[Closed] Who's the best-ever lyricist/songwriter?

Ginger from the Wildhearts

Bruce Dickinson.

If you overlook the massive plagiarism from scripture Dylan has to be up there 😀

Billy Bragg

[url= http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/desree/life.html ]Des'ree[/url]

Ian Dury

next question?

Paul Simon - simply wonderful songwriter with simple, relatable, lyrics that are brought to life by the music that accompanies them.

"In the clearing stands a boxer
And a fighter by his trade
And he carries the reminders
Of ev'ry glove that layed him down
Or cut him till he cried out
In his anger and his shame
'I am leaving, I am leaving'
But the fighter still remains"

Eminem

lol @Binners.
it's toast I likes the most.

All time you've got people like Bob Dylan or Leonard Cohen who are poets, basically. Say what you want about their music (Cohen's is pretty ordinary IMHO) but their lyrical output is in a different league - very few singer songwriters can stand comparison.

Morrissey is in the pantheon, no doubt, but I don't think of him as a very honest songwriter like the OP says. He's more arch and clever - like a melancholy PG Wodehouse. Still one of the best of the last 30 years say.

Personal favourite is Will Oldham (Bonnie Prince Billy). Not listening to him as much these days but he's the modern songwriter I've liked best.

Binners,you have ruined my day.

Van Morrison.

Morrissey, I concur...

If I seem a little strange, well that's because I am. ...

Neil Young. " You are like a hurricane, there's calm in your eye"

Beck for me.

BIG, Tupac, Ian Brown, Beck, Kurt Cobain, John Lennon, Stamina MC, Bob Dylan - there's quite a few of excellent song writters past and pressant in my honest opinion.

BIG is my favourite though. No rapper can touch him tupac comes close though.

I reckon Elvis Costello.
Not a massive fan of his voice, but so many amazing lyrics.

Shane Mcgowan

- How anybody so ugly & wasted could create such beauty is beyond belief...

Steve Earle or Paul Simon

BIG is my favourite though. No rapper can touch him tupac comes close though.

Chuck D.

cant believe nobody has voted for Matt Goss (Bros!) yet.

Got to agree with loum about Shaun Ryder

[i]Son, I'm thirty
I only went with your mother cos she's dirty[/i]

... is the best opening lyric ever written. But Mozza is a genius songwriter! Even if nowadays he's a complete tool!

Axl Rose.

I like Nick Cave's lyrics. Tom Waits is good too.

Paul Simon +1

Dylan.

not those baggy trousered arm waving shouty blokes who come up with such inspired witticisms as this:

"Nobody better test me, cuz I don't wanna get messy
Especially when I step inside this bitch, dick freshly"

edlong - Member

Ginger from the Wildhearts

Songwriter maybe. Definitely best rock songwriter of his generation I reckon. Lyricist I am not so sure. D D D Dayglo buffaloes...

Bob Dylan

Beck for me.

Really? His lyrics seem to me as though he's written a load of random words on pieces of paper, thrown them into the air and recorded them in the order they landed.

Sample:

In the time of chimpanzees I was a monkey
Butane in my veins so I'm out to cut the junkie
With the plastic eyeballs, spray paint the vegetables
Dog food stalls with the beefcake pantyhose
Kill the headlights and put it in neutral
Stock car flamin' with a loser and the cruise control
Baby's in Reno with the vitamin D
Got a couple of couches sleep on the love seat
Someone keeps sayin I'm insane to complain
About a shotgun wedding and a stain on my shirt
Don't believe everything that you breathe
You get a parking violation and a maggot on your sleeve

(I'm a big fan, by the way)

[i]I saw a newspaper picture from the political campaign
A woman was kissing a child, who was obviously in pain
She spills with compassion, as that young child's face in her hands she grips
Can you imagine all that greed and avarice coming down on that child's lips
Well I hope I don't die too soon
I pray the Lord my soul to save
Oh I'll be a good boy, I'm trying so hard to behave
Because there's one thing I know, I'd like to live long enough to savour
That's when they finally put you in the ground
I'll stand on your grave and tramp the dirt down
[/i]

Miles Hunt. He'll sing the song too, not bleat them out like a sheep. Like Dylan.

Just to throw in some of the opposite sex:

Joni Mitchell
Janis Ian

Tom Waits
Louden Waitwright 3

Jello Biafra - Dog bite & Nazi Punks,to name but two classics.....

nick cave. genius.

the best opening lyric ever written

**** it; when I die I hope I go to hell

Chuck D.

Is a good shout but I think BIG is better.

My fave lyrics are..
Dress me up for battle
When all i want is peace
Those of us who pay the price
Come home with the least.

Loads and loads

Mos def, just because, y'know. Scrobious Pip is just a great poet, Justin vernon ( Bon Iver), is very cool, Karen Washington, sufjan Stevens, another fav is jewel by the Bombay bicycle club, such great lyrics " you control the game, without playing it right".... Ouch

Mos def

Scrobious Pip

Both great shouts

I forgot Roots Manuva - "as you can tell I'm from a basic stock I get vexed and want to beat the world with a pork chop"

[i]Scroobious Pip[/i] made me cry recently.
(Broken Promise)

😥

Scrobious Pip [s]is just a great poet[/s] writes terribly pretentious self-important drivel.

IMO, obviously

Well, compared to the cliché ridden pap of Steve Earl, it would sound pretentious.
IMO, obviously 😉

Weird Al.

Too many great ones all ready mentioned to pick out just one but David Bowie deserves a big mention for my money

[i]Well, compared to the cliché ridden pap of Steve Earl, it would sound pretentious.
IMO, obviously [/i]

Absolutely Dez, we're each entitled to our opinion. Even when yours is wrong 🙂

Mark Oliver Everett AKA E from the Eels. He gets my vote. His early solo albums showed promise, but once he started turning out Eels albums he's been pretty much untouchable I reckon. Too many stand out songs to list.

PJ Harvey would be another strong candidate along with Cave and Waits as previously mentioned. Laura Marling too.

p.s I don't think it's fair to include Leonard Cohen - he's simply sublime as a lyricist.

Ray Davies.

Macc Lads! With lyrics like "she bangs like the shithouse door when the plagues in town" who can compete with that!

Tim Rice
Dolly Parton

A toughie this but I'll punt in with Ray LaMontagne.

Lemmy
"That's the way I like it baby, I don't want to live for ever"

Mike Skinner has written some genius lyrics/poetry. Some of his stuff can catch a mood just perfectly

pretentious self-important drivel.

When you've had the likes of Morrisey, Bob **cking Dylan, Billy Brag and Nick Cave mentioned I think Scroobius Pip is the one of the least pretentious self-important drivel mongers on this thread! 🙂

Howard Devoto

Townes Van Zandt is the best songwriter in the world and I'll stand on Bob Dylans coffee table in my cowboyboots and say so.

I've met Bob Dylan and his bodyguards and I dont hink Steve Earl would get anywhere near his coffee table

anyway Townes Van Zandt...end of thread

Gil Scott Heron

Mr. Mudd and Mr. Gold
(Townes Van Zandt)

Well, the wicked King of Clubs awoke; it was to his Queen he turned,
His lips were laughin' as they spoke; his eyes like bullets burned.
"The sun's upon a gamblin' day." His Queen smiled low and blissfully.
"Let's make some wretched fool to pay." Plain it was she did agree.

He sent his deuce down into diamond, his four to heart, and his trey to spade,
Three kings with their legions come and preparations soon were made.
They voted Club the day's commander. Give him an army, face, and number;
All but the outlaw Jack of Diamonds and the aces in the sky.

Well, he give his sevens first instruction: "Spirit me a game of stud
Stakes unscarred by limitation 'tween a man named Gold and a man named Mudd."
And Club filled Gold with greedy vapors 'till his long green eyes did glow.
Mudd was left with the sighs and trembles, watchin' his hard earned money go.

Flushes fell on Gold like water; tens they paired and paired again,
But the aces only flew through heaven and the diamo
man friend.
The diamond Queen saw Mudd's ordeal; began to think of her long lost son,
Fell to her knees with a mother's mercy; Prayed to the angels, everyone.

The diamond queen, she prayed and prayed and the diamond angel filled
Mudd's hole
Then the wicked King of Clubs himself fell face down in front of Gold.
Now three kings come to Club's command, but the angels from the sky did ride;
Three kings up on the streets of gold; three fireballs on the muddy side.

The club Queen heard her husband's call, but Lord, that Queen of Diamond's
joy
When the outlaw in the heavenly hall turned out to be her wanderin' boy.
Now Mudd, he checked, and Gold bet all; Mudd he raised, and Gold did call
And his smile just melted off his face when Mudd turned over that Diamond Ace.

Now here's what this story's told: You feel like Mudd, you'll end up Gold;
Feel like lost, you'll end up found, so Amigo, lay them raises down.

Nigel Blackwell.
By miles.

Morrissey & Billy Bragg for their honesty, but no one can touch Nigel for talent.

James Neil Morrison- Jimbob from Carter USM. Apocalypse now man, and never again.

Cud. Nobody can touch them for lyrics or delivery:

[b]I've Had It With Blondes[/b]

I was a teenage stamp collector,
I'd lay on my back and you'd stamp on my face,
And in the towns where I live,
There's stamp collectors all over the place.

I never said your dress was saggy,
That I thought your tights were baggy,
But I kept in mind,
Your intellect I felt in kind.

I know you've already been told,
But let me say it again,
Let me say it one more time,
Things Get Worse When You Get Older.

This might sound like a whole load of cack,
But just wait till the guys from Planet X get back,
7AM July 5th 1998,
But don't hold your breath expectorate.

How could I have been stupid enough,
To have placed my faith in someone so devoid of love,
It seems the time I spent with you could have been time better employed,
When all my life shared with you was a totally void.

[b]Epicurean's Answer[/b]

The stoic frowns and knits his brow,
The censor wants to stop us,
The critic hates my guileless prose,
My simple modern opus,
My cheerful, unaffected style,
Is everyman in his humour,
My candid pen narrates his joys,
Refusing to philosophise,
Epicurean, Epicurean, Epicurean, Epicure-ran.

Seek out the man who only knows,
Of love and naked pleasure,
Is he the man who would oppose,
The love of two together,
All hail the greek philosopher,
The great arch unsophisto,
Love is my life's only goal,
The cool cat epicuro.

Freedom from guilt I say,
Do as thou wilt that's what I pray,
Let's conquer senility,
With exploding virility,
And don't believe when your politicians,
Propagandise lazily,
Don't believe when the media,
journalizes hazily.
[b]
Push & Shove[/b]

Push & Shove,
Now I'd like to show my love.

I am sitting here with a picture of you,
Baby, oil on canvas,
And the closer it gets to looking like you,
The further it gets from a likeness,
I really don't know what to do,
And all the things you put me through,
There seems no sense in going on,
And in the words of the self same song...

Push & Shove,
Now I'd like to show my love.

I know this will sound a mite uncool,
Please be my wife,
I've spent twenty-one years on and of this world,
And you're the loveliest creature in my life,
I really don't know what to do,
And all the things you put me through,
There is no sense in going on,
And in the words of the self same song...

Push & Shove,
Now I'd like to show my love.

Oh, when we parted last year,
I was glad to see you go,
Contrived, I feigned brief tear,
And at last it seems you'll know,
I really don't know what to do,
And all the things you put me through,
There seems no sense in going on,
And in the words of the self same song...

Push & Shove,
Now I'd like to show my love.

Mr Woppit - Kudos

Having said Townes, Steve Earls song about Townes death Ft. Worth Blues is pretty damn good.

martin walkyier- by a country mile for me, no else IMHO is that good a wordsmith and can be so pissed off and bitter ant yet so poetic.

"Life's just a process of delamination,
Stripping your hopes - dissecting them gently.
I've opened my heart - and to my consternation
when I peered inside it was small, dark and empty."

and

"I placed you on the pedestral - you tossed me in the gutter
it seems your lies were like those thighs - spread easier than butter
I'm first to go, so last to know how fickle is your passion
now my bones hang in your closet though my face is out of fashion"

and

"Juice of fruit beyond forbidden
dripping slowly from her fingers,
she took my hand and led me
to that place where cunning lingers."

he's got a lovely turn of phrase for a big beardy metal head.

[i]Midnight to six man
For the first time from Jamaica
Dillinger and Leroy Smart
Delroy Wilson, your cool operator
Ken Boothe for UK pop reggae
With backing bands sound systems
And if they've got anything to say
There's many black ears here to listen
But it was Four Tops all night with encores from stage right
Charging from the bass knives to the treble
But onstage they ain't got no roots rock rebel
Onstage they ain't got no...roots rock rebel
Dress back jump back this is a bluebeat attack
'Cos it won't get you anywhere
Fooling with your guns
The British Army is waiting out there
An' it weighs fifteen hundred tons
White youth, black youth
Better find another solution
Why not phone up Robin Hood
And ask him for some wealth distribution
Punk rockers in the UK
They won't notice anyway
They're all too busy fighting
For a good place under the lighting
The new groups are not concerned
With what there is to be learned
They got Burton suits, ha you think it's funny
Turning rebellion into money
All over people changing their votes
Along with their overcoats
If Adolf Hitler flew in today
They'd send a limousine anyway
I'm the all night drug-prowling wolf
Who looks so sick in the sun
I'm the white man in the Palais
Just lookin' for fun
I'm only
Looking for fun[/i]

Garry_Lager - Member
All time you've got people like Bob Dylan or Leonard Cohen who are poets, basically. Say what you want about their music (Cohen's is pretty ordinary IMHO) but their lyrical output is in a different league - very few singer songwriters can stand comparison.

Morrissey is in the pantheon, no doubt, but I don't think of him as a very honest songwriter like the OP says. He's more arch and clever - like a melancholy PG Wodehouse. Still one of the best of the last 30 years say.

The only thing I disagree with you over, Garry Lager, is your assessment of Cohen's music. I think some of his tunes are magnificent (suggested by the number of cover versions).

Regardless, though, you're pretty spot on.

Roger Waters, lyrics on The Final Cut album are amazingly good.

Aqua.

"I'm a Barbie girl in the Barbie world
Life in plastic, it's fantastic
You can brush my hair, undress me everywhere
Imagination, life is your creation

Come on, Barbie, let's go party

I'm a Barbie girl in the Barbie world
Life in plastic, it's fantastic
You can brush my hair, undress me everywhere
Imagination, life is your creation"

Warren Zevon, John Lydon, Burt Bacharach, to name just 3

+1 For Aqua. 😀

Bjork.
Slipknot.
Cradle of filth.
etc.

Dunno who writes that stuff but it sounds good innit!

'Nother vote for Billy Bragg.
So much more than a political songwriter.

Matt Johnson

Kirsty MacColl

Billy Bragg's love songs are the best things he does.

The Saturday Boy still has me in bits.

It's the brutal honesty that gets me - him and Mozzer aren't afraid to say things that others shy away from.
Might make me cringe now and then, but that's just because I'm reminded how much of a knob the teenage male can be.

Dave gilmore or Roger waters /.

Already mentioned, but Billy Bragg or Shane Mcgowan.

Guy Clark can pen a tune too: