While there’s a never-ending supply of modern singers, troubadours are harder to come by. What’s the difference? The troubadour is telling a story rather than just singing a song. Simon and Garfunkel’s The Boxer tells a story, but Bridge Over Troubled Waters doesn’t. Some artists just naturally gravitate to one or the other style, and most just sing songs. The three relatively modern artists I think best fit into the “troubadour” group are Harry Chapin, Don McLean, and Carly Simon. In almost every case, most of their works are telling a story. Others, like John Denver, sometimes fit in (Mathew’s Song) and sometimes not so much. I’ll put up an example each from Harry and Don. Who do you think qualifies as a troubadour?
Harry Chapin~ Better Place to Be
Don McLean~ The Grave
