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Better story teller than Edmund Fitzgerald?

There was a thread on A'gon about the most perfect song.  We had reasons for picking various, but for me it was Gordong Lightfoot's Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.

Perhaps it featured an aspect of song writing that no one else much cared for:  A deep and detailed story in the song.

So I ask you, A'goners, what songs are as good or better at telling a story of a historical event? 

erik_squires
theo's avatar
theo
2,681 posts
 

Harry Chaplin 

bdp24's avatar
bdp24
9,788 posts
 

"Strange Fruit". Written by Abel Meeropol, sung by Billie Holiday.

Bob Dylan wrote a lot, among them "The Lonesome Death Of Hattie Carroll", "Oxford Town", "Hurricane", and "The Death Of Emmitt Till".

All the above are related to the lingering (to this day) racism in The United States Of America, following the end of slavery, our original sin. And all are stories about African-Americans murdered (with the exception of "Hurricane") at the hands of white Americans.

A great related movie is To Kill A Mockingbird, a film I first saw as a child. It had a profound effect on me, and remains a favorite of mine.

noromance's avatar
noromance
9,769 posts
 

Titties and Beer live by Zappa.  

noromance's avatar
noromance
9,769 posts
 

List of songs based on historical events.

chetatkins
81 posts
 

Bullfrog Blues (Live) - YouTube

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