Best Lyrical Storytelling

[Lex Diamonds]

My Top 5:

1. Eminem - Stan
2. The Streets - It Was Supposed To Be So Easy
3. Immortal Technique - Dance With The Devil
4. Eazy-E - Nobody Move
5. Beastie Boys - High Plains Drifter

[DipDipDive]

Gang Starr - The Planet

[alexandra]

*cough*

PAUL REVERE.

[DipDipDive]

Warren G and Nate Dogg - Regulators

[Otis Driftwood]

Beastie Boys - Car Thief
Monster Magnet - Tractor
Dr Dooom - Neighbors next Door (and more)

[Lex Diamonds]

*cough*

PAUL REVERE.
That's my number 6. I actually typed it, then remembered HPD. (y)

And Regulate is a really good one too.

[trailerprincess]

Bob Dylan - The Hurricane
Snoop Dogg - Lodi Dodi (always makes me laugh)

[icy manipulator]

Hooker with a penis is up there for sure

[synch]

Le Nozze di Figaro - Mozart

[icy manipulator]

Le Nozze di Figaro - Mozart
the marriage of figaro? yeah i'll pay that

[mickill]

As far as rap goes:

Once Upon A Time In The Projects - Ice Cube
Mona Lisa - Slick Rick
Get Down - Nas
I Got A Story To Tell - B.I.G.

It's more of a conversational-styled narrative, but I'd say Friend Or Foe by Jay-Z as well.

[Deep_Sea_Rain]

"Millie Pulled A Pistol On Santa" by De La Soul off their second album (and my personal favorite De La record) De La Soul Is Dead.

They really did paint a picture with words, as cliche as that is.

[jackrock]

The hurricane - Dylan

[pshabi]

Biggie - Warning
Nas - Rewind

[Extra Cheese]

story to tell - biggie
one day - jeru
streets of new york - kool g rap
billy joel - scenes from an italian restaurant

[alexandra]

Just A Friend /Biz Markie

:D

[Lex Diamonds]

Snoop Dogg - Lodi Dodi (always makes me laugh)
Those lyrics are Slick Rick's.

[Lex Diamonds]

Nas - Rewind
Forgot about that one. Good skills. (y)

[CrankItUp!]

Kid Rock - Black Chick, White Guy

Social Distortion - Story Of My Life

Jan And Dean - Dead Man's Curve

Bryan Adams - Summer Of '69

Bruce Springsteen - Glory Days

Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers - Into The Great Wide Open

John Mellencamp - Jack & Diane

KISS - Hide Your Heart

Ace Frehley / Frehley's Comet - Rock Soldiers

Lloyd Price - Stagger Lee

Johnny Cash - A Boy Named Sue

Ministry - Jesus Built My Hotrod (the intro)

Primus - Jerry Was A Race Car Driver

The Ramones - Pet Cemetary

Robert Johnson - Cross Road Blues - Hell Hound On My Trail

Ralph Stanley - I'm A Man Of Constant Sorrow

[Planetary]

slick rick - children's story

ice cube - it was a good day

[Knuckles]

Mickill took all of mine except

6 In Tha' Morning and Midnight - Ice-T

[ggirlballa]

slick rick - children's story

ice cube - it was a good day


exactly!!!(y) :cool:

[Mr Films]

The Streets- Dry Your Eyes

The White Stripes- Take, Take, Take

[cookiepuss]

kenny rogers-the gambler
Johny cash-folsom prison blues/or boy named sue
the tragically hip- wheat kings
charlie daniels band-devil went down to gerogia
Bruce Springsteen -thunder road
ani difranco-every state line/or Napoleon...actually most of her songs are awesome storytelling.

[DustSucker]

Pig Destroyer - Starbelly
Blink 182 - Adam's Song
Chuck Berry - Johnny B. Goode
Everclear - Pale Green Stars

[alexandra]

Coward Of The County | Just Dropped In /Kenny Rogers
The River | Streets Of Philadelphia /Bruce Springsteen
Boots Of Spanish Leather /Bob Dylan

so many...

[g-mile7]

Jay-Z: Meet the Parents, Soon You'll Understand
Nas:One Love
2pac: Dear Mama
GZA fet Rebel INS: Cold World
Prince: Joy in repitition, Darling Nikki

[Tzar]

I Was Only 19 - dunno who wrote the original but i'm listening to The Herd's version.

[Praying Mantis]

Pretty much anything off "the Great Adventures of Slick Rick"
Childrens Story, The Rulers back

also, "The Show"

Posse on Broadway - Sir Mix A Lot

Strobelight Honey / Similak Child - Black Sheep

[alexandra]

Colt 45 /Afroman

:D

[Lex Diamonds]

Colt 45 /Afroman

:D
(y)

So I ran, I jumped out the back window
But her daddy he was waitin with a two-by-fo'

[customX]

murs-walk like a man

[Lex Diamonds]

Slick Rick - Children's Story
Eazy-E - Eazy Duz It

[Planetary]

a grand dont come for free.

as a concept album it tells a good story.

[Lex Diamonds]

Jack Da Lad - Keep Movin'

Check it out. (http://www.myspace.com/jackpqlad)

[roosta]

a grand dont come for free.

as a concept album it tells a good story.

I agree. I was listening to it on the bus only this morning. The final track when the whole TV broken/missing money thing is resolved is genius.

What I like about "regulate" is that it's probably the only rap song in history where the rapper admits to being robbed like a sucker.

Did anyone mention Tribe - Left My Wallet in El Segundo? That's a good 'un.

[Guy Incognito]

I agree. I was listening to it on the bus only this morning. The final track when the whole TV broken/missing money thing is resolved is genius.

What I like about "regulate" is that it's probably the only rap song in history where the rapper admits to being robbed like a sucker.

Did anyone mention Tribe - Left My Wallet in El Segundo? That's a good 'un.

Just looked thru whole of this thread thinkin " I cant believe no-ones mentioned "El Segundo". You beat me to it.

Apart from that:

Down In The Tube station at midnight - The Jam
A New England - Billy Bragg
This is how it feels - Inspiral Carpets

[checkyourprez]

slick rick-adults only

[Lex Diamonds]

Eminem - Guilty Conscience, My Fault (he's really good at it)
Johnny Cash - Give My Love To Rose, Delia's Gone
Diamond and the Psychotic Neurotics - I'm Outta Here
Snoop Dogg - Vato

[adam_f]

Slick Rick- Mona Lisa
Blackalicious- The Fall and Rise of Elliott Brown
Chamillionaire- Think I'm Crazy
Lupe Fiasco- The Cool
Common- Payback Is a Grandmother
Outkast- Da Art of Storytellin' (Parts 1 and 2)
Pigeon John- Emily
Rhymefest- Bullet
The Roots- The Seed (2.0)
Talib Kweli- Broken Glass

Some of the ones I like that not many have already said.

[Otis Driftwood]

Kool Keith (Dr Doom) - Apartment 223
Kool Keith (Dr Doom) - Welfare Love
Can't believe noone mentioned Grandmaster Flash yet...
Don't forget Rammstein - Mein Teil :D

[Deep_Sea_Rain]

Everclear - Pale Green Stars

Great song (y)

[abcdefz]

Dylan's "Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll" just kills me, no pun intended.


Rich old white guy kills his black servant and gets away with it, just because.

What's really amazing is the stanza where he throws the lethal cane at her. Dylan keeps the cane flying through the air forever so you really get a picture of it.



Also:

Simon and Garfunkel - "America." So fucking gorgeous.
Paul Simon's "Duncan" is great, too.
The Band - "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down." Not exactly a story song, but it's really got a masterful storytelling voice.

[Jitters]

Public Enemy - Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos

Shame on you people for not mentioning it yet :(

[adam_f]

Don't put shame on me because it's not even in P.E.'s top five if you ask me.

[pshabi]

As far as rap goes:

Once Upon A Time In The Projects - Ice Cube
Mona Lisa - Slick Rick
Get Down - Nas
I Got A Story To Tell - B.I.G.

It's more of a conversational-styled narrative, but I'd say Friend Or Foe by Jay-Z as well.
I prefer Rewind by Nas.

[Lex Diamonds]

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