10 Favorite Lyricists
 

Post your 10 favorite lyricists.
Paul Simon
Nick Drake
Adam Duritz
Bob Dylan
Vashti Bunyan
Leonard Cohen
Elliott Smith
Ian Anderson(See Thick As A Brick)
Aesop Rock(Don't if anyone will agree on this one)
John Lennon

Elliott Smith is a pretty average lyricist, amazing songwriter but from a purely lyrical standpoint even at his best hes just good. For the most part hes average. Anyway off of the top of my head.

1. Bob Dylan
2. Conor Oberst
3. Jeff Mangum
4. Will Sheff
5. Vashti Bunyan
6. Morrissey
7. Nick Drake
8. Kevin Barnes
9. Isaac Brock
10. Jenny Lewis

Really? Well, I really like the lyrics. I really like him in general. Maybe I need to read the lyrics on paper.

Most of his lyrics are along the lines of these "You walk down Alameda / Shuffling your deck of trick cards over everyone / Like some precious only son / Face down, bow to the champion". With him the King's Crossings and Between the Bars are few, while the Alamedas and Bled Whites are many.

Meh, I guess they sound a lot more impressive in context. To me that's what being a lyricist is about, but to each his own.

To me since were talking about lyrics its about the words 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.

Yeah, but certain lyricists have a way of fitting lyrics into the songwriting and arrangements.

Will Sheff
Emily Haines
Aaron Weiss (MewithoutYou)
John Darnielle (Mountain Goats)
Michael Nau (Page France)
Maria Taylor
Stephen Malkmus (Pavement)
Rocky Votolato
Devendra Banhart
Kevin Devine

Yeah but if the lyrics aren't spectacular then it doesn't mean much from a lyrical point of view.

But lyrics are different from poetry. Lyrics have to fit in with the song and if you write something amazing that doesn't fit some sort of rhythm and doesn't coincide with the melody, etc. al., then it doesn't matter.

Not true, plenty of lyrics don't fit that well with songs or in some cases barely fit or are very stretched to fit. Look at quite a few Bob Dylan songs and lyrics aren't different from poetry, seeing as lyrics are poetry set to song. On the other side of things, plenty of lyrics fit well to songs but a complete trash.

That doesn't mean there isn't more to lyrics than poetry, and that certain lyrics don't sound so meaningful or good when taken out of context.

Yeah of course the lyrics sound better when sung in most cases, because thats what they were designed to do. But what i'm saying is, were discussing favorite lyricists not favorite songwriters. In songwriting theres more to it then words such as how its delivered, in lyrics its just the lyrics, the words.

There you have it. The point of lyrics is to sound the best when sung, mixed with how good the poetry is.

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.

Ok, ok, back on topic. Who doesn't enjoy arguing? :)

2pac & Kurt Cobain, hands down

I'm suprised noone said Tom Waits.

^I only have Rain Dogs, and it wasn't too spectacular lyrically.

lol what? Tom Waits is an amazing songwriter.

To send me blue valentines
Like half forgotten dreams
Like a pebble in my shoe
As I walk these streets
And the ghost of your memory
Is the thistle in the kiss
And the burglar that can break a roses neck
It's the tattooed broken promise
That I hide beneath my sleeve
And I see you every time I turn my back

Maynard James Keenan is the greatest lyricist to ever live.

I honestly do not understand the lyrical appeal to him, every tool song i've seen has terrible lyrics.

paul westerberg
beck
warren zevon
aesop rock
rakim
nick cave
tom waits

@prog

moved post, just letting ya know

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.

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]

thats a lot of vulgar language D=

Yeah, wrong thread I suppose...

MF DOOM
Thomas Erak
the singer of Saetia

Oh well. It helped him get his point across.

Yeah those lyrics are terrible, repetitive, and just all around lame. I don't care if no one writes about it. In fact if no one writes about it, theres probably a reason for it.

Anthony Green
Thomas Erak
Cedric Bixler Zavala
Alex Lifeson
Dallas Green/George sometimes
Devin Townsend
Mos Def
Conor Oberst
John Gourley
Jake Snider

Devin Townsend is gets none of the credit he deserves! Nice choice.

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.

Yeah I gotta agree actually, cookie recipes are so much more interesting than politics and sex.

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.

It's somewhat of a joke song.

DONT FORGET THE BUTTER!!!!!

I once used baking soda instead of the other baking word thing, not cool guys, not cool.

billy werner