Well,

 Loreena has one song called The Highwayman, which is about an inn keeper's daughter who is in love with a highwayman. The highwayman leaves for a job and there's a stable man who hears him tell her good bye, and the stable man loves her and wants her himself. So as soon as the highwayman's gone, the King's Red Coats mysteriously show up and gag and bind the daughter. They tie her up by the window so she can see her lover approaching down the road, but it's got a rather unhappy ending. They both end up dead.

Also, Kate Rusby has a song with Kathryn Roberts, I think it is. She's more of a back-up in this song, it's more Kathryn's, but it's called The Queen and the Soldier. It's about a soldier who goes to see his queen to tell her that he won't fight for her anymore. He doesn't know what they're fighting for and he's going to leave. He tells her how he wants to be married and experience all these normal things, and he even hits on her. But this song gave me chills when i listened to it all the way through.

Loreena and Kate have a lot of songs like these. Kate's got one about a Widow who makes a vow that if any man can sexually satisfy her then she'll sell her soul to the devil, so the devil comes to try and he can't even do it. That's called the Widow and it's hilarious. She's got a thick Irish accent so it's sometimes hard to understand her. But that's enough for now.

If you want to see what stories Loreena tells, you can go here http://www.xs4all.nl/~josvg/cits/lm/lm-songs.html and read her lyrics. I recommend The Bonny Swans, The Highwayman, she's done The Lady of Shalot (Alfred Lord Tennyson), etc. etc.

That's about it,
-Heather



----- Original Message -----
From: William Prescott <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Friday, February 2, 2007 3:38 pm
Subject: Re: [pwa-l] Storytelling songs
To: [log in to unmask]


> Thanks, Heather.
>
>  Any particular songs you recommend?
>
>  Will
>  --- [log in to unmask] wrote:
>
>  > Hello,
>  >
>  > About the story songs, I would recommend practically
>  > anything by Loreena McKennitt. If you like celtic
>  > music, she tells a whole array of stories through
>  > her songs. I think some have even been based off old
>  > poems. And since a lot of celtic music has
>  > traditional, folk roots, a lot of them will be
>  > telling stories. Kate Rusby tells stories with her
>  > music, and she's great. I think Enya does sometimes,
>  > though I don't know that much about her music. As
>  > for more contemporary stuff, I'd have to check my
>  > music base at home.
>  >
>  > -Heather Erwin
>  >
>  >
>  >
>  > ----- Original Message -----
>  > From: William Prescott <[log in to unmask]>
>  > Date: Friday, February 2, 2007 1:38 pm
>  > Subject: [pwa-l] Storytelling songs
>  > To: [log in to unmask]
>  >
>  >
>  > > Dear all,
>  > >
>  > >  Do you have any favorite songs that tell a story
>  > --- a
>  > >  character
>  > >  pursuing a goal and dealing with conflict?
>  > >
>  > >  For example, "Just A Friend" by Biz Markie tells
>  > a
>  > >  first-person
>  > >  cautionary tale of what happens if you date women
>  > who
>  > >  have attractive
>  > >  male friends. Highly humorous stuff.
>  > >
>  > >  If so, e-mail [log in to unmask] with the song
>  > title,
>  > >  artist, plot
>  > >  summary, and any other info you want to include.
>  > >
>  > >  I will be compiling the list and posting them on
>  > our
>  > >  official blog --
>  > >  Professional Writer's Anonymous - at
>  > >  oupwsa.blogspot.com.
>  > >
>  > >  Why am we doing this?
>  > >
>  > >  1. It's fun.
>  > >  2. These songs are really short stories set to
>  > music.
>  > >  Practice your
>  > >  story analysis skills by analyzing where the
>  > >  plotting/character/conflict works well or where
>  > it
>  > >  wanders off track.
>  > >
>  > >  Sincerely,
>  > >
>  > >  Will Prescott
>  > >  PWSA Co-President
>  > >
>  > >  P.S. Here are some other examples:
>  > >
>  > >  "Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos" by Public
>  > Enemy --
>  > >  Chuck D refuses
>  > >  induction into the army and is imprisoned.
>  > Angered, he
>  > >  plots a jail
>  > >  break with the other prisoners.
>  > >
>  > >  "Children's Story" by Slick Rick -- Slick Rick
>  > tells a
>  > >  bed-time story
>  > >  to his little nephews about a "stick-up kid" who
>  > ends
>  > >  up being pursued
>  > >  by the police.
>  > >
>  > >  "Hurricane" by Bob Dylan -- third-person
>  > recounting
>  > >  the story of Rubin
>  > >  "Hurricane" Carter, a 1960s boxer wrongly
>  > imprisoned
>  > >  for the murder of a convienience store clerk.
>  > >
>  > >  "Trapped in the Closet - Pts 1-5" by R Kelly -- a
>  > >  crappy example, but
>  > >  still a story song. First person account of R
>  > Kelly's
>  > >  extremely bad
>  > >  experiences the day after he cheats on his woman.
>  > >
>  > >
>  > >  William D. Prescott
>  > >
>  > >  University of Oklahoma
>  > >
>  > >  office no. 405-325-2710
>  > >
>  > >  [log in to unmask]
>  >
>
>
>
>  William D. Prescott
>
>  University of Oklahoma
>
>  office no. 405-325-2710
>
>  [log in to unmask]