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26 Songs With A Story To Tell

<em>Ode to Billie Joe</em> by Bobbie Gentry
Courtesy of the artist
Ode to Billie Joe by Bobbie Gentry

There's nothing quite like a compelling story song. Examples include Bobby Gentry's "Ode To Billie Joe," and "The Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald" by Gordon Lightfoot, Reverend Gary Davis's "Samson And Deliah," and Richard Thompson's ode to his favorite motorcycle, "1952 Vincent Black Lightning." The Cafe has compiled tales by some of our favorite yarn spinners including Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Randy Newman, and Johnny Cash. Enjoy our Story Songs Spotify playlist below.

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Talia Schlanger hosts World Cafe, which is distributed by NPR and produced by WXPN, the public radio service of the University of Pennsylvania. She got her start in broadcasting at the CBC, Canada's national public broadcaster. She hosted CBC Radio 2 Weekend Mornings on radio and was the on-camera host for two seasons of the television series CBC Music: Backstage, as well as several prime-time music TV specials for CBC, including the Quietest Concert Ever: On Fundy's Ocean Floor. Schlanger also guest hosted various flagship shows on CBC Radio One, including As It Happens, Day 6 and Because News. Schlanger also won a Canadian Screen Award as a producer for CBC Music Presents: The Beetle Roadtrip Sessions, a cross-country rock 'n' roll road trip.