What's a song you like that is based upon an actual event?

Yes.

I listened to Horton's version just now and I like it enough not to listen to any other versions. I like his.
And I know of the song  -- have heard it before but never on a record all the way through or whatever.

Of course it does.

“The day the music died” refers to the 1959 plane crash that killed Buddy Holly and Ritchie Valens.

Yup, I'm with Stu Spelling Bee's reply.  :)

Thanks, Jane S.

I read background information about the group and the song. Interesting. But I kept getting confused on what was the group and what was the song  - Oak Island or Our Last Night. Ha!  :)

This is sort of a back-handed compliment to the lead singer - - as I listen, to me, the guy has too clear and too nice of a singing tone to be singing so "raw" and "raspy/shouting" --
:)  I'd rather hear him sing like Nat King Cole maybe.  :)

I'm just saying the singer seems not to have a "Disturbed"group kind of voice to me - - though I enjoyed listening. Thanks! This post was edited by WelbyQuentin at August 11, 2023 8:22 PM MDT

I like the song!
Whoa! What lyrics! They're  like reading a non-fiction essay. or listening to a "podcast" /"news commentary"- - Songwriter Ochs was WAY ahead of his time in my opinion. ;0

I looked up Billie Sol and couldn't even follow all the familial details, let alone the stuff mentioned in the song.

And Phil Ochs who wrote and sang song - - handsome guy.  :)



This post was edited by WelbyQuentin at August 11, 2023 8:22 PM MDT

It's another "OMG" for me -- my posted question here, with all these answers, has turned into one of the most educational experiences for me on Answermug.
I'm going through the answers in order and it's taking me a long time.

I did not know this song, so I looked up the song lyrics to read.

I could not even get through reading all of the lyrics without getting upset, with uncomfortable chills and "OMG.". I will come back to finish reading the song lyrics and to hear the song.

Thanks for answering my question ,CosmicWunderkind.  :)

My mind remains blown.
I didn't know of this song before last week after reading your answer. I didn't know of Rubin Carter.

I just closer read the song lyrics. I then researched a bit of the story.
And I listened to the song.

My respect for Dylan goes higher tonight. I like the song itself but I don't like what inspired it. 

Though I remain unsettled and upset that Mr. Carter experienced the song as a part of his life.

Thanks for answering, CosmicWunderkind. Very powerful-to-me answer.

Rubin Carter wasn't a particularly nice man, a wife beater who had been in and out of prison before that night in NJ with a rap sheet for battery a mile long. He wasn't a murderer. Had the bartender been BEATEN to death, Carter might have been the perp. But not a shooting.

I didn't know of that aspect of his life, either.
Maybe there could be a 'part two' of the song, dealing with the things Carter actually did. With the many somber subject matters inspiring many of the songs in all the answers, it'd fit in.

Hi Slartibartfast, I apologize for taking forever to get through the answers to my question. I've been going in order. I will get to your answer. I'm sending this to those whose answers I still have to reply to. This post was edited by WelbyQuentin at July 22, 2023 5:31 PM MDT

That certainly seemed a big wind that blew the town away, for sure.
That's a beautiful song to me; had not heard it before. Had not heard of Bill and Boyd, either. Very nice voices to me.
Timing of the storm would be difficult, yeah.

Thanks for answering, Slartibartfast.

Hi my2cents, I apologize for taking forever to get through the answers to my question. I've been going in order. I will get to your answer. I'm sending this to those whose answers I still have to reply to. This post was edited by WelbyQuentin at July 31, 2023 10:19 PM MDT

Where have I been in this world? So many of these answers and songs I've never heard. Yours is another.

I never would have guessed this was the singer if I had not seen your posted answer before listening. I like how this song sounds very, very different than his other major hits. I ended up liking the song when I was unsure if I would when it started.

I searched the song lyrics and the story before listening.
The harmonica grew on me as the song progressed - - to me, when there were no words to say, the harmonica filled in more meaning, almost like life breathing and escaping.

I liked the song quite a bit. Strong lyrics, too!

I'm confused a bit  with this video being all "Saving Private Ryan" movie scenes. From what I researched, the song was not used in the movie at all. But I know you're a Metallica fan, so maybe you know what the actual event is upon which the song is based. 

I think I may be more of a Metallica fan than i realized. I know I've heard more of their music but I sometimes don't pay attention sometimes with metal music.

I don't think it is tied with the movie.  
The song was written at a low point in the band life. Having lost their all of the music equipment and were homeless at the time, they were very depressed at the time. 

Hey, thanks.
Again, I swear I'm out of it - - what you shared about the band's low point and depression -- yes, I read that, too, about the song. Why I, too, didn't realize that it was a song about the real events in the band members' lives. Yes. 
Knowing this about the song makes me more like the band. I, too, use the te fine arts to help me in low points. Cool to know hugely popular band members go through similar points in their lives .


Have to go to work now.
Be well --