4 Fictional Folk Songs That Tell a Story Worthy of a Bestseller

Some of the finest folk musicians are also some of the world’s best writers, as the stories they articulate in song match the wit and talent of F. Scott Fitzgerald, Robert Frost, Ernest Hemingway, Sylvia Plath, Cormac McCarthy, and Jane Austen.

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Fiction or non-fiction, some of the world’s greatest folk musicians have etched their legacy into the world through pen, paper, and just a couple of chords. Here are four fictional folk songs that tell a story worthy of a bestseller.

“Pancho and Lefty” by Townes Van Zandt

Townes Van Zandt has a myriad of songs that could fill up this whole list. Indeed, one of Van Zandt’s greatest ballads is “Pancho and Lefty,” which tells the tale of two outlaws who take different paths in life due to Lefty’s betrayal.

We can belabor how lyrically genius and sonically aesthetic Van Zandt’s words are, but instead, you should just read them and follow along to the narrative yourself. For a taste of this brilliant lyrical pastry, read this: “Living on the road my friend / Was gonna keep you free and clean / And now you wear your skin like iron / And your breath as hard as kerosene.”

“Jesus, The Missing Years” by John Prine

Have you ever wondered what Jesus Christ did as a teenager, given that his teenage adolescence isn’t documented in the canonical Bible? Well, John Prine saw this lack of documentation as an opportunity to make up his own fictional story of Jesus Christ as a teenager.

Cleverly, John Prine places Jesus’ “Missing Years” as a baby boomer in the backdrop of the 60s and 70s. Jesus “The Baby Boomer” Christ travels Europe, invents Santa Claus, sees Rebel Without A Cause, becomes a songwriter, records with The Rolling Stones, and then eventually makes his way back to Jerusalem to become, well, you know.

“City Of New Orleans” by Steve Goodman

Steve Goodman‘s “City of New Orleans” has been covered by Willie Nelson, Harry Nilsson, Johnny Cash, John Denver, Judy Collins, and Arlo Guthrie. And it’s easy to see why. Goodman’s song is a literary-rich American folk story about a train traversing the South and laying its personified eyes on all walks of life, sights, and sounds.

The song is colorful and ornate, with plenty of opportunities for literary expansion. If one wanted to, they could write a story about all the fleeting tales in Goodman’s railroad epic, or merely follow the journey of the train they call the “City of New Orleans”.

“House of the Rising Sun” by Unknown

“House of the Rising Sun” is a folk ballad that some of the finest minds have covered time and time again. It’s a timeless tale about self-destruction, addiction, loss, pain, suffering, and it’s all set behind the backdrop of a nondescript house of sin.

The origin story of this folk song is unknown, but nevertheless, its themes are timeless and would certainly make for a gripping novel full of endless avenues for literary exploration.

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