10 Favorite Lyricists

1. John Lennon
2. Bob Dylan
3. Bernie Taupin(Elton John lyricist)
4. Randy Newman
5. Elvis Costello
6. Cat Stevens
7. Jim Croce
8. Don McLean
9. George Harrison
10.David Byrne
 
Dude what the hell? I just said that it seems like you're arguing for the sake of winning and just trying to get the last word. What i'm trying to say is, were discussing favorite LYRICISTS, therefore you would only look at the LYRICS, not the singing. When you discuss best guitarists do you take the bass, vocals, lyrics and the drums into your decision? No, because that has nothing to do with the guitarist.
 
Yeah because the majority of song-writers right about interesting topics like love and protesting against the government. I will agree the lyrics are repetitive, but they are repetitive for a good reason, not just to make them catchy.
 
Bob Dylan
Elvis Costello
Townes Van Zandt
Bruce Springsteen (pre-Nebraska)
Richard Thompson
John Prine (or at least his first album)
Howard Devoto
Chuck Berry
Ice Cube
Tom Verlaine
 
Bowie!!!!!
Tom Waits
Ian Dury
Thom Yorke
John Lennon
Bob Dylan
Nick Cave
George Gershwin
Jim Morisson
Eddie Vedder

They've all written some awesome lyrics.
 
Well the point of that song was to show how much bias people have when it comes to seeing a song name. Just because it says Satan doesn't mean it is glorifying him at all. And even if it were, I don't see how it would affect the music.
 
Bump, I fancied doing a list.

1. Ian Curtis - He cut his veins and let them bleed.
2. Morrissey - Wit, cynicism. It's Morrissey, he's brilliant.
3. Nick Cave - No one tells a story quite like Nick.
4. J. Mascis - Some of his lyrics are just amazing, I can relate to so many of them. And the ones I can't relate to and don't fully understand, they're still immense.
5. John Lennon - Yeah...
6. Jeff Mangum - King of Carrot Flowers! Just listen!! He sings his lyrics like he has a gun to his head, and that makes them so much better. They're already great.
7. Alex Turner - Poetic turn of phrase, and he commented on social issues in Britain with the Monkeys first album. I love his lyrics.
8. Billy Corgan - Pick your pockets full of sorrow, run away with me tomorrow.
9. Jack White - Old style bluesy stories.
10. Frank Black - Just for how bizarre they are
 
Bob Dylan
Kurt Cobain
Tom Waits
Jello Biafra
John Lennon
Joe Strummer

That's all I could think of, I don't exactly listen to music with spectacular lyrics.
 
He writes about things most artists don't write about, which is why I most appeal to him. I mean look at the song Die Eier Von Satan. We all know the true reason why that song is that specific German cookie recipe. He can also deliver a much more complicated point with simple lyrics. In the case of the song "Hush" this works well:

"Hush"

**** youuuuuuu!

I can't say what I want to,
even if I'm not serious.
I can't say what I want to,
even if I'm not serious.
Things like....
**** yourself, **** Yourself,
you piece of ****, why don't you just go, kill yourself!
I said,
I can't say what I want to, even if I'm not serious.
I can't say what I want to, even if I'm just kiddiiiiingg!

People tell me what to say,
what to think, and what to play.
I said, people tell me what to say,
what to think, and what to play.
Things like.... **** yourself
**** Yourself,
you piece of ****, why don't you just go kill yourself?
I said, I can't say what I want to, even if I'm not serious.
I can't say what I want to, even if, I'm just kiddiiiiingg.

**** yourself,
**** yourself,
you piece of ****,
why don't you go **** yourseeeeeeeelf?

People tell me what to say,
what to think, and what to play.
I said, people tell me what to say,
what to think, and what to playyyy!

Just Kidding [3x]
 
To me since were talking about lyrics its about the worRAB themselves, not the way they're delivered. If its about delivery that would include the singing and the instrumentation, which wouldn't really be about lyrics. It would be about the actual song, so favorite songwriters would be more appropriate. My list would be completely different if this was about songwriting and Elliott Smith would be at the top.
 
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