Sing Me a Story Part Two

This is a short series of songs that were written to tell a story through the lyrics. There are many interesting songs that sing about specific things you can play these songs and make them your bedtime stories. The link to Part One is below.

Me and Bobby McGee

“Me and Bobby McGee” is a song written by American singer-songwriter Kris Kristofferson and was originally performed by Roger Miller. The posthumously released version by Janis Joplin in 1971 topped the US Singles chart. It became the second posthumously released number-one single in US chart history the first being “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay” by Otis Redding.

Considering Joplin’s version if you’re wondering how Roger Miller could possibly sing this song then it was Kristofferson’s inspiration to write about politician Barbara “Bobbie” McGee. In her popular version, Joplin sang it as if Bobby was a man. Joplin’s version is ranked at number 148 on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

The song tells the story of two drifters, the narrator and Bobby McGee. They hitch a ride with a truck driver and sing their way through the American South then head westward to California. After visiting California they sadly parted ways. Since the singer’s name is never mentioned and the name “Bobby” is gender-neutral the song has been recorded by both female and male singers.

My Sharona

“My Sharona” is the debut single by American rock band The Knack. The song was written by Berton Averre and Doug Fieger. It was released in 1979 and on their debut album Get the Knack. The song went to number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and was number one on Billboard’s 1979 Top Pop Singles year-end chart. It was certified Gold by the RIAA.

The song was inspired by Sharona Alperin and singer Doug Fieger being lovestruck. The song tells about those feelings and they were engaged at one time but never married. They remained friends and Sharona remained his muse and a reason for creating the band’s signature song. Alperin became a successful realtor in Los Angeles, California, and would visit Fieger frequently when he was dying from cancer.

Stairway to Heaven

“Stairway to Heaven” is a song by English rock band Led Zeppelin. It came out late in 1971 and was composed by the band’s guitarist Jimmy Page and lead singer Robert Plant. It is on their fourth album which is untitled but is often referred to as Led Zeppelin IV. Depending on everyone’s point of view the song has been regarded as one of the greatest rock songs of all time. It is on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time at number 31.

The song tells the story of a greedy woman who is unnaturally optimistic about her very unpromising future. The song seems to resonate with young listeners, opening doors to different realms of spirituality and a mystical view of life.

The Boxer

“The Boxer” is a song written by Paul Simon and recorded by the American music duo Simon and Garfunkel. It is on their fifth studio album Bridge Over Troubled Water. The song is a folk rock ballad and is a first-person lament about struggling to overcome loneliness and poverty in NYC and a third-person sketch of a boxer. The lyrics are autobiographical and partially inspired by the Bible. It became one of the duo’s most successful singles and is at number 106 on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. As for the boxer in the song, it is thought that it could be either Jack Dempsey or Joe Louis.

The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald

“The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” is a hit song from 1976. It was written, composed, and performed by Canadian singer and songwriter Gordon Lightfoot. The song was written to commemorate the sinking of the bulk carrier SS Edmund Fitzgerald on Lake Superior on November 10, 1975. Lightfoot was inspired by an article in Newsweek “The Cruelest Month.” The song is on his album Summertime Dream. It became a number-one hit in Canada and was on the US Billboard Hot 100 and Cashbox charts.

Thriller

“Thriller” is a song by American singer Michael Jackson and was released in 1983. It is the final single from his sixth album by the same name, The song was produced by Quincy Jones and written by Rod Temperton. The music and lyrics evoke horror films and ends with a spoken-word sequence performed by horror actor Vincent Price.

The song was a Top Ten single on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and reached number one in countries like Belgium, France, and Spain. It was certified Diamond by the RIAA and sales rose significantly the week after Jackson’s death in 2009. It references many different horror films.

The story is a simple one on a date a man sees his date is scared by all the monsters on the screen and he tries to comfort her.

We Didn’t Start the Fire

“We Didn’t Start the Fire” is a song written and published by American musician Billy Joel. It was released as a single in 1989 and is on his album Storm Front. It reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 as well as his album Storm Front, The music video for the song was directed by Chris Blum. It begins with a newly married couple entering their 1940s-style kitchen. Then show events in their domestic life over the next four decades.

The song is a line song with fast-paced lyrics giving you a look into politics, cultural, scientific, and sporting events between the year of Joel’s birth 1949 and 1989. It is a song that mentions all the major events and is sure to give anyone a crash course in history naming 119 major world events.

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