Story Songs
Music is one of the best ways to tell a story- it adds so much more depth and emotion to hear someone retell a specific experience through lyrics and a melody. I love songs that are vulnerable and honest, and these stories are among my all-time favorites:
Boxes – Ben Rector
https://open.spotify.com/track/2BE314Z7qANnyaUorTqZI4?si=bdeizGWFSf22QCVPX0Mncg
Ben Rector writes sweet, nostalgic songs through and through, but this one specifically tells the story of cleaning out his office at home and finding old boxes of things from his past: childhood photos, mementos, and the first CD's he recorded his first songs on. He tells about the people in the photos he found – some are famous, and some are still the same small-town kids he knew them as years ago.
His Favorite Christmas Story – Capital Lights
https://open.spotify.com/track/0zrbISwByqUAWssIhgQwQr?si=8vGQARBRQnSf2Isk6-ZIhQ
Plenty of Christmas songs tell stories, but I bet you've never heard of this one. It recounts the tale told by a grandfather of a girl he met at a Christmas party long ago in his youth, and it's super cute and sappy, as most Christmas songs are.
Betty – Taylor Swift
https://open.spotify.com/track/3IhtE4fkytdrtEfV34UzkD?si=X27ZubNgQ8-khs7hOCjsdA
I don't think I have to explain how great of a storyteller TS is, but this sweet tune off of her latest album is one for the ages. Read about the old-fashioned love story this song tells in my full review here!
Old Friends – Ben Rector
https://open.spotify.com/track/4MZQ3lHA1TYO6yyedtmBYg?si=3HGlqNmBTdauHMxaQLSc0w
Surprise, more Ben Rector. This song recounts his escapades as a kid, and appreciating the value of friends you've had for many years.
American Pie – Don McLean
https://open.spotify.com/track/1fDsrQ23eTAVFElUMaf38X?si=NzF2lUnDSqiPuTQPdPrLKw
This has got to be the craziest, longest, and most iconic story song there is. Even though it hardly makes any sense, it's entertaining and you can't help but sing along to all nine minutes of it.
Where it all ended... – Katherine Cimorelli
https://open.spotify.com/track/2o4PfEDBeLIiAHeFaIc9pP?si=x-l3t-I3QVe3OJ1dzXqsaA
This is a sad song for the ages; I don't care to admit how many times I've sat in my car and cried to this, but it's been many, many times. Katherine, a member of girl band Cimorelli, took her solo spot on their album Sad Girls Club to tell the haunting story of a deep heartbreak and loss of someone, from the details of their first dates to the things written in letters and thoughts after they left her. It's long, it's raw, and it's an incredible piece of art. If you listen to one sad song from this list, listen to this one.
Remembering Sunday – All Time Low (feat. Juliet Simms)
https://open.spotify.com/track/2qxXypNXOJZ5qUFdpzJ56n?si=CcPZIUNHQwOUQ8ImspNEYw
This holds plenty of nostalgia for me; it always brings me back to the year that I discovered All Time Low and they became one of my favorite bands. This song is a great (and sad) acoustic ballad about a guy chasing after a girl that got away from him.
5:15 – Bridgit Mendler
https://open.spotify.com/track/2HMbaTPwyou6Uw3ZqqhEPO?si=zzr_JEClTbG_9Tc_JG6vzQ
This girl has got to be THE most underrated Disney star in the business. She was just another blonde teen actress on the show Good Luck Charlie back in the day, but her pop album that she released during her Disney career is surprisingly solid. I love every song on it, and this one tells a mysterious tale of someone waiting up for a lover, and giving him a deadline – it's not clear if it's 5:15 AM or PM, but either way, she's skipping town if he doesn't come home by then.
Blown Away – Carrie Underwood
https://open.spotify.com/track/0vFMQi8ZnOM2y8cuReZTZ2?si=iRpv33gpR9u73jWkSfnkig
Country songs rely heavily on storytelling as a norm, but I remember when this song came out and I couldn't stop listening to it because of all the chills it gave me.
Blue – Lauren Cimorelli
https://open.spotify.com/track/4pCjPsud4xFWfBPPR24a5A?si=ZqiVpH-8TuyXB68TT_qBCA
In case you haven't noticed, the Cimorelli girls can write one heck of a song. This one is fun and lighthearted, recounting an experience of a creative date night with a boy she just met.
Is There Somewhere – Halsey
https://open.spotify.com/track/5XijWLBY0vwl5MPUpQA2Ha?si=hBcJA-I-RxyxbRuxv7ONKw
This is a classic from the early 2010's Tumblr world, and it still holds up. Old Halsey was the best Halsey in my opinion, and the dark romanticism of spending a night in a hotel with a new lover is just magical.
Thanks for reading!
