NationStates Jolt Archive

Who are you favourite artists/bands/writers of song lyrics?

Currently I reccomend Immortal technique, a socialist latino rapper.
A couple of awesome tracks I recommend you download are-

In da club freestyle
Dance with the Devil

The former is perhaps the best freestyle performance I have ever heard. Non stop for 5 minutes, a great political message.

The latter is more depressing and violent with a less political overtone but nonetheless very moving, with a chilling story.

Lyricist? Hmmm?

Howard Ashman.

morrissey ....... both with the smiths and after

chris cornell
sammy hagar
meatloaf
andrea bocelli

Robert Johnson
Neil Young
Willie Nelson
Bruce Springsteen
Blind Willie McTell
And someone new I find intriguing--not in this league yet, but she has real potential--Neko Case.

Brian Molko's not got much to say, but I enjoy his tracks.

Mike Skinner of The Streets, on the other hand, is a rather good lyricist. Hence I will pick him.

Diane Warren!

When I See You Smile
Sometimes I wonder how I'd ever make it through
Through this world without having you, I just wouldn't have a clue
'Cos sometimes it seems like this world's closing in on me
And there's no way of breaking free, and then I see you reach for me

Sometimes I wanna give up, I wanna give in, I wanna quit the fight
And then I see you baby, and everything's alright, everything's alright

When I see you smile, I can face the world, oh oh, you know I can do anything
When I see you smile, I see a ray of light, oh oh
I see it shining right through the rain
When I see you smile, baby when I see you smile at me

Baby there's nothing in this world that could ever do
What a touch of your hand can do, it's like nothing that I ever knew. Hey!

And when the rain is falling, I don't feel it, 'cos you're here with me now
And one look at you baby, is all I'll ever need, it's all I'll ever need

When I see you smile, I can face the world, oh oh, you know I can do anything
When I see you smile, I see a ray of light, oh oh
I see it shining right through the rain
When I see you smile, baby, baby when I see you smile at me

Sometimes I wanna give up, I wanna give in, I wanna quit the fight
Then one look at you baby, and everything's alright, everything's alright
So right

(Instrumental break, key-change)

When I see you smile, I can face the world, oh oh, you know I can do anything. Yeah.
When I see you smile, I see a ray of light, oh oh
I see it shining right thru the rain, yeah
When I see you smile, I can face the world, oh oh, you know I can do anything
When I see you smile, oh yeah, baby when I see you smile, smile at me

(seriously, though...)

I like this song.


John Prine: Ain't Hurtin' Nobody

I'm a walkin' down the street like Lucky Larue
Got my hand in my pocket I'm thinkin' 'bout you
I ain't hurtin' nobody
I ain't hurtin' no one

There's three hundred men in the state of Tennessee
They're waiting to die, they won't never be free
I ain't hurtin' nobody
I ain't hurtin' no one

Six million seven hundred thousand and thirty-three lights on
You think someone could take the time to sit down
And listen to the words of my song

At the beach in Indiana I was nine years old
Heard Little Richard singing "Tutti Frutti"
From the top of a telephone pole
I wasn't hurtin' nobody
I wasn't hurtin' no one

There's roosters laying chickens and chickens layin' eggs
Farm machinery eating people's arms and legs
I wasn't hurtin' nobody
I wasn't hurtin' no one

Perfectly crafted popular hit songs never use the wrong rhyme
You'd think that waitress could get my order
Right the first time

She's sitting on the back steps just shucking that corn
That gal's been grinning since the day she was born
She ain't hurtin' nobody
She ain't hurtin' no one

I used to live in Chicago where the cold wind blows
I delivered more junk mail than the junkyard would hold
I wasn't hurtin' nobody
I wasn't hurtin' no one

You can fool some of the people part of the time
In a rock and roll song
Fifty million Elvis Presley fans
Can't be all wrong

(fade out)

Most people are naming singers - when I think "lyricist," I think rapper, a "wordsmith" if you will.