Can you think of examples of Narrative/Poetry/Prose recited over music? for example...?

Jack Kerouac with Steve Allen..vids and discs; (several volumes) av.

Lenny Bruce with some jazz session guys;

Lord Buckley; all from the late 50s-early 60s.

Gil-Scott Heron..earlier on in the piece..;

John Cooper Clark:"Snap,Crackle & Bop" and 'others' produced by Martin Hannett (Joy Division,Factory Records roster..)

Flo & Eddie on FZ's "Billy The Mountain",from "Just Another Band From L.A."

Mark E. Smith from The Fall...any disc;

Tom Waits reciting "Nirvana" by Bukowski on "Orphans, etc, etc";

Bill Laswell's band Material has William S. railing about priests and vampires from "Hallucination Engine";and finally "The Big Shot" from "Gorilla" by the Bonzo Dog Do Dah Band.

One of my favorites is the Velvet Underground song "The Gift" from White Light/White Heat

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mI-YiaWDgB4

Another great one from William S. Burroughs along with Kurt Cobain, "The Priest They Called Him"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVowqVLO5KI

This is really sad. But This Mortal Coil and Faith and Disease have both put this to music,

I Come and Stand at Every Door

I come and stand at every door

But no one hears my silent tread

I knock and yet remain unseen

For I am dead, for I am dead.

I'm only seven although I died

In Hiroshima long ago

I'm seven now as I was then

When children die they do not grow.

My hair was scorched by swirling flame

My eyes grew dim, my eyes grew blind

Death came and turned my bones to dust

And that was scattered by the wind.

I need no fruit, I need no rice

I need no sweet, nor even bread

I ask for nothing for myself

For I am dead, for I am dead.

All that I ask is that for peace

You fight today, you fight today

So that the children of this world

May live and grow and laugh and play.

-- Nazim Hikmet

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vZ0KgLifjI

************

I love this question, Migh. I rarely get to mention this song , or poem.

An American Prayer - The Doors! Most of the entire album actually.

I'll pick Ghost Song

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wr_i3Y9_c4 :)

Hey Garland, I Dig Your Tweed Coat- Captain Beefheart

Liar - Henry Rollins

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_vgQalXaIxs

Down In It - NIN

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXtQhtSI_9I

So many great answers! So many things for me to look into.

The only thing I have to offer is The Cruxshadows reciting The Jabberwocky by Lewis Carroll. Such gothic goodness. ^_^

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntVF3OJmX6I

Morrissey - Sorrow Will Come

Doesn't seem he can/could come/came to terms with record producers...

(chuckle, chuckle)

http://www.imeem.com/people/PQ6EQkc/blogs/2008/01/...

half of the blue aeroplanes output fits into this category

eg 'journal of an airman'

http://fallslikesnow.blogspot.com/2005/05/journal-...

http://www.midomi.com/index.php?action=main.artist...

then there's 'the war of the worlds', richard burton reading hg wells

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=hw7G4MIr5sE

and the aforementioned genius that is john cooper clarke

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=euD0o0x-jAo

iron maiden- rime of the ancient mariner.

listen and see.