Your Favorite Story Songs Based on Real Life People or Real Life Events

[LiferJim]

https://youtu.be/6FpakQiF2Jk?si=TjrA20YnQP0PiwiS

https://youtu.be/eCSyzkd1db8?si=XbwHziCCW9cBTtmG

Come back is a song Eddie Vedder wrote after the death of a friend

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[moewan]

I don't know how to post a video but, Iron Maiden's Empire of the clouds. It's about the British airship R-101 that crashed in France during it's maiden voyage in 1930.

[texasdave]

I don't know how to post a video but, Iron Maiden's Empire of the clouds. It's about the British airship R-101 that crashed in France during it's maiden voyage in 1930.

[westofyou]

Story songs:

Taxi - Harry Chapin
Lily, Rosmary and the Jack of Hearts - Dylan
Isis - Dylan
Senor - Dylan
The Grand Tour - George Jones
Red Headed Stranger (whole album) - Willie
Had Enough - The Who

[Ky Fried Redleg]

[texasdave]

A couple of songs that reminisce about the artist's childhood:

Sir Paul McCartney's offering:



Sir John Lennon (Was he ever knighted?):

[moewan]

Thanks Texasdave. It's an epic song, and a bit of departure from their regular sound

[Roy Tucker]

Dolly sings about Porter Wagoner.

[Dom Heffner]

Before I clicked on this thread I thought how long until someone say Edmund Fitzgerald lol

Man that song is about 8 minutes too long.

[Chip R]

[RedsBaron]

I'll offer a couple by Mac Davis. While not strictly based upon a real life event he witnessed, he wrote "In the Ghetto" based in part upon an African American friend he had growing up in Lubbock, although the setting of the song was in Chicago. The song was based upon the "vicious circle" of racism and poverty repeating generation from generation.
The other Mac Davis song is in "The Eyes of My People." According to his widow Lise, as Mac lay unconscious dying in a hospital, there was playing in the background a series of his songs. "In the Eyes of My People" happened to start playing. He took his final breath as the final lines of that song played: "Let me somebody special in the eyes of the people that love me. The only thing I'll ever ask of life, is just to die, knowing my people were proud of me. Lord, let me die knowing my loved ones were proud of me. "

[westofyou]

After thinking about this I came up with what is the definitive story song

[Ky Fried Redleg]

I'll offer a couple by Mac Davis. While not strictly based upon a real life event he witnessed, he wrote "In the Ghetto" based in part upon an African American friend he had growing up in Lubbock, although the setting of the song was in Chicago. The song was based upon the "vicious circle" of racism and poverty repeating generation from generation.
The other Mac Davis song is in "The Eyes of My People." According to his widow Lise, as Mac lay unconscious dying in a hospital, there was playing in the background a series of his songs. "In the Eyes of My People" happened to start playing. He took his final breath as the final lines of that song played: "Let me somebody special in the eyes of the people that love me. The only thing I'll ever ask of life, is just to die, knowing my people were proud of me. Lord, let me die knowing my loved ones were proud of me. "

Mac was an excellent songwriter.

[bucksfan2]

I don't know if these qualify but

TVA - Jason Isbell
Downeaster Alexa - Billy Joel
Fast Car - Tracy Chapman
Hunger Strike - Temple of the Dog

[medford]

Written about Kenny Loggins brother Danny and his entering into parenthood



This is Zac Brown's cover. I love the original, but this live cover inflects some additional emotion into the song and takes it to another level. Anyhoo, obviously about Dan Foglerberg's father and his time as "the leader of the band" while a music teacher.