The Greatest Lyricists Ever?

[You Need a Thneed]

I'm not going to comment on who is and who isn't a great lyric writer. But writing lyrics is much more than just putting words together. That's just poetry (not that poetry is a bad thing). To be a good lyricist, you must put the words together well, but you must also put the words together with the music (harmony/melody/instrumentation/etc) well.

Good, meaningful words that are good poetry are not good lyrics if they are tied to the wrong song.

[peter12]

Originally Posted by You Need a Thneed

I'm not going to comment on who is and who isn't a great lyric writer. But writing lyrics is much more than just putting words together. That's just poetry (not that poetry is a bad thing). To be a good lyricist, you must put the words together well, but you must also put the words together with the music (harmony/melody/instrumentation/etc) well.

Good, meaningful words that are good poetry are not good lyrics if they are tied to the wrong song.

That is all poetry.

[You Need a Thneed]

Originally Posted by peter12

That is all poetry.

but writing good lyrics is more then just writing good poetry. That's what I'm saying.

You can see it here in this thread. Everyone is just posting the lyrics to songs that they think are good, but no one is explaining how the words fit into the music - the tone and melody.

Just posting the words on here my allow us to see good poetry, but unless we can hear the lyrics with the music, we cannot determine if they are good lyrics.

Of course, determining what is good is somewhat subjective.

[troutman]

Some lyrics are good because they are musical. They sound good, and the meaning is almost irrelevant.

Vital Signs by Neil Peart is an example (no idea what it means, but the words sound good paired with the music/reggae rhythm):

Unstable condition,
A symptom of life,
Of mental and environmental change.
Atmosphereic disturbance,
The feverish flux
Of human interface and interchange.

The impulse is pure;
Sometimes our circuits get shorted
By external interference.
Signals get crossed
And the balance distorted
By internal incoherence.

A tired mind become a shape shifter,
Everybody need a mood lifter,
Everybody need reverse polarity.
Everybody got mixed feelings
About the function and the form.
Everybody got to elevate from the norm.

[You Need a Thneed]

Originally Posted by troutman

Some lyrics are good because they are musical. They sound good, and the meaning is almost irrelevant.

Absolutely. I'd even go as far to say that some/many of those instances, the words are good lyrics, but are mediocre-at-best poetry.

[Traditional_Ale]

Originally Posted by You Need a Thneed

but writing good lyrics is more then just writing good poetry. That's what I'm saying.

You can see it here in this thread. Everyone is just posting the lyrics to songs that they think are good, but no one is explaining how the words fit into the music - the tone and melody.

Just posting the words on here my allow us to see good poetry, but unless we can hear the lyrics with the music, we cannot determine if they are good lyrics.

Of course, determining what is good is somewhat subjective.

One of my teachers in audio school was a producer for the Junos. His idea behind what a hit song is was quite simple. It needs a good hook, an infectious groove, and a memorable story. Artistic, deep lyrics are icing on the cake, but not a necessity.

"You and me baby ain't nothing but mammal...", for example.

[Puppet Guy]

I must agree 100% with Neil Peart. Two others who deserve mention are 10 Warren Zevon:

Roland was a warrior from the Land of the Midnight Sun
With a Thompson gun for hire, fighting to be done
The deal was made in Denmark on a dark and stormy day
So he set out for Biafra to join the bloody fray

Through sixty-six and seven they fought the Congo war
With their fingers on their triggers, knee-deep in gore
For days and nights they battled the Bantu to their knees
They killed to earn their living and to help out the Congolese

Roland the Thompson gunner...

His comrades fought beside him - Van Owen and the rest
But of all the Thompson gunners, Roland was the best
So the CIA decided they wanted Roland dead
That son-of-a-bitch Van Owen blew off Roland's head

Roland the headless Thompson gunner
Norway's bravest son
Time, time, time
For another peaceful war
But time stands still for Roland
'Til he evens up the score
They can still see his headless body stalking through the night
In the muzzle flash of Roland's Thompson gun
In the muzzle flash of Roland's Thompson gun

Roland searched the continent for the man who'd done him in
He found him in Mombassa in a barroom drinking gin
Roland aimed his Thompson gun - he didn't say a word
But he blew Van Owen's body from there to Johannesburg

Roland the headless Thompson gunner...
The eternal Thompson gunner
Still wandering through the night
Now it's ten years later but he still keeps up the fight
In Ireland, in Lebanon, in Palestine and Berkeley
Patty Hearst heard the burst of Roland's Thompson gun and bought it

2) Lemmy Kilmister of Motorhead:

16 years old when I went to the war,
To fight for a land fit for heroes,
God on my side, and a gun in my hand,
Chasing my days down to zero,
And I marched and I fought and I bled
And I died & I never did get any older,
But I knew at the time, That a year in the line,
Was a long enough life for a soldier,
We all volunteered,
And we wrote down our names,
And we added two years to our ages,
Eager for life and ahead of the game,
Ready for history's pages,
And we brawled and we fought
And we whored 'til we stood,
Ten thousand shoulder to shoulder,
A thirst for the Hun,
We were food for the gun, and that's
What you are when you're soldiers,
I heard my friend cry,
And he sank to his knees, coughing blood
As he screamed for his mother
And I fell by his side,
And that's how we died,
Clinging like kids to each other,
And I lay in the mud
And the guts and the blood,
And I wept as his body grew colder,
And I called for my mother
And she never came,
Though it wasn't my fault
And I wasn't to blame,
The day not half over
And ten thousand slain, and now
There's nobody remembers our names
And that's how it is for a soldier.

[CaptainCrunch]

I'm in league with satan
I was raised in hell
I walk the streets of Salem
Amongst the living dead
I need no one to tell me
What's wrong or right
I drink the blood of children
Stalk my prey at night

[Chorus . .]
Look out beware
When the full moon's high n'bright
In every way I'm there
In every shadow in the night
Coz I'm evil in league with satan
Evil in league with satan

[Winsor_Pilates]

Connor Oberst, Gord Downie & Thom Yorke are probably my top of recent times.
For all time, I agree with many already stated; Waits, Dylan, Young, Lennon etc.

[burn_this_city]

I think Roger Waters should be considered. Plenty of crap on that list to take it seriously.

[Traditional_Ale]

Originally Posted by burn_this_city

I think Roger Waters should be considered. Plenty of crap on that list to take it seriously.

Breathe, breathe in the air
Don't be afraid to care
Leave, but don't leave me
Look around
Choose your own ground

Long you live and high you fly
And smiles you'll give and tears you'll cry
And all you touch and all you see
Is all your life will ever be

Run, rabbit run
Dig that hole, forget the sun
And when at last the work is done
Don't sit down
It's time to dig another one

For long you live and high you fly
But only if you ride the tide
And balanced on the biggest wave
You race towards an early grave

[tyler durden]

Not sure who the best are or how you could quantify such a thing but some that stand out for me are:

Lyle Lovett
His lyrics are so consistently impressive. You hear them or read them and ask yourself why you can't write songs that great. Then you realize that he's so far ahead of most professional songwriters that you don't have a chance in hell. Forget about it, listen and marvel at his genius.
A couple selections, If I Had a Boat, My Baby Don't Tolerate, Nobody Knows Me, If You Were To Wake Up.
As an aside, almost all of Lovett's recordings are reference quality. Audiophiles love them. The CD Lyle Lovett and His Large Band was recorded completely digitally(DDD) over 20 years ago and I still use it as a reference disc. Specifically the song If You Were To Wake Up. Just outstanding.
Here's a fantastic version on My Baby Don't Tolerate with John Hiatt(another fantastic songwriter). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3BgRbnzxb4
Watch the whole thing, it's worth it.


If I Had a Boat

If I had a boat
I'd go out on the ocean
And if I had a pony
I'd ride him on my boat
And we could all together
Go out on the ocean
Me upon my pony on my boat

If I were roy rogers
I'd sure enough be single
I couldn't bring myself to marrying old dale
It'd just be me and trigger
We'd go riding through them movies
Then we'd buy a boat and on the sea we'd sail

And if I had a boat
I'd go out on the ocean
And if I had a pony
I'd ride him on my boat
And we could all together
Go out on the ocean
Me upon my pony on my boat

The mystery masked man was smart
He got himself a tonto
'cause tonto did the dirty work for free
But tonto he was smarter
And one day said kemo sabe
Kiss my ass I bought a boat
I'm going out to sea

And if I had a boat
I'd go out on the ocean
And if I had a pony
I'd ride him on my boat
And we could all together
Go out on the ocean
Me upon my pony on my boat

And if I were like lightning
I wouldn't need no sneakers
I'd come and go wherever I would please
And I'd scare 'em by the shade tree
And I'd scare 'em by the light pole
But I would not scare my pony on my boat out on the sea

And if I had a boat
I'd go out on the ocean
And if I had a pony
I'd ride him on my boat
And we could all together
Go out on the ocean
Me upon my pony on my boat

Other notable lyricists
Ray Lamontagne eg. Jolene, Burn
Ryan Adams eg. Shadowlands
Mary Chapin Carpenter eg. see entire Come On, Come On recording.
Shawn Mullins eg. Ballad of Billy Jo McKay
Neil Young eg. Harvest recording is ridiculous
Eddie Vedder, Gord Downie these two guys have the amazing ability to paint such an amazing picture with their lyrics and combine them with catchy and haunting melodies.

Many , many others of course.

[tyler durden]

A sample from Ray Lamontagne. If you've never heard him you really should check him out. The Trouble recording is the one you want to start with. Your wife or girlfriend will love you for it too. Not because he's some sappy crooner or anything but because he has a voice women seem to love( makes them slippery) and he sings with such emotion. A gem for sure.

Burn

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzwu4vms9nM This is the album version put to some odd pictures.

Oh mama don't walk away
I'm a goddam sore loser
I ain't too proud to stay
But I'm still thinking 'bout you
And I'm so lonesome without you
And I can't get you out of my mind
Oh mama don't leave me alone
with my soul sat down so tight it's like a stone cold tomb
Ain't it clear when I'm near you
I'm just dying to hear you
Calling my name one more time
Oh so don't pay no mind
To my watering eyes
Must be something in the air
That I'm breathing
Yes'n I try to ignore
All this blood on the floor
It's just this heart on my sleeve that's a bleeding
Oh mama don't walk away
You leave me here bereaving from the words so hard and plain
Saying the love that we had
was just selfish and sad
To see you now with him
is just making me mad
Oh so kiss him again
just to prove to me that you can
an I will stand here
and burn in my skin
Yes I will stand here
and burn in my skin

[DropIt]

Isaac Brock- Modest Mouse

unbelievable lyrics in every song he writes

[Traditional_Ale]

Originally Posted by DropIt

Isaac Brock- Modest Mouse

unbelievable lyrics in every song he writes

We know everything!
WE KNOW, WE KNOW!
We know everything!
WE KNOW, WE KNOW!
We've got everything
down to a science,
now I guess we know, everything!


Or my favorite single line of his:

Well the dashboards melted
but we still have the radio!

[Displaced Flames fan]

Ed Vedder
Chris Cornell
Gord Downie
Tori Amos
John Lennon
Bernie Taupin
Walter Becker and Donald Fagan

[Displaced Flames fan]

Originally Posted by Traditional_Ale

We know everything!
WE KNOW, WE KNOW!
We know everything!
WE KNOW, WE KNOW!
We've got everything
down to a science,
now I guess we know, everything!


Or my favorite single line of his:

Well the dashboards melted
but we still have the radio!

Nice Planes, Trains and Automobiles rip off.

[Weiser Wonder]

Jeff Mangum.

Holland, 1945 -

The only girl I've ever loved
Was born with roses in her eyes
But then they buried her alive
One evening, 1945
With just her sister at her side
And only weeks before the guns
All came and rained on everyone
Now she's a little boy in Spain
Playing pianos filled with flames
On empty rings around the sun
All sing to say my dream has come

But now we must pick up every piece
Of the life we used to love
Just to keep ourselves
At least enough to carry on

And now we ride the circus wheel
With your dark brother wrapped in white
Says it was good to be alive
But now he rides a comet's flame
And won't be coming back again
The Earth looks better from a star
That's right above from where you are
He didn't mean to make you cry
With sparks that ring and bullets fly
On empty rings around your heart
The world just screams and falls apart

But now we must pick up every piece
Of the life we used to love
Just to keep ourselves
At least enough to carry on

And here's where your mother sleeps
And here is the room where your brothers were born
Indentions in the sheets
Where their bodies once moved but don't move anymore
And it's so sad to see the world agree
That they'd rather see their faces fill with flies
All when I'd want to keep white roses in their eyes

[DropIt]

Originally Posted by Traditional_Ale

We know everything!
WE KNOW, WE KNOW!
We know everything!
WE KNOW, WE KNOW!
We've got everything
down to a science,
now I guess we know, everything!


Or my favorite single line of his:

Well the dashboards melted
but we still have the radio!

LOVE Dashboard. and it has a great music video too

also 3rd planet:

Everything that keeps me together is falling apart,
I've got this thing that I consider my only art of ing people over
My boss just quit the job says he's goin' out to find blind spots and he'll do it
The 3rd Planet is sure that they're being watched by an eye in the sky that can't be stopped
When you get to the promise land your gonna shake that eye's hand
Your heart felt good it was drippin' pitch and made of wood
And your hands and knees felt cold and wet on the grass to me
Outside naked, shiverin' looking blue, from the cold sunlight that's reflected off the moon
Baby cum angels fly around you reminding you we used to be three and not just two
And that's how the world began
And that's how the world will end
A 3rd had just been made and we were swimming in the water, didn't know then was it a son was it a daughter
When it occurred to me that the animals are swimming around in the water in the oceans in our bodies and another had been found another ocean on the planet given that our blood is just like the Atlantic
And how
The universe is shaped exactly like the earth if you go straight long enough you'll end up where you were

Ocean Breathes Salty:

Your body may be gone, I'm gonna carry you in.
In my head, in my heart, in my soul.
And maybe we'll get lucky and we'll both live again.
Well I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. Don't think so.

Well that is that and this is this.
You tell me what you want and I'll tell you what you get.
You get away from me. You get away from me.
Collected my belongings and I left the jail.
Well thanks for the time, I needed to think a spell.
I had to think awhile. I had to think awhile.

The ocean breathes salty, won't you carry it in?
In your head, in your mouth, in your soul.
And maybe we'll get lucky and we'll both grow old.
Well I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I hope so.

Well that is that and this is this.
You tell me what you want and I'll tell you what you get.
You get away from me. You get away from me.
Collected my belongings and I left the jail.
Well thanks for the time, I needed to think a spell.
I had to think awhile. I had to think awhile.

Well that is that and this is this.
Will you tell me what you saw and I'll tell you what you missed,
when the ocean met the sky.
You missed when time and life shook hands and said goodbye.
When the earth folded in on itself.
And said "Good luck, for your sake I hope heaven and hell
are really there, but I wouldn't hold my breath."
You wasted life, why wouldn't you waste death?
You wasted life, why wouldn't you waste death?

The ocean breathes salty, won't you carry it in?
In your head, in your mouth, in your soul.
The more we move ahead the more we're stuck in rewind.
Well I don't mind. I don't mind. How the hell could I mind?

Well that is that and this is this.
You tell me what you want and I'll tell you what you get.
You get away from me. You get away from me.

Well that is that and this is this.
Will you tell me what you saw and I'll tell you what you missed,
when the ocean met the sky.
You wasted life, why wouldn't you waste the afterlife?

[Pastiche]

Chris Hannah from Propagandhi has some fantastic lyrics. Here's a song about Don Cherry, Nationalism, and Hockey:


Dear Ron MacLean, I wouldn't bother with these questions
if I didn't sense some spiritual connection.
We may not be the same, but it's not like we're from different planets.
We both love this game so much we can hardly ing stand it.
Alberta-born, and Prairie-raised.
It seems like there ain't a sheet of ice north of Fargo I ain't played.
From Penhold to the Gatineau, every fond memory of childhood
that I know is somehow connected to the culture of this game.
I just can't let it go.

I guess it comes down to what kind of world you want to live in.
And if diversity is disagreement, disagreement is treason.
Well, you'll be surprised if we find ourselves
reaping a strange and bitter fruit that that sad old man beside you
keeps feeding to young minds as virtue.
It takes a village to raise a child, but just a flag to raze the children
till they're nothing more than ballasts for fulfilling
a madman's dream of a paradise. Complexity reduced to black and white.
How do I protect her from this cult of death?