Historical Lyrics In Music

[SteveSly]

Here is a topic I don't remember discussing here.

I was listening to Big Big Train’s English Electric album yesterday and it got me thinking about bands that write about history in their lyrics. BBT has always used a lot of history as a basis for their lyrical themes. Another that comes to mind is Al Stewart. Many of his songs are like mini novels of historical figures and situations. The Decembrists have done a lot of historical songs to. I am also a fan of Sabaton who’s music revolves around historical wars, soldiers, and battles.

Many of these artists have inspired me to explore the actual people or situations in their songs.

Any other examples of bands who write let’s say more than 50% of their lyrics about history? I know a lot have individual songs that incorporate historical themes, but I am looking at bands whose main focus is history in their music.

[Progbear]

I've already mentioned Irene Linders' lyrics for Kayak earlier. It's obvious she has a fascination with concepts based on history, mythology and legend. "Anne" off of Periscope Life is about the life of Anne Boleyn, Henry VIII's tragic wife. Later on, we got concept albums about Cleopatra and Nostradamus, among others.

[Dana5140]

Glass Hammer's more religious-themed compositions often are based in history.

[battema]

Ulver's "The Assassination of Julius Caesar" contains a myriad of references, from Normandy to Princess Diana. Actually, most of their recent works are based around historical figures and/or events.

The band's lyricist: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J%C3%B8rn_H._Sv%C3%A6ren

[SteveSly]

I've already mentioned Irene Linders' lyrics for Kayak earlier. It's obvious she has a fascination with concepts based on history, mythology and legend. "Anne" off of Periscope Life is about the life of Anne Boleyn, Henry VIII's tragic wife. Later on, we got concept albums about Cleopatra and Nostradamus, among others.

[SteveSly]

Glass Hammer's more religious-themed compositions often are based in history.

Good example, I did not think of them, but yes several of their albums would fit this category.

[Sputnik]

Off the top of my head: Triumvirat's Spartacus album, ABWH's "Birthright," Renaissance's "Mother Russia." There are surely plenty more.

I wrote a song about Henry Hudson's final voyage that I read about in Russell Shorto's Island at the Center of the World. I did a bit more research, and actually used words written by survivors of the voyage. The song isn't Prog, but there's a Proggy break in 7 in the middle and at the end of the song.




Bill

[SteveSly]

Ulver's "The Assassination of Julius Caesar" contains a myriad of references, from Normandy to Princess Diana. Actually, most of their recent works are based around historical figures and/or events.

The band's lyricist: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J%C3%B8rn_H._Sv%C3%A6ren

Yes, I have that album. What about their other stuff? I only have one other album from them, so not super familiar.

[helicase]

Eloys' last three albums are form a trilogy about Joan of Arc.
XII Alfonso have two albums about Claude Monet and a triple album about Darwin. There's also an album about the history of the city of Djenné in Mali. Also lots of historical references on Odyssees and The Lost Frontier.

[Piskie]

Al Stewart springs to mind - a feature of most of his later albums (late 70s onwards)

[SteveSly]

Eloys' last three albums are form a trilogy about Joan of Arc.
XII Alfonso have two albums about Claude Monet and a triple album about Darwin. There's also an album about the history of the city of Djenné in Mali. Also lots of historical references on Odyssees and The Lost Frontier.

Forgot about Eloy. Yes, they have done quite a bit of historical stuff over the years.

[SteveSly]

Al Stewart springs to mind - a feature of most of his later albums (late 70s onwards)

Yup, I mentioned him in my original post.

[battema]

Yes, I have that album. What about their other stuff? I only have one other album from them, so not super familiar.

They're pretty eclectic, but these are in a similar vein and have some nice meaty lyrical content

Flowers of Evil
War of the Roses

I also think Perdition City is awesome but it's mostly instrumental so not as applicable in this thread

[SteveSly]

They're pretty eclectic, but these are in a similar vein and have some nice meaty lyrical content

Flowers of Evil
War of the Roses

I also think Perdition City is awesome but it's mostly instrumental so not as applicable in this thread

[Progbear]

Off the top of my head: Triumvirat's Spartacus album

Triumvirat also did Pompeii.

Camel had a few of these. Nude was inspired by the true story of a Japanese soldier in WWII who was abandoned on a deserted island, only returning to civilization years later. Dust and Dreams was about migrants to California after the Oklahoma dust bowl (inspired by Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath).

There were a couple of conceptual albums written about the Paris Commune: Oktober's Die Pariser Kommune and Schmetterlinge's Proletenpassion. The latter was presented as a kind of musical/dramatic stage performance, performed in its entirety in a TV special for ORF (which, last I checked, had been posted in its entirety to Youtube).

[Lopez]

The first two that came to mind, and both are about outlaws, are

"John Wesley Harding" by Bob Dylan
"Pretty Boy Floyd" by the Byrds

[Sputnik]

Triumvirat also did Spartacus?

Isn't that what I said? Perhaps you meant Pompeii? I had forgotten about that one, because I find it mostly forgettable.

Bill

[SteveSly]

Triumvirat also did Spartacus.

Camel had a few of these. Nude was inspired by the true story of a Japanese soldier in WWII who was abandoned on a deserted island, only returning to civilization years later. Dust and Dreams was about migrants to California after the Oklahoma dust bowl (inspired by Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath).

There were a couple of conceptual albums written about the Paris Commune: Oktober's Die Pariser Kommune and Schmetterlinge's Proletenpassion. The latter was presented as a kind of musical/dramatic stage performance, performed in its entirety in a TV special for ORF (which, last I checked, had been posted in its entirety to Youtube).

Now that I think about it Camel also did "Harbour Of Tears" about Irish Immigrants coming to America.

[abc123]

Any other examples of bands who write let’s say more than 50% of their lyrics about history? I know a lot have individual songs that incorporate historical themes, but I am looking at bands whose main focus is history in their music.

Yes but asking for a list of albums (instead of a list of artists) that each have this sort of percentage would unearth more works, and would still avoid making the list a list of songs. Otherwise, for example, if someone released 10 albums and two of those are historical like that, those two will be off the radar. Your choice.

[SteveSly]

Yes but asking for a list of albums (instead of a list of artists) that each have this sort of percentage would unearth more works, and would still avoid making the list a list of songs. Otherwise, for example, if someone released 10 albums and two of those are historical like that, those two will be off the radar. Your choice.

I can think of dozens of albums and hundreds of songs that deal with history, but I am mainly thinking of artists whose main focus is history in their music. There are not that many that I can think of.

[Sputnik]

I am mainly thinking of artists whose main focus is history in their music. There are not that many that I can think of.

There aren't that many, but there aren't that many bands worth discussing whose lyrics revolve around any single theme (I'm excluding pure pop bands that generally talk about boys/girls/relationships, etc.). This almost becomes a search for musical needle in a haystack.

Bill

[SteveSly]

There aren't that many, but there aren't that many bands worth discussing whose lyrics revolve around any single theme (I'm excluding pure pop bands that generally talk about boys/girls/relationships, etc.). This almost becomes a search for musical needle in a haystack.

Bill

I definitely agree, but artists like BBT, Al Stewart, Sabaton prove that it can be done. It is just rare.

[Progbear]

After my last post, I remembered Amon Düül II, who gave us Made in Germany, a double concept album all about German history. There's songs about Kaiser Wilhelm, a suite about King Ludwig, a song about Germans emigrating to the USA, a tune about the Weimar Republic, a joke interview with Hitler (using excerpts of his speeches taken out of context), etc.

Isn't that what I said? Perhaps you meant Pompeii?

Edited. I meant to type Pompeii but my evil fingers instead produced Spartacus.

[abc123]

Having specifically asked for "bands" seems to be currently ruling out classical composers, including opera people (such as maybe Verdi who has many works that involve history) and people who mainly wrote religious works that involve historical figures from the religion realm.

[Dana5140]

Shane McGowan and the Pogues, with their gorgeous song "Thousands are Sailing."