I am totally stealing from publisher St. Martin’s Press here. Today on their Twitter page (@StMartinsPress) they posed a fascinating question:
What songs make perfect short stories? TANGLED UP IN BLUE? SPIRITS IN THE NIGHT? Others?
I immediately thought about The Mountain Goats. I always felt that John Darnielle’s best records are ones that feel like they’re a short story collection already. That’s the whole concept of concept albums, right? And, I mean, “The Best Ever Death Metal Band Out Of Denton”? There have been many YA books built around much lesser concepts. Or “Fault Lines.” “Fault Lines” would be a story in a Lorrie Moore book about the unraveling of a relationship. It could come right before a tearjerker of a story based on “No Children.” What? I like sad stories just as much as I like sad songs.
Other songs that come to mind for their literary possibilities:
1. Rilo Kiley, “Does He Love You?”
2. Gayngs, “The Last Prom On Earth”
3. Okkervil River, “Black”
4. Pulp, “Common People”
5. St. Vincent, “Actor Out of Work”
6. Olof Arnalds, “Crazy Car”
7. LCD Soundsystem, “I Can Change”
8. Robyn, “Handle Me”
OK, now it’s your turn. What songs would make great short stories?
Rufus Wainwright, “Vibrate”
Ever since you joined Allo Darlin’s “Silver Dollars” to Patti Smith’s Just Kids, the two have become inextricable in my mind.
Nominations -
Notorious B.I.G., “Things Done Changed”
Jarvis Cocker, “Angela”
Also, this is a weird one, but how about Yeasayer’s “I Remember”?
I don’t have a nomination, but I absolutely love that pic of Darnielle.
I have been WAITING to do a Mountain Goats posts, just so I could get that wombat photo in there.
Belle and Sebastian – “Expectations”
Ghostface Killah – “Shakey Dog”
Scott Walker – “Seventh Seal”
I totally agree with Okkervil River, but I’ve always been partial to “Westfall” as a story.
Journey – Don’t Stop Believing
Kate and Anna McGarrigle – Matapedia
Simon and Garfunkel – The Boxer
Pretty much anything by Bruce Springsteen but the River is nice.
I lead my students through an assignment in Directing class where they stage a narrative song, telling the story through the action on stage. Those above are the classics, though my students come up with some good choices every year.
@cinthebox You have just led me to remember that in high school drama class, we had to act out the events of “She’s Leaving Home.” Lotsa climbing out imaginary windows.
Here’s 26:
http://www.avclub.com/articles/inventory-26-songs-that-are-just-as-good-as-short,1816/
1. Ghostface Killah ‘Shakey Dog’
2. Decemberists ‘Mariner’s Revenge
3. The Wrens ’13 Months in 6 minutes’
Glad you poached the idea!
Springsteen’s “Lost in the Flood”
Best,
Paul Hochman
St. Martin’s Press
A lot of songs by Joe Pernice (already a novelist) come to mind. Picking a couple, I’d go with “Number Two” from the Pernice Brothers album Yours Mine and Ours, or “Conscience Clean” from Live a Little.
Please forgive me if I geek out a little:
Rush, “The Body Electric”
Lots of Steve Wynn, going back to The Dream Syndicate. Very cinematic, very noir-ish in that kind of sunburned Ross Macdonald way. He’s even done a little co-writing with crime novelist George Pelecanos, including “Cindy It Was Always You” on Static Transmission.
Great clip of George reading from one of his books while Steve Wynn and The Miracle 3 play in the background: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWJtyfcD75c Admittedly a little cliched, but for my money, Steve is the best storyteller working today.