Best Lyricist?
I'm not going to make a poll out of it because well, I'm undoubtedly going to miss someone and all, so this is a discussion.
I say Bob Dylan is probably the greatest lyricist.
Kreitzmoorland
10-05-2005, 17:32
Paul Simon, no question.
Alien Born
10-05-2005, 17:33
Paul Simon, no question.
You beat me to it by a minute.
Legless Pirates
10-05-2005, 17:33
Shane MacGowan
Kreitzmoorland
10-05-2005, 17:34
You beat me to it by a minute.*bows*. Augh, he's sooooo great. I want to marry him.
Keruvalia
10-05-2005, 17:35
Wow ... now this would be a tough call ...
Bob Dylan, of course.
Paul Simon, most definately.
I shall add Trent Reznor and Perry Farrell
bob dylan, i would have to say
jim morrison wasn't too bad, very poetic. he was a poet once after all, so no surprise there
paul simon is good aswell
Koshkaboo
10-05-2005, 17:37
This is hard, but...
Jeff Mangum
Thom Yorke
Gordon Gano
Paul Banks
These are favorites of the past decade or so..
Thom Yorke
oh yeahhhh.. i can't believe i forgot him. he's fantastic, very intelligent lyrics
Gibratlar
10-05-2005, 17:41
Roger Waters
Bob Dylan
David Bowie
Neil Young
Glitziness
10-05-2005, 17:41
Lyrics are pretty personal so while they may affect one person they may have no effect on someone else. There are also far too many to choose from.
Saying that... I have to give mentions to Suzanne Vega, Steely Dan and Opeth. And I love certain lyrics by Paul Weller, Stevie Wonder, Norah Jones, Carole King, Fleetwood Mac, Eric Clapton and Gary Moore.
Texpunditistan
10-05-2005, 17:42
Chris Cornell
Perry Farrell
David Bowie
EDIT: OH! ... and Poe ... she's awesome.
Keruvalia
10-05-2005, 17:43
Of course, I could never leave out Frank Zappa.
Oh, how could I have forgotten David Bowie? That man is practically god.
Ani DiFranco is good too, I think.
(another reason why I don't make polls about this, I would forget things until later)
German Nightmare
10-05-2005, 17:46
I say that it was Schiller for Beethoven's 9th Symphony, Ode an die Freude (Ode to Joy) :gundge: (this smily doesn't mean anything - I just haven't used it in a while!)
1. John Lennon
2. Sting
3. Paul Simon
Adrian Barbeau-Bot
11-05-2005, 02:30
kurt cobain
jim morrison
probably more, but next to those two it wouldnt do them much good.
Rummania
11-05-2005, 02:41
I'm not normally a rap guy, but NWA has some amazing lyrics, especially when you consider what was going on in music then. They're jarring and get you listening.
Also, if I may put in a plug for a local band that I like, the Exploding Hearts sing about being teenagers in a genuine way that really shows up the dichotomy of saccharine sweet/morbidly depressed lyrics of pop-punk acts like Good Charlotte and Green Day. Unfortnately, all but one of them died in a car accident after the first album came out. RIP, guys.
Other favorites are:
Rolling Stones: songs about coke and hookers never get old
Stiff Little Fingers: a lot of anger, but none of it blind rage
The Jam: sounds like real life, but less boring
Neil Young: incredibly compelling, considering it's mostly nonsense
Boodicka
11-05-2005, 03:40
I agree with David Bowie, Ani DiFranco, and Thom Yorke...simply amazing.
I love Tori Amos - she has beautiful poetry. And Paul Kelly is such a great storyteller.
Perezuela
11-05-2005, 03:43
Tupac Shakur
Sergei Esenin
Shawn Carter
Kurt Cobain
Marshall Mathers
I'm gonna have to say John Lydon. Look up his lyrics for "Religion", and I think you'll see what I mean.