An epic song to me is one with a story to it,here are some of my favorites.

1) Gallo Del Cielo by Tom Russell,the story of Mexico,love and a
rooster.

2) Mr. Tanner by Harry Chapin,story of dreams dying

3) Wreck of The Edmund Fitzgerald by Gordon Lightfoot

4) Roland The Headless Thompson Gunner by Warren Zevon,a
story about a mercenary who loses his head and seeks revenge

What are your favorites?

Best Regards,

Alan

Smoke on the Water - Deep Purple

All Along the Watchtower - Bob Dylan ( Jimi Hendrix version added so much to this song IMO).

Lucky Man - ELP

How about 'Gallo de Cielo' by Joe Ely? His Letter to Laredo CD is really great stuff :ntwrthy:

Dave

These come to mind;
Hurricane & Unknown Legend & Pochahontas - Bob Dylan
Reflections - Charlie Daniels
My Hometown - The Boss (Bruce Springstien)
Scarecrow & Pink Houses - John Cougar
Last Resort - Eagles
The Boxer & America - Simon & Garfunkel
So You Think Your a Cowboy & My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys - Willie Nelson, Electric Horseman Soundtrack

:)

The one that always comes to mind is:
no pun intended......Metallica-One :)
or Hot Rod Lincoln by....Dang to early in the morning to remember.

Dave, Letter to Laredo is probably one of the best albums ever!!
Do you have "Live Shots" his live in England cd with the Clash?

VinylHanger It was Commander Cody who did Hot Rod Lincloln

Alan

Brain fog this morning. What was that one by Meatloaf? Bat outa Hell album? "Makin' love by the dashboard lights..."?

Rob

Rob, It was" Paradise by the Dashboard Light" ain't no doubt about it.

Alan

Thanx Alan!

Not pair o' dice by the rearview mirror. :) No doubt about it!

Rob

Man, when you talk about "Epics", how can you forget most of the earlier RUSH albums?

2112
The Trees
Cygnus X-1
Hemishperes

The list goes on and on and on............

Enjoy,

TIC

Kris Kristoffersons "Darbys Castle" is damn good. John Prines "Donald and Lyttia" Actually with those two, pretty much all their songs tell a story, those two stick out for me. Redheaded Stranger by Willie.

mmmm, how bout an obvious one, Pink Floyds The Wall.

J

In a little cafe, on the other side of the border....cha, cha.
...
...
...
Come a little bit closer, you're my kind of man, so big and so tall.
Come a little bit closer, I'm all alone and the night is so long...cha cha cha.

A memory like a rusted steel trap. :)

Rob

Remember that really early 60's rap song "Big Bad John" sung by or narrated by Lorne Greene? :) Was about this dude trapped in a mine.

Showing my age now. :eek:

Rob

The theme song from the TV show "The Beverly Hillbillies".

How about Eric Bogle's "And The Band Played Waltzing Matilda"
Best song about war ever written.

Harry Chapin's "Dance Band on The Titanic"

Harry Chapin's "30K LBS of Bannanas"

Alan

"Suite Judy Blue Eyes" CSN
"Jeremy" Pearl Jam
"Taxi" Pt1 and 2 Chapin no one chose them?
"Thunder Road" the Boss..."Rosalita" is cool too
"Spill the Wine"? Eric Burden

Lucky Man by Emerson Lake & Palmer
Low Rider by War
Lawyers, Guns and Money by Warren Zevon
Voices in the Sky by The Moody Blues
Aqualung by Jethro Tull
It's a Beautiful Morning by The Young Rascals (also did groovin)
Whiter Shade of Pale by Procol Harem
American Woman by The Grass Roots
I'm Your Captain by Grand Funk Railroad
Threshold by Steve Miller

And a hundred more........

Greg

"Vincent", by Don McLean. I think anyone who considers them an artist in any form has a deep understanding of the meaning behind it in their own lives....the story of Vincent Van Gogh.

"Secret O' Life" by James Taylor......truer words were never spoken :)

Originally posted by Retro Stereo
Lucky Man by Emerson Lake & Palmer
Low Rider by War
Lawyers, Guns and Money by Warren Zevon
Voices in the Sky by The Moody Blues
Aqualung by Jethro Tull
It's a Beautiful Morning by The Young Rascals (also did groovin)
Whiter Shade of Pale by Procol Harem
American Woman by The Grass Roots
I'm Your Captain by Grand Funk Railroad
Threshold by Steve Miller

And a hundred more........

Greg

"American Woman" is a song by the Guess Who.

" Vincent " stands way out as it is personal to me.

Some folks fail to realize many PF albums are actually one song/theme. "Wish You Were Here", " DSM", and my personal favorite, " Animals". Listen to Animals and you'll wonder about all of the new fuss about corporate America. I mean after a 30 year warning. I'm not saying corps are bad, just misunderstood. They are in business to make money.

Still, I simply "love", " Please Come to Boston", for personal reasons. L&M.

You can't beat Harry as a storyteller. I recently saw his DVD. Yes, he was in Germany and younger. However, " Taxi", keeps killing me as does, " WOLD"..... course I'm an old man..


Listening to Frank S. now, " Quarter to 3"...Live at the Sands with Count Basie....how sweet........

Anybody here ever listen to any King Crimson?

Don't forget the Women.... Carole King , Carly Simon, Ms. Snow, and " Big Mama Thorton"......and Janis Ian( hope it is spelled right).

..........thanks for reading.........

.....Regards..........Joe

Talking Bear Mountain Picnic Massacre Blues: by Bob Dylan...

I saw it advertised one day,
That The Bear Mountain picnic was comin' my way.
"Come along 'n' take a trip,
We'll bring you up there on a ship.
Bring the wife and kids
Bring the whole family."
Yippee!

Well, I run right down 'n' bought a ticket
To this Bear Mountain Picnic.
But little did I realize
I was in for a picnic surprise.
Had nothin' to do with mountains.
I didn't even come close to a bear.

Took the wife 'n' kids down to the pier,
Six thousand people there,
Everybody had ticket for the trip.
"Oh well." I said, "it's a pretty big ship.
Besides, anyway, the more the merrier."

Well, we all got on 'n' what d'ya think,
That big old boat started t' sink
More people kept a-pilin' on,
That old ship was a-slowly goin' down.
Funny way t' start a picnic.

Well, I soon lost track of m' kids 'n' wife,
So many people there I never saw in m' life
That old ship sinkin' down in the water,
Six thousand people tryin' t' kill each other,
Dogs a-barkin', cats a-meowin',
Women screamin', fists a-flyin', babies cryin',
Cops a-comin', me a-runnin'.
Maybe we just better call off the picnic.

I got shoved down 'n' pushed around,
All I could hear there was a screamin' sound,
Don't remember one thing more,
Just remember walkin' up on a little shore,
Head busted, stomach cracked,
Feet splintered, I was bald, naked. . .
Quite lucky to be alive though.

Feelin' like I climbed outa m' casket,
I grabbed back hold of m' picnic basket.
Took the wife 'n' kids 'n' started home,
Wishin' I'd never got up that morn.

Now, I don't care just what you do,
If you wanta have a picnic, that's up t' you.
But don't tell me about it, I don't wanta hear it,
'Cause, see, I just lost all m' picnic spirit.
Stay in m' kitchen, have m' own picnic. . .
In the bathroom.

Now, it don't seem to me quite so funny
What some people are gonna do f'r money.
There's a bran' new gimmick every day
Just t' take somebody's money away.
I think we oughta take some o' these people
And put 'em on a boat, send 'em up to Bear Mountain . . .
For a picnic.

Copyright © 1962; renewed 1990 MCA

:D

Mr. Moon, I think from reading some threads you are close to my age.

However, if you are not, please let Dylan die with grace. Maybe, a poet. Yet, to say he is a poet and singer is a bit more than most can swallow.

Yes, he wrote a few great songs.

I was there in the 60's. He was nobody to most of us. I'm sorry.

Most of us crossed from "Folk", to "Beach"(da Boys,Jan&Dean,Ventures, and Dick Dale..)

Dylan, was only popular in certain areas. I promise. IMO he was a WOODY wannabe without all of Woodys talent. My opinion only.

I don't mean to diss one of you music hero's. However, I have to say BD wasn't that big in the 60's. Only due to the Magic of Time Warner..... now if you want to talk about Woody's son Arlo.....ask Alice, or drive a motorcycle......

I don't mean to offend....

.Sincerely....

..Joe

Mr. No-No - "Please let Dylan die with grace?"

Where the hell did that come from??? :rolleyes:

mOOn

Moon, I appreciate the pic of MM in your avatar.

I never meant to offend you. Bob was never really big in the 60's, only to a certain "small"crowd. Once again, I don't mean to offend.Think of it all as "media."Or, you can look at top 40 play lists.

Actually, personally, I think Zappa had more influence. Especially, in the early to middle 70's. Course, he was influence by Captain Beefheart( as they went to school together). " Mirror Man" is a great CB album. Zappa's, " Hot Rats", isn't too bad, but not his best work.


I'm not kicking Dylan. I'm just saying he now has a legend. Whether or not he deserved it is not up to me.

I can think of many great songwriters. Of course Elvis is not one of them.....

Moon, once again, I don't mean to offend you. I just found it strange you would pick out a Dylan song to quote. If you want to quote the feelings of war then I personally would suggest,"Sky Pilot" by Eric Burdon and "The Animals." This song captured many of us in the late 60's.

In regards to the "Blues", I'm sure you know Willie Dixon wrote most of MM lyrics. As he did Howlin Wolf, and others in the Chess Family.

I have some very fine recordings from the LoC by Alan Lomax.

I would be more than happy to burn you a copy as it is "Folk" music and there is no copyright. There is by the LoC.

But it is a public institution; therefore,owned by we the people.

Once again, Please don't think I'm trying to offend anyone. I'm just telling you how it was back in my day.

....Sincerely..
.......Joe

Mr. No-No - You seem to miss my point... My question to you was & still is...

WHY the rant on Dylan when the original thread was simply about "SONGS THAT TELL A STORY?"

Not songs that tell a "WAR STORY." Nor did it have anything to do with the importance of any particular singer/songwriter/poet.

So what if I just happened to pick a Dylan tune that I've always found humorous. It tells a story. (No more... No less.) Call it comic relief if you'd like.

NOW... If you'd like to get into the relevance of Dylan & the effect he had on music in general, then I'd be more than happy to plead my case that Dylan WAS & STILL IS much more relevant than you obviously believe. (Whether he DID or DIDN'T have a big following during the 60's.) It doesn't matter. The man touched many people with his writing's, emotion & YES... Even his voice.

How about "Blood On the Tracks?" Ever heard that one?

Oh well... In closing I will quote yet another Dylan song that DOES speak of war, as well as many other important social issues, in a way not many singer songwriters could ever do. (IMHO)

It's alright, Ma (I'm Only Bleeding)

Darkness at the break of noon
Shadows even the silver spoon
The handmade blade, the child's balloon
Eclipses both the sun and moon
To understand you know too soon
There is no sense in trying.

Pointed threats, they bluff with scorn
Suicide remarks are torn
From the fool's gold mouthpiece
The hollow horn plays wasted words
Proves to warn
That he not busy being born
Is busy dying.

Temptation's page flies out the door
You follow, find yourself at war
Watch waterfalls of pity roar
You feel to moan but unlike before
You discover
That you'd just be
One more person crying.

So don't fear if you hear
A foreign sound to your ear
It's alright, Ma, I'm only sighing.

As some warn victory, some downfall
Private reasons great or small
Can be seen in the eyes of those that call
To make all that should be killed to crawl
While others say don't hate nothing at all
Except hatred.

Disillusioned words like bullets bark
As human gods aim for their mark
Made everything from toy guns that spark
To flesh-colored Christs that glow in the dark
It's easy to see without looking too far
That not much
Is really sacred.

While preachers preach of evil fates
Teachers teach that knowledge waits
Can lead to hundred-dollar plates
Goodness hides behind its gates
But even the president of the United States
Sometimes must have
To stand naked.

An' though the rules of the road have been lodged
It's only people's games that you got to dodge
And it's alright, Ma, I can make it.

Advertising signs that con you
Into thinking you're the one
That can do what's never been done
That can win what's never been won
Meantime life outside goes on
All around you.

You lose yourself, you reappear
You suddenly find you got nothing to fear
Alone you stand with nobody near
When a trembling distant voice, unclear
Startles your sleeping ears to hear
That somebody thinks
They really found you.

A question in your nerves is lit
Yet you know there is no answer fit to satisfy
Insure you not to quit
To keep it in your mind and not fergit
That it is not he or she or them or it
That you belong to.

Although the masters make the rules
For the wise men and the fools
I got nothing, Ma, to live up to.

For them that must obey authority
That they do not respect in any degree
Who despise their jobs, their destinies
Speak jealously of them that are free
Cultivate their flowers to be
Nothing more than something
They invest in.

While some on principles baptized
To strict party platform ties
Social clubs in drag disguise
Outsiders they can freely criticize
Tell nothing except who to idolize
And then say God bless him.

While one who sings with his tongue on fire
Gargles in the rat race choir
Bent out of shape from society's pliers
Cares not to come up any higher
But rather get you down in the hole
That he's in.

But I mean no harm nor put fault
On anyone that lives in a vault
But it's alright, Ma, if I can't please him.

Old lady judges watch people in pairs
Limited in sex, they dare
To push fake morals, insult and stare
While money doesn't talk, it swears
Obscenity, who really cares
Propaganda, all is phony.

While them that defend what they cannot see
With a killer's pride, security
It blows the minds most bitterly
For them that think death's honesty
Won't fall upon them naturally
Life sometimes
Must get lonely.

My eyes collide head-on with stuffed graveyards
False gods, I scuff
At pettiness which plays so rough
Walk upside-down inside handcuffs
Kick my legs to crash it off
Say okay, I have had enough
What else can you show me?

And if my thought-dreams could be seen
They'd probably put my head in a guillotine
But it's alright, Ma, it's life, and life only.

Copyright © 1965; renewed 1993 Special Rider Music

Nuff said.

I was just wearing the silk screen of Dylan T shirt my buddy made when we were in high school. He was well known and liked in the crowd I ran with but that was 73/74 not the 60s. The Rolling Thunder Review was one of the major happenings of that time and a show I was always sorry I missed.

How about the Everyone Is In Show Biz album by the Kinks. Demon Alcohol was a favorite camp fire song for us.

I saw Tom Thrush, but it was a free show.

Big Bad John was by Jimmy Dean, the breakfast sausage king. LORNE GREEN did Johnny Ringo.

Talk about your rusted steel traps.


Almond, Toasted/MSgt, USAF

I like Jim croce's You Don't Mess Around With Jim or Harry Chapin's Taxi.

Grumpy

Tom Paxton: Talking Vietnam Pot Luck Blues:D
now here was a true story-teller!

Sorry guys:
Jungle Land
'the Boss

Originally posted by Toasted Almond
Big Bad John was by Jimmy Dean, the breakfast sausage king. LORNE GREEN did Johnny Ringo.

Talk about your rusted steel traps.


Almond, Toasted/MSgt, USAF

Hmmmm...thanx Toasted! That goes back a long ways!

Rob

Just have thought of a another song - Camoflage by Wall of Voodoo frontman Stan Ridgeway.

Dave

Using my best McLaughlin (group) voice...WRONG! lol The correct answer is "MARTY ROBBINS!"

"Out in the West Texas town of EL PASO...I fell in love with a
Mexican girl...night time would find me at Rosies Cantina...music would play and Falina would twirl!

SixCats!

Stairway to Heaven - Led Zepplin

Jailbreak - AC/DC

Fade to Black - Metallica

We will Rock You/We are the champions - Queen

Devil went down to georgia - Charlie Daniels

Bad to the bone - George thorogood

Andersonville by Dave Alvin(some say,a better song about the civil war than The Band's The Night They Drove Ol" Dixie Down