While music seeks to entertain us, most songs also tell a story. Whether Lyfe Jennings preaches the effects of casual hookups on “S.E.X.” and how they may not always lead to platonic love, or Fantasia reminisces about the intense feelings that overcome her when she encounters a love interest on “When I See U,” storytelling is an art form within itself.
Another master of storytelling is the late Michael Jackson, who also used his music videos to take viewers on a cinematic journey. “Thriller” and “Remember the Times” are just two examples of lyrics and visuals merging perfectly to depict the message. No matter your genre preference, here are five tracks that will take you on a musical narrative.
Michael Jackson – “Billie Jean” (1982)
When it comes to songs that tell a story, Billie Jean is a classic. Written by Michael Jackson and Quincy Jones, the record famously sings of a woman who claims to be connected to the singer and even attempts to pin a child on him. Jackson famously sings, “Billie Jean is not my lover. She’s just a girl who claims that I am the one. But the kid is not my son. She says I am the one, but the kid is not my son.” In his 1988 autobiography, Moonwalk, Jackson explained, “There never was a real Billie Jean.”
“The girl in the song is a composite of people my brothers have been plagued with over the years. I could never understand how these girls could say they were carrying someone’s child when it wasn’t true,” he wrote.
SZA – “20 Something” (2017)
SZA’s “20 Something” feels like a coming-of-age young adult drama. The track, featured on her critically acclaimed CTRL album, deeply reflects the fears associated with your twenties. As with movies of similar tropes, SZA sings of not having her life together while going through a heartbreak that only exasperates the uncertainty of her life.
“Took us so long to separate. I feel it’s permanent, like a riptide, this time. Waves crashing fast, I try. Think of the past; please stay,” she sang in the verse before returning to the chorus, “How could it be? Twenty-something. All alone still, not a phone in my name. Ain’t got nothin’, runnin’ from love, only know fear. That’s me, Ms. Twenty-Something. Ain’t got nothin’, runnin’ from love. Wish you were here.”
Mary J. Blige – “Your Child” (1999)
” Your Child” is probably one of Mary J. Blige’s most heartfelt deliveries. The record tells the intimate unfolding of Blige learning of her man fathering a child with another woman during their relationship, ultimately ending their union. Some fans have speculated that Blige is referring to her romances with R&B singers K-Ci and Case. However, she has never confirmed nor denied if she was speaking personally about either of those relationships.
“She said it’s your child, and it messed me up. How could you deny your own flesh and blood? Gotta face reality; there can be never be any more us. Won’t deny it’s hurting me, yet so precious,” she sang on the hook before going into verse two of this song that tells a story, reciting, “She said she never wanted to hurt me. And could I understand, she’s afraid and lost. She said a real woman wouldn’t do this over the phone. And that you told her about me after the baby was born.”
Aretha Franklin – “It Hurts Like Hell” (1995)
A masterpiece produced by Babyface for the Waiting to Exhale soundtrack, Aretha Franklin delivered the opening lyrics, “Love was always supposed to be. Something wonderful to me. To watch it grow inside yourself. To feel your heart beside itself.” While this description reads like a romance novel, it quickly spirals to heartbreak, with Franklin detailing how love can be painful in the end, the recurring theme in Waiting to Exhale.
“Sometimes it hurts to love so bad (When you know you’ve given it your best). Sometimes, it hurts to even laugh (You feel a thousand miles from happiness). Sometimes, the pain is just too much. And it hurts like hell. That’s the way it feels. Here we are, the two of us. So full of love, so little trust. But dying for some tenderness. Ooohhh, but too afraid to take the step,” Franklin sang.
The Temptations – “Papa Was A Rollin’ Stone” (1972)
The Temptations hit soul single, “Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone,” is a psychedelic story about a father who abandoned his family, leaving the children questioning his absence and the void he left. However, it also tells the story of the mother who is forced to pick up the pieces and help her children cope.
“It was the third of September. That day I’ll always remember, yes I will. ‘Cause that was the day that my daddy died. I never got a chance to see him. Never heard nothin’ but bad things about him. Momma I’m depending on you to tell me the truth. Momma just hung her head and said, son,” the song began, before diving into the chorus, “Papa was a rolling stone. Wherever he laid his hat was his home. And when he died, all he left us was alone.”
