10 Favorite Lyricists (lyrics, rock, favorite song, Emily Haines, John Lennon)

ProggyMan · 09-23-2007, 10:50 PM

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

sleepy jack · 09-23-2007, 11:01 PM

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

ProggyMan · 09-23-2007, 11:06 PM

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

sleepy jack · 09-23-2007, 11:10 PM

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.

ProggyMan · 09-23-2007, 11:16 PM

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.

sleepy jack · 09-23-2007, 11:18 PM

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.

ProggyMan · 09-23-2007, 11:29 PM

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

sleepy jack · 09-23-2007, 11:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ProggyMan

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

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

ProggyMan · 09-23-2007, 11:40 PM

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.

sleepy jack · 09-23-2007, 11:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ProggyMan

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.

09-23-2007, 10:50 PM	#1 (permalink)
ProggyMan Reformed Jackass Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 3,964	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

09-23-2007, 11:06 PM	#3 (permalink)
ProggyMan Reformed Jackass Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 3,964	Really? Well, I really like the lyrics. I really like him in general. Maybe I need to read the lyrics on paper.

09-23-2007, 11:16 PM	#5 (permalink)
ProggyMan Reformed Jackass Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 3,964	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.

09-23-2007, 11:29 PM	#7 (permalink)
ProggyMan Reformed Jackass Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 3,964	Yeah, but certain lyricists have a way of fitting lyrics into the songwriting and arrangements.

09-23-2007, 11:40 PM	#9 (permalink)
ProggyMan Reformed Jackass Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 3,964	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.