You know the saying, “Sometimes the truth is better than fiction.” Well, thanks to TheOtherBrit, that’s what our Top 5 theme of the day is. Top 5 Songs based upon true events. Personally, I found this one easy as hell to complete and have a backlog of about 20 more that I feel should have been included. Nonetheless, here is my list for now.
Bob Frank & John Murry – Bubba Rose, 1961: This song is from the album, World Without End, an album of murder ballads based on real life murders. This particular song tells of a worker murdering his boss in 1961.
Two Cow Garage – Jackson, Don’t You Worry: Written by Micah for Shane’s newborn son. It appears on Two Cow Garage’s new album, Sweet Saint Me.
JJ Grey & Mofro – On Palestine: Tell’s the story of the timber companies coming into Florida, strong arming the people who lived here and wiping out the forests. Comes from their Country Ghetto album.
Sarah McLachlan – Possession: Sarah was actually sued over this song by a guy who claimed the lyrics were from letters he wrote her. Sarah later admitted that his letters as well as letters from other people were the inspiration behind the song…which makes the lyrics exceptionally creepy. It can be found on her 1994 album, Fumbling Towards Ecstasy.
Tim Barry – 222: I almost feel like an asshole for including this song on the list but it’s the first song that popped into my head when the theme was mentioned. Those who know the story behind the song know and those who don’t, well, it’s easy enough to look up. This song, on a quiet and tipsy enough night can well a frog up in my throat. You can find this song on Tim’s album, Manchester.
Honorable Mention: Grayson Capps – Junior & The Old African Queen: This story is so tragic it’s almost impossible to believe. I specifically asked Grayson last time he was in Tampa is this was a true story. He and his guitarist both claimed it indeed was and even expanded on the story a little. I’m still not wholly convinced they weren’t pulling my leg even then so I couldn’t include it into the actual list.
Autopsy IV
Part time blogger. Full time hater.
Did you not put “Wreck of the Sultana” because you couldn’t find good audio for it? Cause that’s the only excuse for not putting it on this list.
(Talking about Cory’s song, not Farrar’s lame ass attempt.)
This actually was a lot easier than I expected.
Kasey Anderson – I Was a Photograph
Search it on this site if you don’t know the story.
DBT – The Deeper In
Only the Truckers could write a song justifying going to prison for incest.
Tim Barry – Prosser’s Gabriel
Kinda obvious, especially since Tim’s working to get a monument built where the slave graveyard is.
Cory Branan – Wreck of Sultana
I don’t think we learned about this in history class.
Lucero – Bikeriders
Another obvious choice, I’ve been trying to find a copy of the book that inspired this one.
Honorable mention (because I’ve never found proof that it’s real, so it’s probably not)
Mountain Goats – The Best Ever Death Metal Band In Denton
I saved it for RSV.
Lucero – “Darby’s Song”
It may be the saddest song I’ve ever heard.
oooooh, really good call on the Kasey Anderson song
I’m going all traditional folk ballads:
Wreck of The Old 97
John Hardy Was A Desperate Little Man
Ballad of John Henry
Tom Dooley
Claude Allen – Hobart Smith (only including this because it’s about my distant relatives)
hon mention to Westfall by Okkervil River
Dog Bumped – Tim Barry
Ballad of Curtis Loew, Lynyrd Skynyrd
The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down by The Band
Vienna – Billy Joel (also my all time favorite Billy Joel snog)
What Left of the Flag – Flogging Molly
God can I fucking type? “song”
The Truckers alone can easily fill this list
The Night GG Allin Came to Town
Living Bubba
Steve Mcqueen
Dress He Made Her Wear
Carl Perkins Cadillac
Dress Blues
Nautical Disaster – The Tragically Hip
Hole in the River – Crowded House
Spanish Bombs – The Clash
V – Golden Smog
Murder or A Heart Attack – the Old 97′s
“1913 Massacre” by Woody Guthrie;
“Oxford Town” – Bob Dylan
“Deportee (Plane Wreck at Los Gatos” – Woody Guthrie (my favourite version is by Sweet Honey In The Rock)
“Louisiana 1927″ – Randy Newman
“Ohio” – Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
“Ohio” by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
An easy No. 1 for me.
“Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” by Gordon Lightfoot
“The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll” by Bob Dylan
“Biko” by Peter Gabriel
“The Star Spangled Banner” by Francis Scott Key (technically, a poem)
Honorable Mention
“I Don’t Like Mondays” by Boomtown Rats
good stuff. sorry to kick this off topic but what do we think bout jamey johnsons new double disk? maybe worth a piece?
Lucero “The War”
Dixie Chicks “Travelin’ Solider”
Cory Branan “Wreck of the Sultana”
Bob Dylan “Hurricane”
and gonna have to double up on
Two Cow Garage “Jackson, Don’t You Worry” (my favorite song on the new album)
ooh, but “Living Bubba” is awesome as well
A few of mine are on here. A couple I really like that seem like they have to be true, but I just don’t know, are:
Fiddler’s Green – Tragically Hip
Unknown Brother – The Black Keys
Didn’t know there was truth behind so many DBT songs – need to check that out.
Oh, and Brick by Ben Folds.
Truckers’ – Checkout Time In Vegas – true story of their guitarmaker’s adventures in Sin City.
Surprised no one has mentioned these:
Sam Baker has two songs that address the terrorist bombing that almost killed him and its aftermath, “Broken Fingers” (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQnr63tU82c), and “Steel” (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EFwIerPphgk).