Songs Written by Shel Silverstein For Other People

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Recently, I did a list of songs about the name Sue , and one song that got some attention was Johnny Cash's 'A Boy Named Sue'. Cash delivers it well, and the live audience really appreciates it.

I knew Cash didn't write it, and I did know the writer: Shel Silverstein. His Where The Sidewalk Ends is one of my favourite poetry collections. I also knew that he did some songwriting for the band Dr Hook.

So, I got to thinking – what other songs did Shel Silverstein write?


Silverstein (born September 25, 1930; died May 10, 1999) was a United States writer, singer, cartoonist and general all-round artist. He wrote for children and adults, though his children's work can be enjoyed by both. But it is the songs I'll be looking at here.

I decided to go through Discogs, Second Hand Songs and Songfacts archives on the Internet as well as the backs of my own albums and CDs, and have come up with a few songs that it surprised me had been written by this very talented poet and recorded by others.

Wow, did he write a lot of good songs in the 60s and 70s! The one thing about the songwriting (and poetry) of Silverstein is the clever wordplay, the comedy, and just how well-written they are. I think it is a shame he did not write more songs because then he might be held in higher regard by the general public. As it is, he released enough to make for a decent list.

So this is just a list of my favourites. There are a few artists repeated here, and, yes, I have put in the same Johnny Cash song as before because it is awesome. Get ready for a lot of country and a lot of older songs.

Shel Silverstein, songwriter!
'The Unicorn' by The Irish Rovers (1967)

A song that has become such a part of the fabric of music that many people still believe it is a traditional song dating back more than a century, and yet it is a Silverstein original. It was the Irish Rovers' debut single. I learnt this song at primary school; my son did as well some forty years later. It is one of those songs.
'A Boy Named Sue (Live)' by Johnny Cash (1969)

I normally don't put songs in two lists so close to one another, but this is the classic Silverstein song, and it is so very good and it started this list. So here we are.
'Once More With Feeling' by Jerry Lee Lewis (written with Kris Kristofferson) (1969)

Slow country music from post-scandal Jerry Lee Lewis, but the lyrics are darker than the simple break-up song that is presented. Lewis delivers this with feeling, and it is a great version of the track.
'Son Of A Scoundrel' by Kris Kristofferson (1970)

This is from the soundtrack to the Australian film Ned Kelly (starring Mick Jagger, of all people), and Silverstein wrote all the movie's songs, which was something I did not realise until doing research for this. This is an interesting country track, with a jaunty feel and lyrics that (at the time) were quite confronting. Love this one.
'The Taker' by Waylon Jennings (1971) (written with Kris Kristofferson)

This is a song that tells a story of a particularly nasty man and what he plans to do to the woman he is trying to woo. Again, lyrically really strong, but this is no comedy, more a sad tale of the fact there are men of this sort in the world.
'One's On The Way' by Loretta Lynn (1971)

Loretta Lynn's songs often portrayed the hard life of women living in the country and this song about being pregnant (not for the first time) really fit into her oeuvre, becoming one of her better-known tracks, and a hit to boot.
'The Cover Of The "Rolling Stone"' by Dr. Hook & The Medicine Show (1972)

Silverstein wrote a lot of songs (a whole album as well, if I remember correctly) for Dr Hook, and this song about appearing on the cover of the titular magazine being the pinnacle of success is one of their two greatest collaborations.
'Sylvia's Mother' by Dr. Hook & The Medicine Show (1972)

And here is the second of that great collaboration. This song is possibly the song Dr Hook are best known for, and, yes, it is a Silverstein composition, which might be obvious when the lyrics talk about having to keep putting money in the pay phone while a man is pouring his heart out.
'February Snow' by Lester Flatt (1972)

A song about the break-up of a couple, this is not the original version, but the country instrumentation on display here just suits the song a little better and gives it a jovial feel despite the depressing concept.
'Big Four Poster Bed' by Brenda Lee with The Nashville Sound (1974)

A country song that tells the story of a man who built the titular bed, died in it, and then his daughter inherited it and asked her new husband to be as good a man as her father. A story of hope and a strong song.
'Marie Laveau (Live)' by Bobby Bare (1974) (written with Baxter Taylor)

Released only as a live single, this song topped the US country charts and, I think, is better than the Dr Hook original version. I think it works better as a honky tonk country song. And, yes, it is about the famous Voodoo priestess of New Orleans.
'Put Another Log On The Fire (Male Chauvinist National Anthem)' by Bill & Boyd (1975)

While I know this is a cover version, it is by an Australian (New Zealand) duo, and so it is the one I grew up hearing. Deliberately politically incorrect, and yet the narrator has no idea just why the woman wants to leave him, this is a song that is still rather amusing.
'The Ballad Of Lucy Jordan' by Marianne Faithfull (1979)

After surviving the 60s (just), Faithfull had her greatest success with the 1979 album ]Broken English, and this track is still fondly remembered. Her voice adds something to the song that still sends shivers down my spine, with that sparse synth backing. Gorgeous track.
'The World's Last Truck Drivin' Man' by Slim Dusty (1987) (written with Robert Goldstein)

Again, I have gone for the Australian cover version because I like the guitar sound better and it is Slim Dusty, and he is a true legend. A fun song set in the year 2080 (the original was recorded by Bobby Bare in 1980), and it tells another bittersweet little story.
'My Heart Was The Last One To Know' by Kris Kristofferson (2013)

A sad country song, with Kristofferson's gravelly voice making it feel that little bit more emotional. And again, it is the lyrics that set this apart from most country ballads. Yes, this was released a scant 10 years ago, showing the timelessness of Silverstein's works.
Fifteen songs written by Shel Silverstein which made the charts (albeit the country charts in most instances), as recorded by other people. I am making no apologies for how old the majority of these songs are, nor the fact that most are country songs – it's the lyrics and they are amazing.

I hope you enjoyed this look back at an oft-overlooked writer.
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