Songs that play like a movie

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Wow, mofos- thank
you all again. Getting your heartfelt responses to these songs is just terrific!

@christine I am glad you were as moved by the Walking in Memphis song ( and the story behind it) as I was. You really summed up the underlying meaning- that we can forget, at times, the depth of wisdom that looking to our mentors and elders can give us.

Yup, I too would have my feet superglued to the floor if a door opened and Harrison walked in. Lol.

And the song you posted was absolutely beautiful. Never heard this version before, and it will stay with me long after this list is done. 'Strong' is indeed a perfect companion piece to 'Change'. Speaks to the heart.

I never heard the Knocked Down song @TONGO; and the harrowing story it tells is certainly worthy of a movie. (Although I haven't yet said 'hello' to you on your music thread, I have been enjoying your songs. Glad to have you here.)


@dadgumblah . I' m very happy that you liked the Brandy Tree, it is just a sweet and haunting song. Always makes it special when someone hears a song they never heard before, and is captured by it. And hearing that personal story about your brother and his wife having 'Memphis' as their song- just rocks my socks
Also glad you and your wife got a huge kick out of the HF song. I' m sorry she's not feeling well, and I' m wishing her the best.

I don't have another' funny ' song up my sleeve for you and your wife right now dgb, but will post an upbeat tune or two that can hopefully make you all smile - and feel like dancing.

Here's one now :



12-
I think it's the right time for a love song. And a love story. And a live concert, to boot. I often feel this type of music is best experienced in a live show. And yes, Emmy Lou looks so young here, you may not even recognize her at first. But I just enjoy her version of this Chuck Berry classic the best.

So, this song is a movie that may not look like it has a happy ending. If two teenagers - who have no jobs, no prospects, no money, and spend their days playing loud music - want to get married: what good can come of it? You can almost hear the old folks clucking and nattering behind the scenes; " Oh good luck to 'em and godbless, but these kids got nothing but stars in their eyes , and not even a pot to **** in."




What can become of these two young sweethearts who've got nothing to offer each other but love?
Could be a broken hearted Romeo and Juliet story.....

but then again............

You never can tell.

C'est La Vie
Emmy Lou Harris





@lenslady Wow, I've never heard that live version of C'est La Vie before, and man, is Emmylou Harris is in prime voice there! Another personal note concerning my brother...I don't know about now as we live pretty far apart and don't get to visit as much, but my brother loved and I mean LOVED Emmylou and I swear he had everything recorded by her back in the 70's and 80's. I don't know if he converted her to CD but I believe he would as much as he loved her. Nice one.
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"Miss Jean Louise, Mr. Arthur Radley."



Never heard the song by Squeeze. Good one @christine, and it certainly has the makings of a movie; one that's gritty and real, with some ironic twists of fate in store for these working class lovers.

Ah....Emmy Lou- isn't she terrific? I am glad you liked that version of C'est La Vie, @dadgumblah. Emmy Lou just seems to bring out the best in any song; roots or gospel or country or pure rock and roll like this one. And her voice has only gotten better- richer and stronger- over time. Your brother's a fan of so much of the music I am drawn to - and you too. I' m feel lucky to have folks like you here, who enjoy these songs as much as I- fires up my energy and makes me feel we're all enjoying the same concert - and/or movie.



11-
This song is the biography of a town in California, told in the voice of a farmer who moved there during the Silver Rush of the late 1800s. The town was named Calico, by the first prospectors to find silver there, because the hills of this Mojave Desert area wore the colors of calico. A few details in the history have been changed, but the essence of the story is real. The most significant aspect of the story is how unpredictable life can be. Not much can be counted on to stay the same in the harsh environs of the old West. Even the bad times can change. And when they do, life is flush and full and filled with pleasure. Who knows what the years can bring?

I can see a young, but grizzled Clint Eastwood as the narrator of this cinematic tale of shifting fortune. Or perhaps an older Clint as the director.

By the way, the town of Calico still stands.

Calico Silver
Michael Murphy




@lenslady Yes! Michael Murphey is one of my favorite singers and I've seen him twice in concert. Truly excellent singer/songwriter. Geronimo's Cadillac is an album of his I used to have and need to get the CD. Great song in "Calico Silver," and my particular favorites are the title track, "What Am I Doing Hangin' 'Round?" (written for and covered by fellow Texan Michael Nesmith while he was in The Monkees), and "Natchez Trace." My favorite album by him is Blue Sky-Night Thunder, with some really vivid, visual songs like "Desert Rat," "Medicine Man," and "Wildfire." Nice pick by a super artist!



Very nice recommendation @lenslady and @dadgumblah . I just spent an afternoon working from home in the company of Michael Murphey on Spotify. Not heard of him before. He got a great easy going voice. This is a great thread



Great to hear your enthusiasm for Michael Murphy @dadgumblah - lucky you to have seen him in person. I' ll bet his live presence was as warm and down to earth as his music. I never did get to see him perform, alas; though I've seen Emmy Lou in person a number of times. And btw 'dad' I know and enjoy all the songs you listed. Wildfire and Desert Rat were contenders for the list btw. And there was one song, forgot the name right now, where he sings as the personna of a growing tree! Creative songwriter with lyrical melodies.

And now , @christine is a fan of his music too. Yay! Nothing can make me happier than to know you were encouraged by dadgumblah and me to seek out Michael's music. And that you enjoyed it so much. That is high praise indeed.

Well, we are more than halfway through the countdown, and it just gets more invigorating and rewarding for me, as I continue, to have you folks here.

I am going to take a little detour from my 'roots' music for the next couple of songs, and hope you' ll enjoy some of the following different styles of storytelling. Btw, I don't know that it would be of interest to anyone ( but me lol) but do you know I'vd had no plan or stock list of songs as I've proceeded ahead, from day one? It's just been sort of an organic flow , and often a reaction to the posters here; and I think I've had more fun that way. But early on, I did put together a list of my Top 5 movie-songs, Some more singer-songwriters there. And so far , that's stayed the same.

But for now, it's still an evolving list, as free and unscripted as modern dance.



10-

It would be fun, right about now, to just get up and dance. There's not a lot of dance tunes I know of that really tell a complete cinematic story, but this one does. And not only would this song make a terrific dance movie, it arrived on the scene just ahead of films like Footloose and Dirty Dancing.

Hmmmmmmmm

I also thought of some of the posters here when I chose this song. It's not exactly heavy metal @pahaK but it can - and should- be played without moderation. . And it's not rap either @TheFilmAficionado , but it sure has a rhythmic beat. And I did promise to post at least one song that was LOUD. Also, I don't want to neglect my loyal mofo posting friend @christine by choosing only American music- and this is one you may know, from the boys on your side of the pond.

So crank up the volume, pump up the Megabass, and put on your best stylish fleet-footed shoes and:


Come Dancing
The Kinks





9-


A song that is a romance is my next pick, and one with a happy ending. I wondered, when this song came to mind, if I may be stretching the notion of 'storyline, ' due to my admiration for this singer- who's given the best and most heartfelt performance of anyone I've seen live. Then I realized this song has it all: a wandering journey, exotic locales, a lovely description of why one loves their home place, and a story of love lost, and about to be found again. All told in a voice that is as sweet as honey, as warm as summer, and as gentle as morning mist.

I see this movie as a romance filmed during the old days of classic Hollywood, with one of those great couples who represented our hopes and dreams on the big screen of a majestic old theatre. Gable and Lombard? Cary and Audrey? Take your pick, lean back in luxury , and dream on.....


I Left My Heart in San Francisco
Tony Bennett






@lenslady thank you for the Kinks song, they always had such great lyrics

Tony Bennett's voice always makes the hairs stand up on the back of my neck, something about the richness of his voice and the association I have with my mum and dad singing his songs. Another one that does that to me is Patches by Clarence Carter. My dad bought me this on a 45 when I was a kid. Made me cry and still does.



My mum and dad were great Country music fans, a lot of people in Liverpool of that generation were. Maybe to do with the American soldiers there during the war, or the cosmopolitan influences of the sailors on the big ships in the docks. Them and their mates would get together on a Saturday night and play their music on the stereogram, drink and dance. Always makes me smile thinking about it. So many Merle Haggard, Johnny Cash, Charlie Pride, Hank Williams songs. I still play their old LPs which have so many songs that tell stories.



9-


A song that is a romance is my next pick, and one with a happy ending. I wondered, when this song came to mind, if I may be stretching the notion of 'storyline, ' due to my admiration for this singer- who's given the best and most heartfelt performance of anyone I've seen live. Then I realized this song has it all: a wandering journey, exotic locales, a lovely description of why one loves their home place, and a story of love lost, and about to be found again. All told in a voice that is as sweet as honey, as warm as summer, and as gentle as morning mist.

I see this movie as a romance filmed during the old days of classic Hollywood, with one of those great couples who represented our hopes and dreams on the big screen of a majestic old theatre. Gable and Lombard? Cary and Audrey? Take your pick, lean back in luxury , and dream on.....


I Left My Heart in San Francisco
Tony Bennett



Wow, @lenslady you're blessed to have seen Tony Bennett live! I was lucky enough to see Frank Sinatra live @ 1985. He wasn't as full-voiced as he used to be but it was still great to hear him belt out some of his hits. But Tony Bennett---I swear, that guy still sounds the same, as if he's never aged. And of course, the song above is his signature. Great pick!

@christine, love Patches by Clarence Carter. Great stuff! And like you, my parents listened to a lot of Country & Western, along with Pop standards of their era. And they weren't adverse to hearing and liking some of the music of "my day." They loved Hank Williams, Patsy Cline, Charley Pride, Jerry Jeff Walker, etc. And lenslady, my Dad was such a huge Sinatra fan back in the 40's during WWII. He served in the Coast Guard and had a Sinatra album that he played over and over and drove his bunk mates crazy...so much so that he said that while he was on duty, they "deep-sixed" it. In other words, sent it to a watery grave.



It's taken me a lot longer than I though to post some metal songs that fit in here. But lets start with these.


Many metal stories would play like horror films. This album comes with a comic book and the video is made from those images. Most songs by Walpyrgus would fit right in this thread.


My Dying Bride also has many songs that would make good movies. Many of them are, again, horror or dark fantasy but this one's mostly just sadness. The lyrics on the album leaflet are much longer and contain many verses that aren't sung.


Did I mention horror already? Good portion of Cradle of Filth songs would make excellent horror films, from Gothic horror to twisted slashers.

I'll probably post another bunch at some point. Hope you'll like these.
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Wow, what terrific responses from you mofos! The energy on this thread is just amazing. Been a bit busy this week, so I wanted to take my time to say a few words to all you posters.

Patches is a great song - movie @christine, and the story of your folks and how they came to listen to our stateside country music is a scene from a movie itself. A touching memory. And Clarence, like Tony, has a voice that warms your soul.

Hey, @average joe; Bruce Hornsby is another story teller with a poignant undertone to his voice and music. I was also thinking of 'That's Just the Way It Is' as a powerful song -and movie. Also liked the Charlie Daniels lyrics you posted. . He seems to put a humorous wink and a nod to some if his songs, like The Devil Went Down to Georgia. Good picks aj.

Again @dadgumblah you mentioned so many of the artists that are my musical mainstays-Hank, Patsy and Jerry Jeff. You know, all of you mofos post songs and singers and bands where I say - I shoulda posted THAT one. So even when I haven't put in some favorites of yours. and mine too, I' m glad to know that the musical spark of these artists is still burning. And I totally concur about Tony being seemingly ageless, I also like how he's reached out to collaborate with many newer generation singers (like Lady Gaga), he's still thriving, and never resting on his laurels. When he performs, he has a very deep personal connection with the audience. I would assume Sinatra did as well - and lucky you! that's one I never got to hear in person. Hope your dad was there too. (Funny story; maybe the fishies down in the deep are singing September Song right now )

@pahaK These songs make outstanding horror flicks. These are songs I wouldn't know as I ' m not really aware of a lot of metal music, but they are great gothic stories. I liked the melody of
the first Walpyrgus song. The last song by Cradle of Filth was a true scary horror movie in the style of Bela Lugosi, and I was pleasantly surprised to discover the lyrics were quite poetic - lines like 'the breeze stank of sunset and camphor' rise above the noise to tell a stark tale.

Thanks for stopping by, mofos, I' m happy to know you're all here. And now, grab a bag of popcorn, and we'll be on to the next movie.



8-

Unlike the uplifting love story of the previous song, this is a tale of love that didn't go quite so well. In fact, this is probably as bad as a story of love gone wrong can be. It also is, in the hands of the right singer, as hilarious as the best dark comedy.

The 'done me wrong ' theme is a staple of songs from the traditions of blues, country, and centuries old folk songs. So this is an old tale , and one might note that the teller makes no excuses for herself;
she 'll step right up to take full responsibility for her deeds ( unlike some schemers of our 'modern' age? lol) . This tale of woe is almost a century old (!) and so is this recording. l have heard blues bands playing the song to this day, and there have been some noted recordings that mine the song either for its tragic aspect or for the ironic gallows humor. But imho no one comes close to melding the pathos and comedy than the original recording by the original singer. And if the sound quality of the recording is a bit dated by our standards, I still can't find anyone better to set the stage for this film than this magnificently full throated lady - who can make you cry and make you laugh in one chorus. For the director, I suggest Spike Lee . And for the starring role; Queen Latiffah to play the part of the original
Empress of the Blues:

Send Me To The 'Lectric Chair
Bessie Smith





7-
A movie celebrating nature and those devoted to its preservation is born from the next song. The Calypso was a wood hulled ship originally sold by the US to Britain for use in World War II. After the war, it came into the possession of a billionaire, who sold it to oceanographer Jacques Cousteau for one franc. Cousteau reworked the ship so it could serve to explore the oceans and educate the public. Three documentaries were filmed from the submarines and sea scooters of the remade Calypso, before it was almost destroyed by a crash from a barge. It took close to ten years, through financial and logistical challenges, but the ship was restored to full service in 2015. And I think it's time for another film to be made - to celebrate the life of the oceans, which we see on the face of the seal and the otter, the scooting penguin and the sweet manatees, the jewel like fish, and the exuberant splash of the wise dolphins. To help us be aware that we are the stewards of the gift of our beautiful planet. And to celebrate and remind us of how connected we are to the sea, from the smallest krill to the largest whale, this wondrous and still mysterious world that nurtures our lives and our spirits. As director - I'd choose the gifted photographer, Yann - Arthus Bertrand.


Calypso
John Denver











@lenslady I really like that Bessie Smith song. I love the blues from all the way back then to the modern day, be it acoustic or electric. Love 'em! I'm a huge John Denver fan and was blessed enough to see him in concert during the tour supporting his Back Home Again album. But he played all of his hits that came before then, also. Any number of his songs could support a movie, to me. He was a very visual lyricist. Calypso is a prime example!

@average joe Ii love The Legend of Wooley Swamp and Charlie Daniels songs, too! That song reminds me of one that Jim Stafford did back in the early 70's called Swamp Witch, which would make a very good movie, or at the very least, a film short. Love this one: