Last day of A to Z!! Congrats to everyone who's made it this far.
We're ending the Story Song theme on a definite high note. Zac Brown is one of the more diverse songwriters I enjoy. He can write humor, touching songs and everything in between. I could share so many great ones, but Highway 20 Ride is such a poignant story song that I had to give it a shout out for this theme.
Okay, I have - have to! - return to Meatloaf for at least one of my Y songs today. Not only are the lyrics of "You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth" as beautiful and epic as usual for him, the song's intro alone earns it a place in the Story Song listing.
[Boy:] On a hot summer night, would you offer your throat to the wolf with the red roses?
[Girl:] Will he offer me his mouth?
[Boy:] Yes.
[Girl:] Will he offer me his teeth?
[Boy:] Yes.
[Girl:] Will he offer me his jaws?
[Boy:] Yes.
[Girl:] Will he offer me his hunger?
[Boy:] Yes.
[Girl:] Again, will he offer me his hunger?
[Boy:] Yes!
[Girl:]And will he starve without me?
[Boy:] Yes!
[Girl:] And does he love me?
[Boy:] Yes.
[Girl:] Yes.
[Boy:] On a hot summer night, would you offer your throat to the wolf with the red roses?
[Girl:] Yes.
[Boy:] I bet you say that to all the boys!
Meatloaf - You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth
And now, striking a more poignant note, I also give you Trace Adkins "You're Going to Miss This." Yes, it's another sad country song, but if this isn't the straight-up story of life, I don't know what is.
Closing out our collection of sad-but-powerful country story songs is Whiskey Lullaby by Brad Paisley and Allison Krauss. I love that it's a duet of the two characters, and the haunting melody makes the lyrics that much more poignant.
Methinks this list needs a little light-hearted fun. So, I give you...the tragic tale of the poor, doomed radio star. Did you know this was the first music video shown on MTV?!! And, since I'm an 80s girl, I love it of course! It always makes me smile and think of The Wedding Singer.
Powerful vocals, powerful lyrics. This lady has 'em both. Carrie Underwood has a number of songs that could fall in the "Story Song" category, but these are a few of my favorites:
Just a Dream
How Great Thou Art
She breathes so much life into this classic hymn! It's well worth a listen.
Trans-Siberian Orchestra is flat-out amazing! Their entire albums are created to tell stories. You've probably heard me go on and on about them around Christmas, but it's as true in April as ever. This is what rock ballads are supposed to sound like!
You should definitely check out all their albums here, but below is one of my all-time favorites.
Probably my favorite story song on the entire list because I am a die-hard Bon Jovi fan! This is yet another musical saga of good-hearted people winding up on the wrong side of the law (I'm sensing a theme here. Why does that keep happening?! Maybe I should have titled this the A-to-Z of musical crimes gone wrong!)
Nobody does stadium rock opera quite like Queen. From Freddie Mercury's screaming vocals to zany yet brilliant lyrics, they've given us epic ballads loved by steering wheel singers the world over. And, of course, the outfits and hairstyles are a story all their own.
We're sticking with our Blake Shelton kick! Here's another funny story song about best friends - one of his first - "Playboys of the Southwestern World."
Playboys of the Southwestern World: Blake Shelton
And, in case anyone was still in doubt that I was a country music fan, who could overlook Willie and Merle's great ballad of Pancho and Lefty?
Carrie Newcomer is a fantastic folk singer (and many more folk songs could probably make their way onto this list if I listened to it a little more). One of my favorites from her is called, "One Woman and Shovel," about how practical no-nonsense ladies get it done and save a town.
One Woman and a Shovel: Carrie Newcomer
You get a bonus today, because I also love this hilarious story song from Blake Shelton about how a special kind of "puppy love" can orchestrate a jailbreak.
This is the song that made me want to choose "story songs" as a theme for this year's challenge. Can you imagine this on paper? In novel format? On bookshelves? Powerful stuff.
It's sung by the incomparable Reba McEntire who "plays" the sister's role as the story unfolds. For those keeping score at home, this is THE country vengeance ballad.
The Night that the Lights Went Out in the Georgia: Reba McEntire
When it comes to story songs, I think Meatloaf and Jim Steinman helped write the book! These sagas are EPIC. Many clock in at more than eight minutes. I love the use of competing male and female vocals to tell the story! Plus...they're almost better in parody. :)
This is another one of those haunting country songs - made more so by the fact that it's told from the bad guy's perspective as he's about to pay for his crime. It's an incredible, eerie piece that stays with you.
Haha, yes, this is yet another full soundtrack that makes it onto the list. Disney's Lion King is arguably one of the best original animated films of all time, and it's Broadway adaptation only takes it even further. I loved Simba's story as a kid and love it still! It's a great soundtrack to write to because of its vast range of emotions and kick-butt vocals.
Here are some of the tracks that give me goosebumps and fill me with inspiration Every. Single. Time.
Okay, let's admit it. This post actually encompasses ALL of the Les Mis soundtrack. It's hard to top the poignant power of these vocals and the story behind them.
Can anyone say Anne Hathaway? She sings this the way it was meant to be sung!
You know those polls that ask, "If you could only listen to one song for the rest of your life, what would it be?" I think this would be mine.
Hallelujah is a gorgeous song, plus it has so many variations and styles from a talented mix of singers that I never get tired of it. The lyrics flow like poetry and evoke Biblical stories of David and Solomon with a side of pining for heart-aching love. Here are three of my favorite versions:
Rufus Wainwright
Jeff Buckley
Kate Voegele
And, just for fun, here's Cloverton's beautiful Christmas spin on it:
Garth Brooks is the first musician I ever saw in concert! It was an amazing show (on his Fresh Horses tour), and I've loved his songs before and since then.
Here are some of my favorites:
The Thunder Rolls - If you've never listened to the extra verse in the live versions, you're missing out. Chills!
Ireland - A beautiful haunting ode to the morn of a battle.
Beaches of Cheyenne - Another heartbreaking rodeo love saga.
The River - One of the best life lesson songs I've heard.
Standing Outside the Fire - I've talked about this one before. Full of inspiration for when you need to pick yourself up and keep going!
Welcome back for the second week of A-to-Z! Get your sing-along lungs ready, we're kicking things off with Wicked's "For Good." I love this song for it's lyrics AND the melody. So beautiful and touching! I'm also nominating the ENTIRE Wicked soundtrack as an amazing story song. It's been one of my favorite steering wheel sing-alongs since before I actually saw the play.
Here's Elphaba and Glinda singing their hearts out!
I'm from Wisconsin. The wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald happened in Lake Superior (on its way back from a Wisconsin mill), and this song gets played a leeetle too much in local bars whenever someone gets angsty or nostalgic. Still, as far as conveying stories through music goes, this one tells a heck of a maritime tale.
The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald: Gordon Lightfoot
The first of several haunting "southern justice" songs on my list, Chris Knight's Down the River is a powerful ballad of a brother's love, loyalty and vengeance. I love the soft gritty tones of his voice, and the slow storytelling build of the lyrics.
Today's "B" story songs come from country artist Toby Keith, who gives us a fantastic
pair of fun, gritty, gun-slingin' western tales. The music videos for both of these play like mini-movies, set to the stories unfolding through the lyrics. Super fun to watch!
Beer for My Horses
Toby Keith's lawman character chases down an elusive drug dealer with a little help from his Texas Marshall father...played by Willie Nelson!
Bullets in the Gun
A darker, sexy fast-paced theft song. Lesson: Never trust a beautiful lady thief!
It's here, guys! Another installment of the infamous A-to-Z Challenge. This year, I'm tackling my favorite "Story Songs" - those that seem like an epic in and of themselves, the ones we cheer, cry and sing along with and take inspiration from.
To kick us off is the classic grandaddy - American Pie.
(You didn't really think I could start A with something different, did you?)
Overplayed? Perhaps. But still a great song with a powerful story behind it. For those who don't know, it was written in reaction to the 1959 plane crash that killed singers Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and The Big Bopper.
