Thread: Favorite lyricists?

It can be a solo artist or a band.
What are some of your favorite lyrics and/or lyricists?

I've always loved Ben Gibbard's lyrics (Death Cab for Cute and The Postal Service).

Of course, I have many more, but I'd rather hear yours!

I love Ben Gibbard too.
Dave Matthews is a poet and Jeff Buckley was.
There are a lot of good songs, but it's hard to find a lyricist who is consistently great, not one who just wrote 1 or 2 beautiful songs.

Mumford & Sons write their own songs, so their combined brain power would be mine. Or possibly Don McLean (maybe Bob Dylan, or Simon & Garfunkel).

That is surprising nikjem, not that I would disagree with the choice, but they are such a mixed bag I am surprised there are no others, for example, Viv Stanchell of Bonzo dog.

Hmm, off the top of my head I can say Tom Waits, Nick Drake, Patterson Hood & Mike Cooley (of the Drive-By Truckers), Slug from Atmosphere, and Peter Sinfield's lyrics on King Crimson's In the Court of the Crimson King.

Bit of an eclectic choice there, I guess.

Dewy Brunnel

For me, its gonna be Richey Edwards from the Manic Street Preachers. The Holy Bible features some incredible lyrics! In a class of his own.

Maynard. James. Keenan.

Originally Posted by polygamous.pariah

For me, its gonna be Richey Edwards from the Manic Street Preachers. The Holy Bible features some incredible lyrics! In a class of his own.

A generous dose of agreement from me here. The Holy Bible is so dark lyrically, and musically, I need to be in a certain frame of mind to listen to it, and yet it is my favourite album of all time. His writing on Gold Against The Soul is up there too.

A valiant runner-up award to Jim Morrison.

Colin Meloy of The Decemberists and Modest Mouse's Isaac Brock.

I love Amanda Palmer (Dresden Dolls), Midlake, Nick Cave, Patti Smith, P J Harvey, Pulp, Radiohead, The Levellers, Bob Dylan, The Smiths... That's to name a few, but they're all wonderful lyricists.

'In the darkened underpass,
I thought 'oh god, my chance has come at last,'
but then a strange fear gripped me
and I just couldn't ask.'
(The Smiths)

I've also really started getting into 'The Wave Pictures' recently, having discovered them after a bit of Spotify meandering. Their lyrics just crack me up, really recommend a listen.

From the laugh out loud:
'And now you’ve half inched my copy of pet sounds
I think you’ve taken everything from me I had to give.'

to the fantastically morbid:
'I am a tennis player, playing on both sides of the net.'

to the hilarious word-play:
'I came to you, I came to depend on you
I came upon you, I came upon your floor.'

to the absolutely absurd:
'A sculpture is a sculpture,
Marmalade is marmalade,
And a sculpture of marmalade is a sculpture
But it isn’t marmalade.
She said with you inside me
Comes the knowledge of my death,
But I still had some oranges left
Underneath the bed.'

they know how to do sarcasm.

I'd have to say Geoff Rickly of Thursday.

George Harrison wrote brilliant lyrics, much better than Lennon or McCartney.Gordon Lightfoot and Don McLean also get in there as does Paul Brady and Tommy Sands.

Paul Brady from 'The Island'....they say the trees of Lebanon are burning...those mighty Cedars bleeding in the heat...witchdoctors praying for a mighty showdown... no way our holy flag is 'gona' fall...

George Harrison from 'While my Guitar Gently Weeps'......I look at the world and I notice it's turning...While my guitar gently weeps...ith every mistake we must surely be learning...Still my guitar gently weeps...I don't know how you were diverted...But you were perverted too....I don't know how you were inverted...No one alerted you.

Gordon Lightfoot...'If you could read ny mind love'....In a castle dark or a fortress strong...With chains upon my feet...You know that ghost is me...And I will never be set free...As long as I'm a ghost that you can't see...

Tommy Sands I have posted the full lyrics as it deserves a full reading 'There Were Roses'

My song for you this evening, it's not to make you sad
Nor for adding to the sorrows of this troubled northern land,
But lately I've been thinking and it just won't leave my mind
I'll tell you of two friends one time who were both good friends of mine.

Allan Bell from Banagh, he lived just across the fields,
A great man for the music and the dancing and the reels.
O'Malley came from South Armagh to court young Alice fair,
And we'd often meet on the Ryan Road and the laughter filled the air.

There were roses, roses
There were roses
And the tears of the people
Ran together

Though Allan, he was Protestant, and Sean was Catholic born,
It never made a difference for the friends, it was strong.
And sometimes in the evening when we heard the sound of drums
We said, ``It won't divide us. We always will be one.''

For the ground our fathers plowed in, the soil, it is the same,
And the places where we say our prayers have just got different names.
We talked about the friends who died, and we hoped there'd be no more.
It's little then we realized the tragedy in store.

It was on a Sunday morning when the awful news came round.
Another killing has been done just outside Newry Town.
We knew that Allan danced up there, we knew he liked the band.
When we heard that he was dead we just could not understand.

We gathered at the graveside on that cold and rainy day,
And the minster he closed his eyes and prayed for no revenge.
All all of us who knew him from along the Ryan Road,
We bowed our heads and said a prayer for the resting of his soul.

Now fear, it filled the countryside. There was fear in every home
When a car of death came prowling round the lonely Ryan Road.
A Catholic would be killed tonight to even up the score.
``Oh, Christ! It's young O'Malley that they've taken from the door.''

``Allan was my friend,'' he cried. He begged them with his fear,
But centuries of hatred have ears that cannot hear.
An eye for an eye was all that filled their minds
And another eye for another eye till everyone is blind.

So my song for you this evening, it's not to make you sad
Nor for adding to the sorrows of our troubled northern land,
But lately I've been thinking and it just won't leave my mind.
I'll tell you of two friends one time who were both good friends of mine.

I don't know where the moral is or where this song should end,
But I wondered just how many wars are fought between good friends.
And those who give the orders are not the ones to die.
It's Bell and O'Malley and the likes of you and I.

There were roses, roses
There were roses

Leonard Cohen.

The Mumford Sons - the Cave, yes please

i know everyone will hate me for this. but the best lyricist i've ever heard is Tupac Shakur.

I know many people don't like rap, be it who they are or what they rhyme about, but if you listen to his lyrics and the way he rhymes flawlessly you will understand. Also, Eminem and Nas are true legends when it comes to writing lyrics.