Songs with morality tales-- your fave!

[Vibroluxer]

A Springsteen tune sung by Johnny Cash. I really like Bruce but Johnny owns this song.

Just remember, sometimes when it's your brother, you look the other way.

 

[Dostradamas]

 

[telemnemonics]

Hmmm... I only see alcohol alluded to i the last two stanzas...

And little Sir John and the nut-brown bowl
And he's brandy in the glass
And little Sir John and the nut-brown bowl
Proved the strongest man at last

The huntsman, he can't hunt the fox
Nor so loudly to blow his horn
And the tinker he can't mend kettle nor pot
Without a little Barleycorn

Where is the morality? It just sounds tasty!

That folk song is maybe 200 years old and you need to look at history to hear the words meanings.

 

[Big_Bend]

Love this one.

 

[Dostradamas]

One for the OP

 

[uriah1]

Teach your children

 

[telemnemonics]

For morality tunes I like old time gospel tinged redneck tunes, Grand Old Opry stuff and more primitive Folk.
Frank Proffitt has a tune about a mason (Bo Lamkin) and his faultless that’s pretty damn grim.

 

[smoothrecluse]

 

[dblues]

 

[Dave Hicks]

Here's another with a healthy dose of both morality and mortality. Larry Campbell on slide.

D.H.

 

[Aftermath]

 

[billy logan]

Similarities in the story to Long Black Veil ("long black veil" is in the words)

Too-true vocal at this point, I dig this part with the chord change here. Nothing earth-shattering, unless you like a good song:

"Father, please forgive me
For I falsely testified,
They had me swear upon the Bible
And I lied"

Jason Boland and the Stragglers

I'd be guilty too, if I didn't say the fiddle and pedal steel really sound good

 

[Sparky472]

It’s a song about marriage, after all…

 

[Engine Swap]

 

[edvard]

 

[Rick330man]

If you don't follow this one, your next life will be hotter than summertime in Orlando.

 

[Maguchi]

It's also about the morality of drinking alcohol.

The morality of drinking alcohol.

 

[unfamous]

Gillian Welch..."Pass You By"

 

[oldunc]

As W.C. Fields said, "I am free of all prejudice. I hate everyone equally." This song sort of cracks me up but there's some mighty fine a-pickin' and a-grinnin' in it.

​

No attribution- this is Rhonda Vincent, who has put out some of the best bluegrass albums in recent decades. She plays a mean mandolin, too. Heere's another one, also from "The Storm Still Rages", an album that became an instant classic.

 

[Cosmic Cowboy]