Watching the Country Music documentary on PBS got me to thinking about my favorite songs lyrically. I'll admit that I'm partial to "storyteller" type lyrics. Here's a few of mine -
Tonight We Ride - Tom Russell. Absolutely incredible song involving Pancho Villa, a *****house, and your bones bleaching on the desert. This song will make you want to rob a liquor store and then try and make it to Mexico.
Gallo Del Cielo - Another Tom Russell song, but I prefer to listen to the version by Joe Ely. Simply the best song about a cockfighting rooster that's ever been written or ever will be written. If you're a songwriter thinking of getting into the cockfighting rooster genre, don't even bother.
Shades of Gray - REK. A lot of people would go with The Road Goes On Forever, but I like this one better. But, much the TRGOF, it's a two hour movie in 3 minutes. You can't help but picture the story in your mind, almost reflexively. And REK's economy of words is ridiculous. It's crazy how much he can convey in so few words.
Hurricane - Bob Dylan. Another awesome storytelling song. I've never been a huge Dylan fan, but this song always struck a cord with me.
I'm sure I could come up with more, but I'll stop there now and let others have a turn. What say the rest of you?
Tonight We Ride - Tom Russell. Absolutely incredible song involving Pancho Villa, a *****house, and your bones bleaching on the desert. This song will make you want to rob a liquor store and then try and make it to Mexico.
Gallo Del Cielo - Another Tom Russell song, but I prefer to listen to the version by Joe Ely. Simply the best song about a cockfighting rooster that's ever been written or ever will be written. If you're a songwriter thinking of getting into the cockfighting rooster genre, don't even bother.
Shades of Gray - REK. A lot of people would go with The Road Goes On Forever, but I like this one better. But, much the TRGOF, it's a two hour movie in 3 minutes. You can't help but picture the story in your mind, almost reflexively. And REK's economy of words is ridiculous. It's crazy how much he can convey in so few words.
Hurricane - Bob Dylan. Another awesome storytelling song. I've never been a huge Dylan fan, but this song always struck a cord with me.
I'm sure I could come up with more, but I'll stop there now and let others have a turn. What say the rest of you?