Rock Songs About History

[CateazM]

What songs tell a story about historic events, places or people. 

I'll start with a true favorite: Roads to Moscow- Al Stewart

From his 1973 Past, Present and Future album

This song tells the story of the German invasion of Russia in WWII. Each verse  beautifully captures the different aspects of the conflict as seen through the eyes of a Russian soldier. When you listen, you can almost see the aspects of the campaign happening.

[WebWiseWoman]

Going to go again with the master of historical events, Bruce Springsteen:

"Streets Of Minneapolis" 

Lyrics:

Through the winter’s ice and cold

Down Nicollet Avenue

A city aflame fought fire and ice

‘Neath an occupier’s boots King Trump’s private army from the DHS

Guns belted to their coats

Came to Minneapolis to enforce the law

Or so their story goes

Against smoke and rubber bullets

By the dawn’s early light Citizens stood for justice

Their voices ringing through the night

And there were bloody footprints Where mercy should have stood

And two dead left to die on snow-filled streets

Alex Pretti and Renee Good

Oh our Minneapolis, I hear your voice

Singing through the bloody mist

We’ll take our stand for this land And the stranger in our midst

Here in our home they killed and roamed In the winter of ’26

We’ll remember the names of those who died

On the streets of Minneapolis

Trump’s federal thugs beat up on His face and his chest

Then we heard the gunshots

And Alex Pretti lay in the snow, dead

Their claim was self defense, sir

Just don’t believe your eyes

It’s our blood and bones

And these whistles and phones

Against Miller and Noem’s dirty lies

Oh our Minneapolis, I hear your voice

Crying through the bloody mist

We’ll remember the names of those who died

On the streets of Minneapolis

Now they say they’re here to uphold the law

But they trample on our rights

If your skin is black or brown my friend

You can be questioned or deported on sight

In chants of ICE out now Our city’s heart and soul persists

Through broken glass and bloody tears

On the streets of Minneapolis

Oh our Minneapolis, I hear your voice

Singing through the bloody mist

Here in our home they killed and roamed

In the winter of ’26

We’ll take our stand for this land

And the stranger in our midst

We’ll remember the names of those who died

On the streets of Minneapolis

We’ll remember the names of those who died

On the streets of Minneapolis

[DarcyFarrow]

1944 (Jamala)

[DarcyFarrow]

Pride (In the Name of Love) (U2)

[DarcyFarrow]

Enola Gay (OMD)

[DarcyFarrow]

War Surplus Baby (Bill Danoff)

"Barefoot and sadness
Bell bottom eyes
We did what need to be done
So we marched all the marches
Ended all the wars
All the time believing that we won"

[EricC28201]

Life In Dark Water - Al Stewart

About the tale and mystery of The Mary Celeste

[1968Hoya46]

Outlaw Blues: Dylan (He references Jesse James and Robert Ford, the guy who shot Jesse James).

[EricC28201]

Indian Reservation - Paul Revere and The Raiders

[1968Hoya46]

Murder Most Foul: Dylan

[DarcyFarrow]

Telegraph Road (Dire Straits)--about the development of an actual road in LA

"A long time ago came a man on a track
Walking thirty miles with a sack on his back
And he put down his load where he thought it was the best
Made a home in the wilderness"

[1968Hoya46]

Good Timin’: Jimmie Jones

[DarcyFarrow]

Juarez (Tori Amos):  From Flavorwire:  "As you might expect of a song about the border-town murders of hundreds of women, “Juarez” is incredibly haunting."

[DarcyFarrow]

They Dance Alone (Sting)--concerning the Disappeared in Chile during Pinochet's regime 

[DarcyFarrow]

We Work the Black Seam Together (Sting)--concerning the 1984 miners strike in England

[1968Hoya46]

P.T. 109: Jimmy Dean 

[DarcyFarrow]

All and Everyone-- by PJ Harvey -- About the the battle of Gallipoli

[DarcyFarrow]

Killing of Georgie (Parts I & II) (Rod Stewart)

From Wikipedia:  "In the May 1995 issue of Mojo, Stewart explained: 'That was a true story about a gay friend of The Faces. He was especially close to me and Mac. But he was knifed or shot, I can't remember which.'"

[CateazM]

Warren Harding- Al Stewart

From Past, Present and Future album

Telling the story of Warren Harding, 29th US President from 1921-1923 and an alleged scandal with an immigrant bootlegger

[JohnD131536]

Memories Of Yesterday - the Five Crowns

[MaVolta]

Scarborough Fair / Canticle  -  S&G

In the 1600's, Scarborough Fair was an annual gathering for vendors selling their goods along with minstrels and other performers. It's an old folk song made popular by traveling minstrels. More at . . .

https://www.songfacts.com/facts/simon-garfunkel/scarborough-fair-canticle

[JohnD131536]

When We Were Young - the five Playboys

[DarcyFarrow]

Joanni (Kate Bush)--about Joan of Arc

[JohnD131536]

I Remember The Night - the Newtones

[MaVolta]

Sympathy For The Devil  -  The Stones

Several historical references are mentioned - 

Jesus and Pilate

The Russian Revolution 1917 and killing of the royal family

World War II and Hitler's blitzkrieg

The killing of the Kennedys

A reference to killings in India possibly referring to a religious cult

[JohnD131536]

American Pie - Don McLean

[DarcyFarrow]

Impi (Johnny Clegg)

From Wikipedia:  "The album's lead single, "Impi", with its pointedly political lyrics about a defeat of the colonial British army by the Zulus at the Battle of Isandlwana, was banned by South African radio"

[MaVolta]

Catherine Howard's Fate  -  Blackmore's Night

Catherine Howard was the fifth wife of King Henry VIII, and the second to be executed for "treason" (adultery).

[JohnD131536]

Bring Back Those Do Wops - the Bagdads

[1968Hoya46]

The Ballad Of Ira Hayes: Dylan