3 Non-Fictional Folk Songs That Tell a Story Worthy of a Bestseller

Some folk musicians serve as journalists, professors, and historians, capturing a moment of the past in song and creating an immortalized product that exists as a didactic piece of music for the world to see. And, hopefully, learn something from.

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The most common use of non-fictional folk tales is protest songs. However, the catalog of non-fictional retellings is far more diverse than just politically charged anthems. With that in mind, here are three non-fictional folk songs that tell a story worthy of a bestseller.

“The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” by Gordon Lightfoot

Gordon Lightfoot‘s 1976 ode to the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald is equivalent to a piece of broadcast journalism. Now, it is, of course, far more artistically nuanced and creative. Even with these artistic liberties, Lightfoot accurately retells the story of the harrowing shipwreck that took the lives of all 29 crew members.

The wreck of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald happened on November 10, 1975, when the ore carrier sank in Lake Superior during a tempestuous storm. Candid, detailed, and honest are the trio of adjectives that encompass the underlying attitude of this historical retelling.

“Hurricane” by Bob Dylan

The majority of Bob Dylan‘s nonfiction folk ballads are protest songs, including his 1975 epic, “Hurricane”. In short, the ballad recalls the tale of boxer Rubin “Hurricane” Carter, who was wrongfully convicted of triple murder.

It is the epitome of a compelling crime and social justice novel, and for that, it would make an incredible book that could match the quality of literary classics such as To Kill A Mockingbird and A Time to Kill.

“The Ballad of Ira Hayes” by Peter La Farge

Peter La Farge’s folk ballad “The Ballad of Ira Hayes” is an enlightening tale that sheds light on America following World War II through the story of Native American veteran Ira Hayes. Bigotry, substance abuse, PTSD, political exploitation, and a lack of national empathy are the elements that make this ballad a literary-rich and socially tragic piece of work.

Given the sheer complexity of both the individual and the country, this ballad could easily fill a 300-page novel. Not only would it answer questions of a personal nature, but it would also answer questions of a societal nature, as Hayes’ story did not transpire in a vacuum.

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