It isn’t always easy to distinguish between literature and
song lyrics. Many would consider any set of lyrics to be a form of poetry and
expression.

There is image-inducing poetry, and then there are
narratives. Not that the two are mutually exclusive, but they are distinct. For
this playlist, I want to lean towards songs that explicitly tell a story –
songs that are completely narrative in nature.

Winter break is coming up soon, which will probably leave
you with plenty of time to catch up on some leisure reading. For those who
aren’t the reading type, but who still like to hear stories, this is the list
for you, entirely devoid of any audiobooks.

When individual tracks each tell their own story, it’s
complicated to arrange them in a smooth set. That’s why some artists take
entire albums to tell their story. The playlist this week is more list and less continuousplay since the stories don’t exactly flow into one
another. Each artist here is a storyteller with his or her own style, and the
diversity of the styles is one thing I’d like to emphasize. There are many
genres even within the story-song realm. If you like any track in particular,
though, I have included a couple extra stylistic recommendations for further reading
– ahem, listening.

“Millie Fell Off the Fire Escape” – Atmosphere

Vocalist Slug’s Minneapolis-based, self-reflective
narratives have made Atmosphere a staple in underground hip-hop. This song,
however, is less of a self-examination and more a third-person continuation of
a De La Soul single, “Millie Pulled a Pistol on Santa.” Slug’s verse picks up
right where De La Soul leaves off, where young Millie murders her sexually
abusive father while he works as a mall Santa. It’s not exactly a holiday song.

It’s an interesting concept, to write the sequel to an older
single, and no one says it’s an easy task. In some ways, Atmosphere succeeds.
With a slightly revamped beat and identical rhyme structure, this chapter of
“Millie” is close enough to the original to be recognizable while maintaining
enough distance through intro and Slug’s personality to stand on its own. As an
experimental concept, I’d call it a success. On the other hand, there are some
stories that end abruptly for a reason, and De La Soul’s “Millie” story was
effective enough without a follow-up.

“A Space Boy Dream” – Belle and Sebastian

Sometimes the best way to tell a story in a song is through
plain speech with some instrumental accompaniment. Even a band with unique
vocals such as Belle and Sebastian can benefit from a bit of spoken word. Of
course, it helps when the speaker has a cool accent.

“A Space Boy Dream” briefly recounts the narrator’s quirky
dream of travel to Mars. The story is compelling mainly for its blunt oddity,
to which several factors contribute. The focal points of the plot – including
how to fit the narrator’s sister and father into the spaceship – seem mundanely
unimportant points for an epic space voyage, and yet the track’s brevity allows
for only those quirky details about the
trip. It’s the kind of weirdness you’d expect in a dream and it adds a
mysterious haze to the story.

Personally, I am convinced the singer did in fact have this
dream, and that there was more to it than perhaps even he can remember. Perhaps
the Flaming Lips’ soundtrack to “Christmas on Mars” would provide the right
suspense music to keep the dream moving beyond its present conclusion. As for
the narrative style and general surrealism, “The Gift” by The Velvet
Underground elaborates on both aspects.

“Holland, 1945” – Neutral Milk Hotel

There comes a point in nearly everyone’s educational career,
usually in early high school, in which one is required to read “The Diary of
Anne Frank.” Some appreciate the historical diary more than others, and it is
likely that few can appreciate her story like Jeff Magnum, singer and lyricist
for Neutral Milk Hotel.

Because they use a well-known story for the premise, NMH can
get away with leaving out the details and expand on the concept with
substantial creative license. Following a startlingly hurried electric folk run
and an equally hasty account of Anne Frank’s tragic experience, Magnum’s poetic
stream of consciousness takes over, transferring the narrative scope to an
afterlife perspective. This point of view transforms Anne into a boy in Spain
playing a fiery piano and pushes on toward adventures among the heavens.
Clearly it is a liberal work of historical fiction; one that would fit
comfortably next to The Decemberists’ “Eli the Barrel Boy.”

“5 Years Time” – Noah and the Whale

I wish I could transcribe a whistling melody into black and
white typeface. “5 Years Time” is an example of how opening on a whistling riff
can set the tone for the track, and if I could replicate that, I might be able
to imitate some of Noah and the Whale’s wholesomely friendly appeal.

Light, cheery and warm, this track is written at the height
of a summer romance full of excitement that would make you want to whistle.
Unlike many narrative songs that take place in the past, Charlie Fink transposes
his boyish fantasy into the future, presumably across the next five years,
although the title is a bit ambiguous on that point… The length of five years
suggests commitment, but the spirit here is free from any confinement,
celebrating a daydream. To continue with songs of similar mood and subject
matter, scroll towards “Sleepwalkin'” by Modest Mouse or Ray LaMontagne’s
“Sarah,” and enjoy your daydream as it sweeps you away. There’s nothing wrong
with a little musical escapism.

Joe Nistler ([email protected]) is a junior majoring in
Italian and Journalism.