top 5 lyricists of all time

[rexclark]

1.) Jarvis Cocker

2.) Billy Corgan

3.) Jim Morrison

4.) Aidan Mofffat

5.) Scroobius Pip

[pehaw]

Morrissey obviously

also...

Mark E Smith

Shaun Ryder

Nigel Blackwell

Jim Morrison

Jake Burns

Elvis Costello

[Kowalski]

Morrissey obviously

[stylishkids]

I am stronger than Mensa, Miller and Mailer,

I spat out Plath and Pinter.

I've been too honest with myself, I should have lied like everybody else.

Richard James Edwards clearly needs to be mentioned in this thread.

Bruce Springsteen.

Conor Oberst.

Morrissey.

Pete Townshend.

[russycarps]

so many mentions for morrissey, so few for nick cave! what is going on here?! I'd like to see morrissey shoe-horn the word tetotalitarianists into a song...

[radish]

^{Agree with many of these, but have to add Ginger (Wildheart & solo) and Jim Bob (Carter USM & solo).}

[abdoujaparov]

_{Bob Dylan is clearly in a league of his own - the finest lyricist of his, or any other, generation}

Edited November 30, 2011 by abdoujaparov

[The Nal]

_{Bob Dylan is clearly in a league of his own - the finest lyricist of his, or any other, generation}

[sifi]

The whole of Bringin' it All back home is Bob at his lyrical best, no doubt. I tend to think Highway as probably his best album though, sonically it's a bit more pleasing to my ear, and I think some of the story-telling is great on it, rather than the streams that he lets flow on stuff like above.

Whoever thinks Hip-Hop hasn't got good lyrics to it is being a bit blinkered too. Some of Mos Def's stuff is up there. Check out priority off the Ecstaic.

top priority

peace before everything

god before anything

love before anything

real before everything

home before anyplace

shoot before anything

style and state radiate

love power slay the hate

truth killer flakey face

players say it to they face

aint afraid to major striaght

race at the table straight

flow greatest like the greatest lakes

capes all greatest states

quiet water major waves

steer the course make a way

and come ashore on a greater day

home grown from the greatest grain

full flavor in the native strain

now put that on your brainy brain

full exposure to favorite slang

minimal wage and major gangs

yall seen them play the bait

later night from day to day they came to play

you came to stay get out the way

Biotch sunspot heat rocks

Brooklyn finest, preservation to beat-box

friend or foe, poison or detox

When we rock the people-a respond priority

peace before anything

god before everything

love before anything

real before everything

home before anyplace

shoot before anything

style and state radiate

love power slay the hate

priority

[russycarps]

I think those hip hop lyrics are shite compared to most in this thread...

And yes, bob dylan is ace but "_{Bob Dylan is clearly in a league of his own - the finest lyricist of his, or any other, generation}"

come onnnnn now you're being silly. There's plenty in his league

Edited November 30, 2011 by russycarps

[Ed209]

And yes, bob dylan is ace but "_{Bob Dylan is clearly in a league of his own - the finest lyricist of his, or any other, generation}"

come onnnnn now you're being silly. There's plenty in his league

[The Nal]

Agreed, and a lot of them go a step further and manage to put a good tune to the lyrics as well

*ducks*

[sifi]

I think those hip hop lyrics are shite compared to most in this thread...

[sifi]

Oh for crap's sake.

Listen

[russycarps]

But you don't like hip-hop. Too white, or too old or something

[sifi]

too white AND too old I think you mean...

My problem with "hip hop lyrics" (ok massive generalisation alert) is that they always tend to be far too obvious and in your face. There is no depth to them. No hidden meanings or subtelty. And are written in a, dare I say it, childlike and ill-educated manner.

Just not for me amigo, and certainly have no place in a "greatest lyrics EVER!" thread.

Unlike something like Stagger Lee by nick cave, which is of course the height of sophistication and subtley!

[The Nal]

For the record, I didn't and haven't proposed Mos as being one of the best lyricists ever - I just disagree with the idea that hip hop lyrics are all about guns and gangsters etc. That might have been true for a period of time but it's clearly not the case any more.

Dylan used to knock out stuff like It's alright Ma in twenty minutes flat, btw.

If I had to select five, I'd propose Dylan (natch), Joni Mitchell, Paul Simon, Stevie Wonder (just for He's Mistra Know it All), Lennon and Macca. Macca for Blackbird.

[russycarps]

I'm not a massive fan of roger water's lyrics you know. I dunno, they always seem too considered and almost too forced. Like he is writing for an academic project rather than expressing his heart felt feelings and beliefs.

Just my opinion, I still worship the jug eared tit.

[The Nal]

I'm not a massive fan of roger water's lyrics you know. I dunno, they always seem too considered and almost too forced. Like he is writing for an academic project rather than expressing his heart felt feelings and beliefs.

Just my opinion, I still worship the jug eared tit.

[Ed209]

I do agree with the point that some lyrics might not look great on paper, but in the context of the tune, or indeed a whole album, take on a whole new level. Like "Eclipse" from DSotM

All that you touch

All that you see

All that you taste

All you feel.

All that you love

All that you hate

All you distrust

All you save.

All that you give

All that you deal

All that you buy,

beg, borrow or steal.

All you create

All you destroy

All that you do

All that you say.

All that you eat

And everyone you meet

All that you slight

And everyone you fight.

All that is now

All that is gone

All that's to come

and everything under the sun is in tune

but the sun is eclipsed by the moon.

On the face of it are very simplistic, but put it to the music and at the end of that album and they're incredible.

Lyrically, Dark side is up there with my favourites, stuff like

"Tired of lying in the sunshine staying home to watch the rain.

You are young and life is long and there is time to kill today.

And then one day you find ten years have got behind you.

No one told you when to run, you missed the starting gun.

So you run and you run to catch up with the sun but it's sinking

Racing around to come up behind you again.

The sun is the same in a relative way but you're older,

Shorter of breath and one day closer to death."

[ralph250]

Contemporary wise, Newsom's worth a shout.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yW8zvWdxCHg

Edited December 2, 2011 by ralph250

[feral chile]

I do agree with the point that some lyrics might not look great on paper, but in the context of the tune, or indeed a whole album, take on a whole new level. Like "Eclipse" from DSotM

All that you touch

All that you see

All that you taste

All you feel.

All that you love

All that you hate

All you distrust

All you save.

All that you give

All that you deal

All that you buy,

beg, borrow or steal.

All you create

All you destroy

All that you do

All that you say.

All that you eat

And everyone you meet

All that you slight

And everyone you fight.

All that is now

All that is gone

All that's to come

and everything under the sun is in tune

but the sun is eclipsed by the moon.

On the face of it are very simplistic, but put it to the music and at the end of that album and they're incredible.

Lyrically, Dark side is up there with my favourites, stuff like

"Tired of lying in the sunshine staying home to watch the rain.

You are young and life is long and there is time to kill today.

And then one day you find ten years have got behind you.

No one told you when to run, you missed the starting gun.

So you run and you run to catch up with the sun but it's sinking

Racing around to come up behind you again.

The sun is the same in a relative way but you're older,

Shorter of breath and one day closer to death."

[guypjfreak]

cant beat a bit of Eddie Vedder old sons

[When Jokers Attack]

cant beat a bit of Eddie Vedder old sons