3 Story Songs From the 1960s That Have Gut-Punching Lyrical Twists

If you love story songs, you’ve probably listened to the following gems from the 1960s on repeat. However, if you didn’t listen closely, you might have missed what their deeper lyrical meanings actually are. Let’s take a look at some genuinely amazing story songs from the 1960s that boast some serious lyrical twists and turns!

“The Dangling Conversation” by Simon & Garfunkel

“And how the room is softly faded / And I only kiss your shadow / I cannot feel your hand / You’re a stranger now unto me.”

This 1966 song from Parsley, Sage, Rosemary And Thyme seems like a more or less polite bout of small talk between two people. However, as the folk rock gem “The Dangling Conversation” continues, it becomes clear what’s really going on. The subject of the song, a couple, is ending their relationship. This one is such a poetic and beautiful, albeit heartbreaking, song from Simon & Garfunkel.

“A Day In The Life” by The Beatles

“I read the news today, oh, boy / Four thousand holes in Blackburn, Lancashire / And though the holes were rather small / They had to count them all / Now they know how many holes it takes to fill the Albert Hall.”

Despite the jovial vibe of this song, the lyrics within “A Day In The Life” by The Beatles are actually quite dark. By the second verse, John Lennon is crooning about a man who “blew his mind out in a car,” referencing a horrific accident. By the third verse, there are a few mentions of war as well. To some, this song from 1967 might just be a surreal, whimsical lyrical mesh of newspaper clippings. When you dig deeper, though, it’s clear that this song is about the nature of reality being in the eye of the beholder. That, of course, likely came from Lennon’s many revelations about life after using LSD.

“The Universal Soldier” by Buffy Sainte-Marie

“He’s the universal soldier, and he really is to blame / His orders come from far away, no more / They come from him, and you, and me, and brothers, can’t you see? / This is not the way we put an end to war.”

I had to include this 1964 tune on our list of story songs from the 1960s because it is so unusual for its era. If you’re thinking, “It’s a song about war, weren’t those everywhere in the 1960s?”, you’d be correct. However, the theme of “The Universal Soldier” by Buffy Sainte-Marie isn’t what makes it so interesting. Other Vietnam War-era protest songs of its ilk often turned blame for the horrors of the war onto the military, government, politicians, and other powers that be. Sainte-Marie, however, placed the blame on individual soldiers. Though, she isn’t totally unsympathetic. In a way, this song implores soldiers to stop “following orders” for the sake of giving more power to others.

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