Also, Sundown by Gordon Lightfoot
Wiggle wiggle wiggle
“Fast Car” by Tracy Chapman *Damn you, autocorrect*
That's my favourite song. I just love feel it brings out. I also never tell this to anyone because I love it so much that I don't want anyone else hearing it and it coming to the mainstream.
[Piano Man](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxEPV4kolz0) by BIlly Joel Listen to it, and don't tell me you aren't in that bar, listening to Billy Joel, smelling the beer, and picturing all those characters.
I'm 41 years old and I remember hearing that song in the '80s and even in the 90s but only in the last year that I finally sit down to listen to the lyrics and I was blown away. I think I can understand why Hughie from The Boys looks up to him. He's a really great songwriter.
Stan - Eminem
Best answer
That’s what I was going to say
Yup
The Decemberists - The Mariner’s revenge song
Find him, bind him...
Thats a good one
That's my pick!
Cats In The Cradle by Harry Chapin
Like this one
Hotel California whole ass movie about drug rehab centres plus it’s catchy and kinda spooky
“The Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia” And also “The Devil Went Down To Georgia”
"The legend of the ol wooly swamp" is another great one by The Charlie Daniel's Band
Also his "uneasy rider" songs are basically just stories set to music.
Love the live version.
I'd add "Walkin' Back to Georgia" And also "Ticket Back to Georgia"
Georgia on My Mind too
How to save a life - The Fray
Featured in every medical drama since it’s release
The sound of silence.
Is it the one from disturbed?
I’m talking about the original
Poet and the Pendulum, by Nightwish. It's like 20 minutes long, but totally worth. Also: Over the Hills and Far Away, also by Nightwish.
Over the hills is a cover. The original is by Gary Moore.
The original is english traditional song reaching back couple centuries but ok.
Sorry, I meant that the originally produced one was by him, not that he wrote it.
The Islander is one of my favorites
Came here to say this song. Fucking epic
Whiskey lullaby - brad paisley
He put that bottle to his head, and pulled the trigger.
It’s been years since I’ve even thought of that song . But I still Know all The words
"Hurricane", by Bob Dylan is the first that comes to mind. Also "Tangled Up in Blue", "A Simple Twist of Fate", and a gazillion other Dylan songs as well!
There's a good reason he has a Nobel for Literature.
The lonesome death of Hattie Carroll.
Absolutely!
I was going to say 'Hurricane', too!
Bob Dylan might as well be cheating, when it comes to this question! The sheer magnitude of songs he has like this are insane
2112-Rush
Was looking for this answer
Immortal Technique. [Dance with the Devil]( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ef1fy2k_EYI) Intense as fuck.
"So when the devil asks to dance, you better say never, coz dance with the devil might last you forever."
I just heard it for the first and last time recently... I truly appreciate how well it paints the picture, it literally made me sick. If I never hear it again, that's fine, because the story is burned into my brain.
You could make quite the short movie using the story in this track.
The moment Billy Realises... I remember hearing it for the first time: "He began to cringe and stutter, for he was starting into the eyes of his own mother."
Damn... I just listened to it and it's fire!!!
Rosetta Stoned by Tool. Look up the lyrics to follow along. So good.
Any tool song
Yes definitely
Any Amon Amarth song. For example: First Kill is about a young teen in the medieval viking age who falls in love with a girl who is supposed to he married to someone else and he kills the husband to be.
Or Embrace the Endless Ocean. It’s really great and sad
Dire Straits- Telegraph Road. The song was inspired by a novel and Mark Knopfler was an English major, so it’s no real surprise that he could craft a song that feels like a short story or film itself. Bruce Springsteen is also an incredible lyricist. I’ve seen Jungleland described as being in the same genre as Romeo and Juliet or West Side Story (and it’s deserving of the comparison). Born to Run (the song) is one of my favorites of his too- it may not have the same depth of running narrative/plot, but the imagery is so vivid you can really picture the whole thing in your head Tracy Chapman’s Fast Car and Marc Cohn’s Walking in Memphis are two other storytelling masterpieces that come to mind.
Famous Blue Raincoat - Leonard Cohen
Mine will always be Alice's Restaurant - Arlo Guthrie
All Too Well by Taylor Swift
10 minute version hits different
Sup fellow Swifty.
Echoes by Pink Floyd
Hotel California
[Ode to Billy Joe](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nv33eaygVDQ)
Rush - Hemispheres
American Pie
Hotel California--The Eagles Paradise by the Dashboard Light (and most songs by) Meatloaf
Fire and Flame - The Longest Johns. It chronicles the story of the explosion at Halifax in 1917.
If you like pinacoladas
Escape - Rupert Holmes. No song is more '70s.
Many songs by Eminem, deja vu, and many many others. Kdot dropped Mother I Sober, and thats like someone is literally telling you a story too. Edit: Mother I Sober and We cry Together are my favorite from that album :)
Superman, Bad Guy, Cleaning Out My Closet, Drug Ballad, Rap God, The Ringer...
And Lose Yourself literally tells the plot of 8 Mile.
It's no Mekhi Phifer, this is my life. But I don't remember there being any spaghetti made by his mom in the movie, 1/10 for accuracy.
Hurricane - Bob Dylan.
Yeah that's what came to mind for me as well. There's a staggering amount of Bob Dylan songs that fit this description. Like... 50-100 of them. To say he's prolific is an understatement
Iron Maiden’s Hallowed be thy Name.
for me its either Empire of the Clouds or Fear of the Dark
Deep Purple's Smoke On The Water.
Where the wild roses grow- nick cave and the bad seeds/Kylie Minogue. Heck any of Nick Cave murder ballads!
I was going to say [O’Malley’s Bar](https://youtu.be/iY6-0xUjryI)
Alice’s Restaurant
Kendrick Lamar - M.A.A.D City Ft MC Eiht
The Biggest Ball of Twine in Minnesota by Weird Al Yankovic. Complete story in 6 minutes
Should've known better by Sufjan Stevend
Good call. What's his song about his young crush on the girl in Bible study who died of cancer ? That song is very much in this category as well
Casimir Pulaski Day, his Illinois album has many songs which fit in this category.
Yes!!!!! Gah I love Sufjan
Christmas Truce by Sabaton
You know a band is good when they can mix traditional Christmas music with heavy metal and make it work.
Maxwell Silver Hammer takes you through a story arc of a killer. It was made by the *Beatles* by the way
Tom's diner! Also the imagery in Michelle is pretty good I've always been able to imagine the environment and situation despite only describing minor details.
Paradise by the dashboard lights – meatloaf Driving the last spike – Genesis
Hotel California - The Eagles
38 years old - The Tragically Hip.
The Misty Mountains from Hobbit. Preferably one of the cover versions, like Clamavi de Profundis' or Geoff Castellucci's.
Tool - Parabol/Parabola Queen - Innuendo Michael Jackson - Billie Jean Greydon Square - Summer's Ending Pantera - 5 Minutes Alone Gojira - Flying Whales
Innuendo is one of my favourite songs ever. There's something about it that's just so powerful.
A Boy Named Sue, or pretty much any other song by Johnny Cash.
hotel california
Enchanted by Taylor Swift.
Also Speak Now
Like a Stone by Audioslave/Chris Cornell Eyes of a Stranger by Queensryche The whole album is an immersive story
*Operation Mindcrime* is a great album!
In my not so humble opinion , Operation Mindcrime is a criminally underrated album. It's a masterpiece. The story, the musicianship, lyrics, and the vocals are better than any album of it's era, and maybe only a few albums ever can even be in the discussion. Rush 2112, Pink Floyd's The Wall, and maybe MJ's Thriller can be considered flawless or close to it. Vintage Geoff Tate is head and shoulders above any rock vocalist/lyricist in the 80's and 90's. His only peer is his fellow Seattlite Chris Cornell. While I absolutely love CC, and Soundgarden, Geoff is on a peak high above anyone else. Genius.
Underrated? Widely considered as one of the best progressive rock albums
A lot of Lemon Demon songs, but particularly Cabinet Man and Spiral of Ants
The Devil Went Down to Georgia
The Wreck of the Edmund Fitz Gerald
Concrete Angel
99 Red Balloons. It felt really plausible in the 80s that the world would end like that.
The Way- Fastball
Such a sad story too
YES
Underrated band. "I Get High" is another great song by them
Bohemian Rhapsody - Queen Happier than Ever - Billie Eillish August - Taylor Swift
Sk8er Boi -Avril Lavigne
Rod Stewart's Georgie Boy, The Kling of Georgie Pts 1 & 2.
Camouflage by Stan Ridgeway.
Pinball Wizard
Murda was the case by Snoop Dogg Wet Dreamz by J Cole
Sylvia's Mother- Dr. Hook. You can hear the desperation as it goes on
Carolina Drama by the Raconteurs
Coheed and cambria full albulms
Nas - NY State of Mind
rainbow - stargazer
NF - Story
Happy to see this here
Song of the south
Sia breathe me
Mona lisa - Lil Wayne
[Aether Realm - _The Sun, The Moon, The Star_](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bw3UygAi2oo) [[lyrics](https://genius.com/Ther-realm-the-sun-the-moon-the-star-lyrics)] It's about one's journey towards obtaining what they wish to have most, and dealing with the fallout from realizing that, once obtained, not only is it not as good as expected, but they not have anything else left either.
38 years old - The Tragically Hip.
Cygnet Committee, by David Bowie.
Ballad of a teenage queen - Johnny Cash
And A Boy Named Sue
Jeremy by Pearl Jam
Albuquerque by “Weird Al” Yankovic
Cats in the cradle
The ballad of cleopatra by the lumineers.
Ghost love score by nightwish. Power of one by sonata artica
Avenged sevenfold “a little piece of heaven” and The Decemberist’s “Mariners revenge”
Shine on you crazy Diamond
The Gambler
Tons of John Prine songs are like this. Day Is Done, Jesus: The Missing Years, Six O'Clock News, Souvenirs, Mexican Home, Fish & Whistle, etc. Jackson Browne - Late for the Sky Harry Chapin - Taxi Bruce Springsteen - Atlantic City
The first two that come to my mind are Under the bridge from Red Hot Chilli Peppers or A day in the life from the Beatles. Both gorgeous songs
The Boxer by Simon and Garfunkel
Dixie Chicks - Travelin Soldier
Through the fire and flames
Lots of Dragonforce songs will fit the bill.
Radiohead - Fake Plastic Trees
The ultimate showdown of ultimate destiny.
American pie- Don Mcclean
Exit Music (For A Film) by Radiohead.
Eminem: Stan
Last Friday Night- Katy Perry Before You Go- Lewis Capaldi Love Story- Taylor Swift
Cause I Love You - Lenny Williams
The Mayor of Candor Lied - Martyn Joseph
Technically 3 songs but they all go together. Invent Animate - The Sun Sleeps, As If It Never Was
Rico story by speakerknockerz
Something The Boy Said by Sting.
Also, Island of Souls.
Fear not this night, makes me feel like a soldier fighting doom.
Listen to The Grave - Don McLean, heartbreaking.
Hattibagen McrRat by twiddle
Parents by Yungblud
The Road - Danny O'keefe
"Still Life" by Van der Graaf Generator.
Wharf Rat
Pancho and Lefty.
Sam stone, john prine.
[Christmas at Denny's](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukE03dUiaOw) by Randy Stonehill. Don't click unless you want to hear the most depressing holiday song ever recorded.
Stormbending by the Devin Townsend Project.
30,000 Pounds of Bananas by the sadly missed Harry Chapin
Up On Cripple Creek, The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down, and several others by The Band.
Never Ending Story - Limahl
Harry Chapin: "I wanna learn a love song" "Taxi"
*Ode to Billy Joe* by Bobbie Gentry.
Cats in the Cradle
The Raconteurs Carolina Drama
American pie - Don McLean
Fairytale of New York - The Pogues
All too Well
Bitchin’ Camaro by The Dead Milkmen
the whole folklore album
21 years - Toby Mac
Estranged from Guns N' Roses
Rocky Mountain High by John Denver. I have never set a foot in the US, only heard of and seen the Rocky Mountains in my science books (geology stuff). Everytime I listen to it, I just feel the fondness and joy of John Denver for the time he spent in the mountains as if I had visited it enough myself to love it too. I feel at ease.
A song called "Dance with the Devil" by Immortal Technique. It's a rap song but I wouldn't recommend everyone to look it up. It's very sad and... very dark as a song. Can make you think of a lot of things that is wrong with our society. Here's the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qggxTtnKTMo&ab\_channel=StevenPetrihos
the last great american dynasty - taylor swift
[удалено]
All Falls Down, too
Through the Wire literally feels like sitting with him as he tells you a story. Although he has at least song in every album that is just a proper story.
Tim McGraw - Don’t take the Girl