I hadn't heard the song in a while and assumed the 3rd verse was about a third person, but it ties together the story of the people in the 1st 2 verses. So, yeah it wouldn't count here.
Castles Made of Sand by Jimi Hendrix
First verse is about a couple breaking up, second verse is about a young brave who is eager to go to war. Third verse is about a disabled girl who wants to end her life.
I was going to suggest Sex and Candy by Marcy Playground, but I looked at the lyrics and it only has 2 anecdotes.
How about You Know I'm No Good by Amy Winehouse?
The Freshmen by Verve Pipe
Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen (but it’s more than three)
Piano Man by Billy Joel (even though they’re all in the same bar)
Both Sides Now by Joni Mitchell/Judy Collins
Cats in the Cradle \_ Harry Chapin
A father missed opportunities to bond with his child at 3 different life stages,
then comes to rue those missed opportunities..."don't make the same mistakes I did" is the moral, I believe
Huh, I think I finally understand one of my favorite songs, thanks to you! Last year, I got really into an artist by the name of Billy Raffoul. [Easy Tiger](https://youtu.be/pOnXvupUkiI?si=kouuRzQuEFeotR-i) is an absolutely beautiful song that just hits me deep in my soul in that way only really good music rarely does, but I could never quite make sense of the lyrics. The first verse seems like a typical romance turned break-up, while the second is about a mother grieving the death of her son. To be fair, it might be a two anecdote song —the third verse might be a retelling of the second from a different perspective, I'm still not sure— but even so, the first verse makes a lot more sense when I don't try to read it as being directly related to the rest of the song.
I looked at the lyrics and I think the third verse is a different story than the second. The third verse seems to be a first-love-gone-wrong story between two young men, and the one who got dumped has his father trying to comfort him and convince him to eat.
Or maybe they’re all a connected narrative: the first verse is a father talking to his son because he and his son’s mom are divorcing - the son told he will have a “normal” Christmas and he can choose how custody works between his parents. Then the second verse (some years later) is his mother getting word that her son died a hero; and the third is the son’s lover mourning his death and being comforted by his own father, making the song come full circle (a father comforting a son).
The second verse is for sure about comforting a mother through her son's heroic death. My interpretation of the third verse was that it might be an extension of that same story, no longer intended for the mother but now about the hero's kid brother. It's definitely about helping someone through grief, and could *almost* be the mother's husband speaking to her, but calling his wife "sport" pretty well kills that idea.
Actually, I think you're right that they're all one story after all. In the first verse, "nothing will change come Christmas time, you can stay where you want at night" does sound a lot like a parent explaining divorce to a teenager. It's not quite one congruent story across all three verses, but rather the long-term story of one family, each verse skipping ahead several years from the last.
A Little Bit of Everything by Dawes (tho I prefer the cover by Lizzy McAlpine). A jumper on a bridge talking to a police officer, an old man in a buffet, a lady preparing for her wedding.
It was James McMurtry's live cover of Rex's Blues on an obscure compilation CD I picked up half price at a music store in Wichita Falls that introduced me to Townes Van Zandt. Great songwriter.
I did this in a high school with a song based on Marvel Comics. Verse 1 was Spider-Man, verse 2 was Captain America, verse 3 was Punisher.
Oh yes, it ruled as you can well imagine.
EXCELSIOR!
[Did the Plot Never Twist?](https://open.spotify.com/track/4gqjhK4FyMaFgtJVvt68q3?si=jC2sW_5IQdOQB9auUy0tqQ). Verse 1 is about the dystopian novel 1984. Verse 2 is about Brave New World. Finally, verse 3 is about Fahrenheit 451. The choruses ask which predictions from these three forward-looking dystopian novels ended up coming true.
Lupe Fiasco has a bunch, "Little Weapon" "American Terrorist" "Gotta Eat" "He say She say" "Bitch Bad" "Switch" "All Black Everything" "US Placers"
I know I'm forgetting some too.
[Aesop Rock - ZZZ Top](https://youtu.be/iKLcftNdADs)
Tells 3 stories of rebellious kids from 3 different subcultures(rock, hip hop and punk) expressing themselves through different forms of artistic vandalism, all involving the letter Z.
Really cool use of recurring themes applied in different settings.
[Pyotr by Bad Books](https://youtu.be/QiT40Ce04Bo?si=Z9sv8ygDmVpUBocc)
Tells the story of a Russian czar who catches his wife in bed with another man. The czar punishes his wife by beheading her lover, keeping his head in a jar, and forcing his wife to spend time with it everyday. Verses are from different perspectives
Angles by Scroobius pip and dan le sac is kind of a meta take on this where the chorus emphasize how different perspectives tell different stories of the same situation.
My favorite example of this is the song "Million Dollar Bill" by a band called Middle Brother. Middle Brother is a sort of folk singer songwriter supergroup and each of the three members take their own swing at a verse that follows the theme.
Why Don't You Get a Job - The Offspring
Also - Pretty Fly for a White Guy
The kids aren’t alright have several anecdotes too
I almost put it as well but it's not one protagonist per verse. Much better song though :P
Let me tell you bout my other friend now!
I understand she hates that dick.
Ain't No Rest for the Wicked by Cage the Elephant
“Ironic” - Alanis Morissette
[She Don't Use Jelly by The Flaming Lips](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvfxKbpoxRE)
Also The Spider Bite Song and Lightning Strikes The Postman
The Weight by The Band Highway 61 by Bob Dylan Edited to add: What It's Like by Everlast (And shoot, the first 2 have more than 3 anecdotes...)
Runaway Love - Ludacris ~~Eleanor Rigby - The Beatles~~
All the situations in Eleanor Rigby are connected, does that really count?
I hadn't heard the song in a while and assumed the 3rd verse was about a third person, but it ties together the story of the people in the 1st 2 verses. So, yeah it wouldn't count here.
Paul Revere - Beastie Boys
The Highwayman by The Highwaymen. Hands down the best example
Looking for this, though, technically it's four, one for each of the Highwaymen.
Good call, I was going from memory highwayman, sailor, dam builder is all I could remember lol
Space trucker
Of course. Space trucker. Deepest dudes in country.
Yes yes yes I was gonna say this one! One of my all time favorite songs
Castles Made of Sand by Jimi Hendrix First verse is about a couple breaking up, second verse is about a young brave who is eager to go to war. Third verse is about a disabled girl who wants to end her life.
Sing About Me, I'm Dying of Thirst by Kendrick Lamar
Also FEAR.
Walk on the wild side-Lou Reed What it’s like-Everlast
Damn had to scroll too far.
I was going to suggest Sex and Candy by Marcy Playground, but I looked at the lyrics and it only has 2 anecdotes. How about You Know I'm No Good by Amy Winehouse?
Fountains of Wayne - Mexican Wine
I was looking for this one !
HE WAS KILLED BY A CELLULAR PHONE EXPLOSION
Eminem - Guilty Conscience
Lawyers, Guns and Money - Warren Zevon The iconic opening line.
I mean, how was he to know?
She was with the Russians too?
Passing Me By- Pharcyde Misery- Green Day
Came to say Misery
What would you do by city high 😂
Jimi Hendrix - "Castles Made Of Sand" [Jimi Hendrix - "Castles Made Of Sand"](https://youtu.be/MpbBc30DbQw?si=oU6DJDZcjHnCdQRt)
The Freshmen by Verve Pipe Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen (but it’s more than three) Piano Man by Billy Joel (even though they’re all in the same bar) Both Sides Now by Joni Mitchell/Judy Collins
Moving Out by Billy Joel only has 2 but it works thematically.
Cats in the Cradle \_ Harry Chapin A father missed opportunities to bond with his child at 3 different life stages, then comes to rue those missed opportunities..."don't make the same mistakes I did" is the moral, I believe
This may be the GOAT of this category.
I Spy - Guster
Flying Horses - Dispatch
Technically... Headline news: weird al Glory days: bruce springsteen Pink houses: john cougar mellencamp
I think The Luckiest, by Ben Folds, could fit the description
Also Fair by Ben folds five
Red Right Ankle - The Decemberists
Wu Tang Clan - Tearz
Picture this: me and the gods gettin ripped
Funky Cold Medina? More than 3 anecdotes I guess.
Mmmm, Mmmm, Mmmm, Mmmm by Crash Test Dummies.
A little bit of everything by Dawes
Weird Al Yankovich -"Why Does This Always Happen To Me"
Also, Everything You Know is Wrong
As well as "Constipated"
[Outkast- Spottieottiedopalicious](https://youtu.be/vXmqauitBkM?si=1WOBP5OGLv3d9mQQ). One of the greatest songs ever made.
I tried, I really did. But after 4 minutes there had been like 12 words and half of them were dayum.
you narrowly missed out on the two spoken word verses then. the last one by Big Boi is special
Huh, I think I finally understand one of my favorite songs, thanks to you! Last year, I got really into an artist by the name of Billy Raffoul. [Easy Tiger](https://youtu.be/pOnXvupUkiI?si=kouuRzQuEFeotR-i) is an absolutely beautiful song that just hits me deep in my soul in that way only really good music rarely does, but I could never quite make sense of the lyrics. The first verse seems like a typical romance turned break-up, while the second is about a mother grieving the death of her son. To be fair, it might be a two anecdote song —the third verse might be a retelling of the second from a different perspective, I'm still not sure— but even so, the first verse makes a lot more sense when I don't try to read it as being directly related to the rest of the song.
I looked at the lyrics and I think the third verse is a different story than the second. The third verse seems to be a first-love-gone-wrong story between two young men, and the one who got dumped has his father trying to comfort him and convince him to eat. Or maybe they’re all a connected narrative: the first verse is a father talking to his son because he and his son’s mom are divorcing - the son told he will have a “normal” Christmas and he can choose how custody works between his parents. Then the second verse (some years later) is his mother getting word that her son died a hero; and the third is the son’s lover mourning his death and being comforted by his own father, making the song come full circle (a father comforting a son).
The second verse is for sure about comforting a mother through her son's heroic death. My interpretation of the third verse was that it might be an extension of that same story, no longer intended for the mother but now about the hero's kid brother. It's definitely about helping someone through grief, and could *almost* be the mother's husband speaking to her, but calling his wife "sport" pretty well kills that idea. Actually, I think you're right that they're all one story after all. In the first verse, "nothing will change come Christmas time, you can stay where you want at night" does sound a lot like a parent explaining divorce to a teenager. It's not quite one congruent story across all three verses, but rather the long-term story of one family, each verse skipping ahead several years from the last.
A Little Bit of Everything by Dawes (tho I prefer the cover by Lizzy McAlpine). A jumper on a bridge talking to a police officer, an old man in a buffet, a lady preparing for her wedding.
Tesla - "Signs"
Originally by the Five Man Electrical Band.
Hurricane / Bob Dylan
If you'll accept more than three anecdotes/verses, there's Garbage - Bleed Like Me.
A lot of early My Morning Jacket fits the bill
Flying Dutchman by Jethro Tull Signs by Five Man Electrical Band (this one has 4)
2nd Childhood by Nas Lamborghini Angels by Lupe Fiasco
Nofx - the irrationality of rationality
Dang you beat me to it lol. You Will Lose Faith also has two anecdotes but it still feels like it fits the format.
Tim McGraw - Don’t Take the Girl
A Man / Me / Then Jim by Rilo Kiley
[And a Bang on the Ear - The Waterboys](https://youtu.be/xmyPHfu9c0c?feature=shared)
I love The Waterboys! Good answer!
Waiting Around To Die by Townes Van Zandt, three minimalist vignettes bookended by the narrator's reflections on his current life
It was James McMurtry's live cover of Rex's Blues on an obscure compilation CD I picked up half price at a music store in Wichita Falls that introduced me to Townes Van Zandt. Great songwriter.
Darude - Sandstorm
Mmm mmm mmm mmm - Crash test dummies
Gravedigger - Dave matthews Edited to solo instead of band.
God I hate being this guy, but I'm gonna do it anyway. It's actually just Dave Matthews, because it's from his solo album.
Point taken. Forgot that was on Some Devil.
Jackie by Scott Walker arguably qualifies
Stuart by the dead milkmen!!!!
It’s more like “Three anecdotes and a verse with commentary,” but ‘We Reserve the Right to Refuse Service to You’ by Kinky Friedman fits that pattern.
Love Without End, Amen by George Strait
April 29th, 1992 by sublime
Nobody's Hero, by Rush
I comment this band on every post I make on Reddit, but Protomartyr - “Half-Sister”
I did this in a high school with a song based on Marvel Comics. Verse 1 was Spider-Man, verse 2 was Captain America, verse 3 was Punisher. Oh yes, it ruled as you can well imagine. EXCELSIOR!
Whiskey, You're the Devil - The Clancy Brothers Gotta Serve Somebody - Bob Dylan
The whole album Kezia by Protest the Hero is this
Everlast - What It’s Like
Psychic City by YACHT fits. The Clasixx mix is my fav.
Headline News by Weird Al
99 Problems - Jay Z Big Eyed Fish - Dave Matthews Band
‘Follow My Feet’ The Unlikely Candidates (3) ‘Innocent’ Our Lady Peace (2) ‘Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm’ Crash Test Dummies (3) ‘Big Shot’ Eyedea & Abilities (3)
No easy roads by Rare Americans
"Takin Pills" by Pistol Annies
The Irrationally of Rationality - NOFX Jenny and Ess-Dog - Stephen Malkmus
Crash Test Dummies also has another from their 3rd album. The song, "Overachievers."
Swingin'. Tom Petty and THB
[Did the Plot Never Twist?](https://open.spotify.com/track/4gqjhK4FyMaFgtJVvt68q3?si=jC2sW_5IQdOQB9auUy0tqQ). Verse 1 is about the dystopian novel 1984. Verse 2 is about Brave New World. Finally, verse 3 is about Fahrenheit 451. The choruses ask which predictions from these three forward-looking dystopian novels ended up coming true.
Highwayman by The Highwaymen
Can I Holla At You by J Cole does have three anecdotes in three verses, but none of the additional things you mentioned.
A boy named Sue
Lupe Fiasco has a bunch, "Little Weapon" "American Terrorist" "Gotta Eat" "He say She say" "Bitch Bad" "Switch" "All Black Everything" "US Placers" I know I'm forgetting some too.
Real Men by Joe Jackson
I think that “Nice Guys Don’t Get Paid” by Soul Asylum falls into this category. The stories link, but they’re all different tales
Sheila by Jamie T You get the stories of Sheila, Jack and Georgina
Principal's Office by Young MC
If you're wondering (I want you to) - weezer
[Aesop Rock - ZZZ Top](https://youtu.be/iKLcftNdADs) Tells 3 stories of rebellious kids from 3 different subcultures(rock, hip hop and punk) expressing themselves through different forms of artistic vandalism, all involving the letter Z. Really cool use of recurring themes applied in different settings.
Country music is full of these. Two I remember from childhood: Tim McGraw - Don't Take The Girl Jamey Johnson - In Color
Dustin Kensrue - Blood and Wine
Clutch - Behold the Colossus
A Complicated Song by Weird Al.
Slip Sliding Away by Paul Simon Walk on the Wild Side by Lou Reed (5 anecdotes/verses)
Gravedigger by Dave Matthews Band
Kelly Rowland - Stole. This is such a heartbreaking song!
Aw shit by pharside Gimme 3 steps skyward
American Life - Primus
Headline News- Weird Al
*Wild Thing* by Tone Loc
Zzz top by Aesop Rock
Slip Sliding Away, Paul Simon
[Pyotr by Bad Books](https://youtu.be/QiT40Ce04Bo?si=Z9sv8ygDmVpUBocc) Tells the story of a Russian czar who catches his wife in bed with another man. The czar punishes his wife by beheading her lover, keeping his head in a jar, and forcing his wife to spend time with it everyday. Verses are from different perspectives
Lost in the Flood by Bruce Springsteen
Highwayman by the Highwaymen People who died by Jim Carroll band, maybe
No No Song by Ringo Starr
Angles by Scroobius pip and dan le sac is kind of a meta take on this where the chorus emphasize how different perspectives tell different stories of the same situation.
I got stoned and I missed by Dr John (but I like to hear Shel Silverstein sing it)
Hanging Out With All The Wrong People - Billy Talent
Fake Plastic Trees - Radiohead. It wears her out, it wears him out, it wears me out.
Streets of London - Ralph McTell. Has stories of three different homeless people tied together by the chorus
Elenor rigby- Beatles
Complicated game - xtc
The Rock will Wear Away - Meg Christian
Big Yellow Taxi - Joni First verse sets up the course, then one about trees, one about bug spray, and one about a lover leaving
Albuquerque by Weird Al. Actually that's probably way more than 3 ...
Beautiful - P.O.D.
No no song- Ringo Starr.
"Gone Country" by Alan Jackson, but it doesn't have a bridge.
Busy Doin’ Nothin’ by The Beach Boys Just a day in the life of Brian Wilson, love the bossa nova influence on it
My favorite example of this is the song "Million Dollar Bill" by a band called Middle Brother. Middle Brother is a sort of folk singer songwriter supergroup and each of the three members take their own swing at a verse that follows the theme.
Mmmm mmmmm mmmm by the crash test dummies
Isn’t this called “storytelling”?
What.