I present to you, the greatest incarnation of that form:
A lot of death metal and grindcore songs do that, actually.
A lot of death metal and grindcore songs do that, actually.
Songs that are also stories
- Thread starter Professor James
- Start date
While there's plenty of great bands that create stories with their music, I'mma break out the big guns and mention Rush. They're perfect for this sort of thing, considering almost all their songs are either contained stories within themselves or even stories that span multiple albums.
Just one of the more obvious examples from them:
Just one of the more obvious examples from them:
Psyche Origami's The Standard album kinda falls into that category in general...
However, the Deltron 3030 album from Deltron 3030, themselves, is basically one big intergalactic adventure in rap form...
Other than that, all of the one's I keep thinking about are more metaphorical storytelling than straight-up storytelling... Like Collective Efforts's Growth:
I mean, most songs tell a story of sorts, even if it's just "boy likes girl"/"girl likes boy". The two examples I immediately thought of have already been said (Dance with the devil and american pie), but some other songs that do it are
most of Bob Dylan, but All alond the Watchtower perhaps most obviously
Eminem's Stan already got taken, so instead here's Guilty Conscience, which is like 3 short stories
Then there's this one
Most of the best stories, however, are told throughout albums, using individual songs to help build the story. For example, Plan b's album ill Manors, where the previous example came from (and what made me think of it), another one of his albums "The Defamation Of Strickland Banks", which is actually even better as a story (it's about a famous singer being sent to jail for a rape he didn't commit). Kendrick Lamar's Good kid, M.A.A.D city does it, or Gnarls Barkelys album "Charity Case" (the one that their famous single "Run" came from...what do you mean I'm the only one who got the album??). Arguably the best at this are Pink Floyd, with the Wall being their ultimate triumph from the point of view of telling a story through music. I mean, comfertably numb is still a great song, but it's even better when listened to in its proper context (if that's possible)
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Most of the best stories, however, are told throughout albums, using individual songs to help build the story. For example, Plan b's album ill Manors, where the previous example came from (and what made me think of it), another one of his albums "The Defamation Of Strickland Banks", which is actually even better as a story (it's about a famous singer being sent to jail for a rape he didn't commit). Kendrick Lamar's Good kid, M.A.A.D city does it, or Gnarls Barkelys album "Charity Case" (the one that their famous single "Run" came from...what do you mean I'm the only one who got the album??). Arguably the best at this are Pink Floyd, with the Wall being their ultimate triumph from the point of view of telling a story through music. I mean, comfertably numb is still a great song, but it's even better when listened to in its proper context (if that's possible)
I'm pretty sure that's it, though many verses have several interpretations as to who or what they're referencing.Gordon_4 said:
No mention of the Gorrilaz yet, really? Their entire thing was stories around the songs, although technically it was more stories around the music videos with it having not much to do with the song...hmm.....WAIT A MINUTE I REMEMBER
Short story song, ill let you interprets what some of the finer details of the story are (The video is higher quality then the thumbnail).
Short story song, ill let you interprets what some of the finer details of the story are (The video is higher quality then the thumbnail).
My friend, you are missing out on something great: Concept albums.Professor James said:
Contained within this Youtube video is the story a man driven mad by an insane asylum, who escapes, and stages a Macabre game of vengeance against the people who wronged him. And this is like, one album out of 12 King Diamond does. Seriously, if you can tolerate heavy metal at all, give them a listen.
Fair enough then.Johnny Novgorod said:
The Hurricane - Bob Dylan
Tells the (greatly challenged) story of the incarceration or Ruben Carter for murder.
There are many, so so many!!!
Iron Maiden has a few of the top of my head.
Based on novels: Rime of the Ancient Mariner, Lord of the Flies.
Just stories: Dance of Death, Hallowed be thy Name, Running Free.
Historybased: Run to the Hills, Paschendale.
And these are just to name a few, with over 15 studioalbums I can't remember them all -.-
Then there's a band called Sabaton who do mainly music about war, so they have songs about real life stories and happenings.
Check 'em out, they're awesome!!
I keep myself to Rock N Roll and HeavyMetal, and in these genres it is quite common for songs to be stories at the same time.
If you want you more just ask, the list goes on
Iron Maiden has a few of the top of my head.
Based on novels: Rime of the Ancient Mariner, Lord of the Flies.
Just stories: Dance of Death, Hallowed be thy Name, Running Free.
Historybased: Run to the Hills, Paschendale.
And these are just to name a few, with over 15 studioalbums I can't remember them all -.-
Then there's a band called Sabaton who do mainly music about war, so they have songs about real life stories and happenings.
Check 'em out, they're awesome!!
I keep myself to Rock N Roll and HeavyMetal, and in these genres it is quite common for songs to be stories at the same time.
If you want you more just ask, the list goes on
Aren't these called "concept albums"?doggy go 7 said:
I know at least Queensryche album Operation Mindcrime is one. The whole album tells just one story.
This was popular in the 80s and 90s for Proggressiv Rock, bands like Rush, DreamTeather and QueensRyche often used several songs around one "character".
Then a band called Savatage have albums like Gutter Ballet which in itself isn't a concept album, the 3 last songs are basically one story and the whole album could be seen like the songs are tied together, they have said that it isn's a full story though.
This was my first thought and one of the reasons I enjoy Country music. A few more (not just country) are:Asita said:
Wow. Well, before I even opened this thread, that was going to be my primary example.Professor James said:
"Highwayman" is another great one, and best of all, it's from Johnny Cash (and some other dudes or whatever):
