Short Stories in Songs

Short Stories in Songs

We all enjoy listening to music while we drive, potter about the house or just as an accompaniment to our daily lives. Being an avid reader of crime fiction myself as well as a budding author, when  I recently heard a song on the radio which not only is a fantastic song but also tells a short crime story in its opening lines something sparked inside my head.

This got me thinking of other songs which tell a story rather than just beep, thump or repeat the same few words. Try as I might I couldn’t come up with any better examples than the two below which first show crime fiction and then a spot of what I can only describe as Brit Grit. 

If you can read these lyrics without singing the songs in your head then I doff my non-existent hat to you.

Crime Fiction – Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen

Mama, just killed a man,
Put a gun against his head, pulled my trigger, now he's dead.
Mama, life had just begun,
But now I've gone and thrown it all away.
Mama, ooh, Didn't mean to make you cry,
If I'm not back again this time tomorrow,
Carry on, carry on as if nothing really matters.

Too late, my time has come,
Sends shivers down my spine, body's aching all the time.
Goodbye, ev'rybody, I've got to go,
Gotta leave you all behind and face the truth.

Brit Grit – Neighbourhood by Space 

In number 69 there lives a transvestite.

He’s a man by day but he’s a woman at night.

There’s a man in number four who swears he’s Saddam Hussein.

Says he’s on the chart to start a third world war. 

Oh if you find the time, please come and stay a while.

In my beautiful neighbourhood. 

At a hundred and ten they haven’t paid the rent.

So there goes the TV with the repo men.

In 999 they make a living by crime.

The house is always empty ‘cause they’re all doing time. 

Chorusy bit 

In number 18 there lives a big butch queen.

He’s bigger than Tyson and he’s twice as mean

In 666 there lives a Mr Miller.

He’s our local vicar and a serial killer.

If anyone out there can think of a decent song which has a crime story or a Brit Grit feel to the lyrics please leave details in the comments. I’d be fascinated to see what you all come up with.