Ronnie269
Refugee
Name your top 10 songwriters, and name the track you think best represents there talent.
Ummmm I hate challenges like this...but at the same time I always try and contribute, I'll get back to this, but have to wonder what criteria you're looking for, individual songwriters, or collaborators included, etc.
2. Bruce Springsteen
Best Song: Jungleland
Notable excerpt: "Outside the Streets on fire in a real death waltz/ Between flesh and what's fantasy and the poets down here/Don't write nothing at all, they just stand back and let it all be/ And in the quick of the night they reach for their moment/ And try to make an honest stand but they wind up wounded, not even dead/ Tonight in Jungeland"
I'm finding it difficult to decide which of their songs best represent their lyrical abilities. There's really no question in my mind when it comes to Leonard Cohen, though. I fell in love with "Master Song" on my very first listen.
6. Ryan Adams - It's almost impossible to find that one song that shows everything he has, but I would have to say 'Oh My Sweet Carolina'. But Ryan is also one of those guys who can write for others as well and his songs translate well when others cover them.
What is that song actually about?
"Suzanne" always gets me:
Suzanne takes you down to her place near the river
You can hear the boats go by
You can spend the night beside her
And you know that she's half crazy
But that's why you want to be there
And she feeds you tea and oranges
That come all the way from china
And just when you mean to tell her
That you have no love to give her
Then she gets you on her wavelength
And she lets the river answer
That you've always been her lover
And you want to travel with her
And you want to travel blind
And you know that she will trust you
For you've touched her perfect body with your mind
And Jesus was a sailor
When he walked upon the water
And he spent a long time watching
From his lonely wooden tower
And when he knew for certain
Only drowning men could see him
He said all men will be sailors then
Until the sea shall free them
But he himself was broken
Long before the sky would open
Forsaken, almost human
He sank beneath your wisdom like a stone
And you want to travel with him
And you want to travel blind
And you think maybe you'll trust him
For he's touched your perfect body with his mind.
Now Suzanne takes you hand
And she leads you to the river
She is wearing rags and feathers
From salvation army counters
And the sun pours down like honey
On our lady of the harbour
And she shows you where to look
Among the garbage and the flowers
There are heroes in the seaweed
There are children in the morning
They are leaning out for love
And they will lean that way forever
While Suzanne holds the mirror
And you want to travel with her
And you want to travel blind
And you know that she will trust you
For she's touched your perfect body with her mind
I love his "story" songs as I call them like Pa from Jacksonville City Nights or Carolina Rain and Strawberry Wine from 29. These songs don’t really have much structure in the tradition of verse, chorus, verse but they have this rambling structure like a page out of a book or something…
5. Bono/Edge - Well we're on a U2 fansite so I'm sure most of know the strength of their song-writing abilities. But, I'd like to point out Two Shots of Happy, to me this is a perfect example of a songwriter who has the ability to step out and write for someone else, I think it shows diversity.
9. Pete Townshend - Just one title: Baba O'Riley
1. David Bowie, undoubtedly the greatest solo artist of all time.
definitive song, pick from, Heroes, Stationtostation, The Width Of A Circle, Sweet Thing/Candidate/Sweet Thing, Cygnet Committee.
8. Elton John - Elton isn't someone I put in the CD player a lot, but I recognise that he's an amazing songwriter, especially his ballads. Tiny Dancer
Shouldn't that be Elton John & Bernie Taupin? Taupin wrote the lyrics for the vast majority of Elton's songs, including those of "Tiny Dancer."
Shouldn't that be Elton John & Bernie Taupin? Taupin wrote the lyrics for the vast majority of Elton's songs, including those of "Tiny Dancer."