Have you ever listened to a song and thought it had the makings of a great story? I love songs that tell stories, and many of them can be adapted for my favorite genre, crime fiction. Below are some songs that have stirred my imagination:

“The Long Black Veil” by Danny Dill and Marijohn Wilkin. I first heard it sung by Mick Jagger on the Chieftains album The Long Black Veil.

“The Night the Lights Went out in Georgia” by Bobby Russell, sung by Vicki Lawrence.

“Lyin’ Eyes” by Don Henley and Glenn Frey, sung by the Eagles.

I’ve also thought about how to write the story of “Good King Wenceslas” as modern speculative fiction.

What other songs as writing inspiration do you recommend?