Songs That Tell Stories

There are a lot of songs that would make great movies. I love, love, love Richard Thompson whose songs "Bee's Wing" and "Vincent Black Lightning 52" would make great movies.

I considered taking on Bee's Wing myself. I can see how Red Molly would be costumed.

Have those songs appeared here?

"Vincent" has (including the bluegrass version, where they go down to Nashville, rather than Box Hill)

"Bees wing" is spectacular, Thompson's a master of the bittersweet. He's apparently back in the States now, doing a $5-8-suggested-donation concert outdoors at Prescott Park in Portsmouth, NH, a lovely place on a summer's evening, Aug. 27.

The group Red Molly took their name from the woman in "1952 Vincent Black Lightning". I think they wear it well. Here's a sort of a story song from them

Sozlet likes a guy named Red Sovine, who I'd never heard of ("Mom, Red Sovine!" Um, yeah, sorry) who is evidently the "king of the narrations."

Wonder if sozlet knows this one, Mama Soz.



The Ballad of Greyfriars Bobby.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LkQyRgpE5p4

sozobe, if sozlet is cool with ghost stories, here's one from Red Sovine, who was indeed king of narrations--don't know who animated the truck:

thanks. letty, i'd never heard of the Real McKenzies, watched a couple of their videos, they seem to have picked up the torch from the Pogues.

If they have, it would be in the pre youtube days.

So many great videos. Thanks everybody. I am having computer problems just now. I will have to come back to watch later on after the problems are resolved.

Richard Thompson and Red Molly are very good.

The Greyfriars Bobby song is pretty good, too. I have never seen the film or read the book.
I recall Red Sovine's songs very well. My fave by him is hard to find: Go Hide John.

Did you watch Spike Jones' variety show back in the early days of television?

No, didn't get an opportunity to watch.

Scarborough Fair.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nIoGOgqs_20

Scarborough Fair has to be one of the best songs ever.

MTA
by the Kingston Trio

re: "Charlie and the MTA", that was actually originaqlly a campaign song for George O'Brien, the Progressive candidate for Mayor of Boston in something like 1948. He never stood a chance. One of his campaign platforms was to roll back the fare increase from 10cents to 15. It's risen 2000% since 1948. I retraced some of his route today, from Harvard Square thru Kendall Square (MIT), where he boardeded, to the Scollay Square station, where his wife handed him his nightly sandwich. Scollay Square was the site of what passed for decadence in Boston in '48, wherre the burlesque houses and dive bars were. Then they bulldozed it, and it's now the Government Center stop, where the feds and Boston city government are headquarted (okie and ican would maintain that means it's still the center of decadence).

That Kingston Trio song turned me on to folk music, and I've been a folkie ever since. Thanks, ed.