"Interference list of Top 100 lyricists"! Cast your votes, NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Danospano]

"Interference list of Top 100 lyricists"! Cast your votes, NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Who do you consider to be amongst the greatest lyricists of music? Let?s see if anyone can mention a name we already don?t know, and then we might, in the process, learn about someone that could change our lives the way U2 did.

My picks would include (without needing to mention Bono):

Leonard Cohen ( ?Suzanne?, ?First We Take Manhattan?, ?Closing Time?),

Elvis Costello (?Alison?, ?Everyday I Write A Book?, ?Deep, Dark Truthful Mirror?),

Neil Diamond (?Solitary Man?, ?Sweet Caroline?, ?I am I Said?),

Bob Dylan (?Like a Rolling Stone?, ? Subterranean Homesick Blues?, ?Blowin? in the Wind?),

The Bee Gees (?Stayin? Alive?, ?How Can You Mend A Broken Heart?, ?How Deep Is Your Love?)

Woody Guthrie (?This Land Is Your Land?, ?Do Re Mi?),

Mick Jagger (?Satisfaction?, ?19th Nervous Breakdown?, ?Brown Sugar?),

John Lennon (?Imagine?, ?Day in the Life?, ?Give Peace A Chance?),

Paul McCartney (?Yesterday?, ?Hey Jude?, ?Here, There, Everywhere?),

Paul Simon (?Sounds of Silence?, ?Bridge Over Troubled Water?, ?Graceland?),

Bruce Springsteen (?Born to Run?, ?Born in the USA?, ?The Rising,

Bernie Taupin ( ?Your Song?, Philadelphia Freedom, ?Candle in the Wind?),

Stevie Wonder ( ?Superstition?, ?Livin? For the City?, ?I Wish?)

 

[kariatari]

Aimee Mann - Save Me, Dealthly

Pete Townshend - Behind Blue Eyes, We Won't Get Fooled Again, Pinball Wizard...*sigh*...i The Who!!

 

[pinkfloyd]

Roger Waters : Dark Side Of The Moon , Wish You Were Here , The Wall

all lyrics for these albums by Pink Floyd were written by one man .

 

[u2popmofo]

Morrissey - everything he's ever done with The Smiths and by himself.

 

[~LadyLemon~]

*Neil Young
*Ryan Adams
*Joni Mitchell
*George Harrison


There's so many more...but nothing is coming to me at the moment. How sad.

 

[Bonochick]

*Ryan Adams

 

[Sweet Tart]

noel gallagher (wonderwall, live forever, slide away, etc)

....all those mentioned above esp mccartney, lennon, and jagger

 

[Sparkysgrrrl]

Greg Graffin and Mr Brett of Bad Religion
GENIUS
songs to check out
Struck A Nerve * Don't Pray On Me* The Answer* Mabey She Will* American Jesus

and all the rest of the songs Greg has ever been involved with

 

[cass]

so many of my favourites arelisted already..that is some pwerful music they have

....created.
of course I add Willie Nelson and Freddie Mercury.
Ted Hawkins delights me.
Sinead O'Connor captures some beautiful images and ideas.
Dave Stewart (was he the songwriter lyricist for The Eurythmics)
Van Morrison, Christy... ahh you've heard my list before.




bono

 

[dsmith2904]

Ann and Nancy Wilson
Carole King
George Michael
Chris and Rich Robinson
Axl Rose
Tracey Chapman
Eddie Vedder
Jim Morrison
Joe Perry and Steven Tyler
Stevie Nicks
Christine McVie

 

[KhanadaRhodes]

Ann and Nancy Wilson
Carole King
George Michael
Chris and Rich Robinson
Axl Rose
Tracey Chapman
Eddie Vedder
Jim Morrison
Joe Perry and Steven Tyler
Stevie Nicks
Christine McVie

i'd also like to add simon lebon and john taylor cuz i know no one else will, and also add mr. gordon sumner.

 

[LarryMullen's POPAngel]

Love all the names so far...Stevie Nicks, excellent choice.

I can't think of anyone, but agree with about 98% of all mentioned so far.

 

[david]

Jeff Buckley
Ian McKaye and Guy Picciato
Chris Cornell
Jeremy Enigk
Bono
Michael Stipe
Morrissey
Will Oldham
Tori Amos
John Lennon and Paul MaCartney
Perry Farrell

 

[Foxxern]

noel gallagher (wonderwall, live forever, slide away, etc)

Sure Noel's got some throwaway couplets, but some of his stuff is magnificent.

"now that you're mine/
we'll find a way/
of chasing the sun/
let me be the one/
that shines with you"

"so what's the matter with you/
sing me something new/
don't you know the cold and wind and rain don't know/
they only seem to come and go/
away"

Also I would have to add Martin Gore (Depeche Mode), Trent Reznor (NIN), and Jakob Dylan (Wallflowers), to many of those already listed.

 

[Salome]

Michael Stipe
Will Oldham
Bono
Morrissey
Leonard Cohen

 

[DrTeeth]

Nick Cave

 

[LarryMullen's POPAngel]

Nick Cave

Holy cats, yes.

Good call. Actually, I'm agreeing with a lot of people here.

 

[Rono]

Justin Sullivan
Billy Bragg

 

[U2fan42]

By "lyricists", do you mean singers or songwrighters?

 

[LarryMullen's POPAngel]

By "lyricists", do you mean singers or songwrighters?

I think he means songwriters.

 

[yeblik]

My absolute favorite lyricist is Steven Kilbey (of The Church, also does solo work and collaborations, Jack Frost, Isidore). The man has such a lovely way with words. Poet also. Prose poetry, mostly. I read a review he wrote of an album, and it was so beautifully written I almost swooned (OK, I probably did swoon, but just a little). And he has great musical taste, so the cd he reviewed is wonderful also!

Which brings me to another really good lyricist -- Craig Jackson of the Melbourne, Australia band Gersey. The band only has released two full length cds and one ep, but I do find his writing compelling. Lyrics for Gersey's songs can be found at their website: www.gersey.com

SK doesn't print the lyrics on albums or have them on the website, so you have to listen to the songs to get them.

 

[yertle-the-turtle]

Neil Finn
Neil Finn
Neil Finn
Neil Finn
Neil Finn
Neil Finn
Joe Strummer/Mick Jones
Robert Smith
Nicky Wire

 

[SkeeK]

Aesop Rock
- "sometimes when you can't breathe, there are people there to breathe for you."
- "all i ever wanted was to pick apart the day and put the peices back together my way."

Saul Williams
(from Release by Blackalicious) -
Inner breathlessness, outer restlessness
By the time I caught up to freedom I was out of breath
Grandma asked me what I'm running for
I guess I'm out for the same thing the sun is sunning for
What mothers birth their youngens for
And some say Jesus coming for
For all I know the earth is spinning slow
Suns at half mast 'cause masses ain't aglow

John Sampson (from the Weakerthans)
-The first chapters of lives almost made us give up altogether. Pushed towards tired forms of self immolation that seemed so original. I must, we must never stop watching the sky with our hands in our pockets, stop peering in windows when we know doors are shut. Stop yelling small stories and bad jokes and sorrows, and my voice will scratch to yell many more, but before I spill the things I mean to hide away, or gouge my eyes with platitudes of sentiment, I'll drown the urge for permanence and certainty; crouch down and scrawl my name with yours in wet cement.
-the song Without Mythologies
-Hold on to the corners of today, and we'll fold it up to save until it's needed
-She shoplifts some Christmas gifts, and a bracelet for herself, and considers phoning home. Has some quarters in her hand. But she sits down on the sidewalk and bites her bottom lip, and spends the afternoon willing traffic-lights to change.

 

[WinnieThePoo]

i'll go with john Lennon

 

[FelipeVox]

Bono - Running To Stand Still, The Fly
Tori Amos - I Can?t See New York, Pancake, Cornflake Girl, Gold Dust...
Ryan Addams
Robbie Williams (yes I like him! Sexed Up, Love Somebody...)
Carole King
Michael Stipe - Everybody Hurts, Losing My Religion, All the Way to Reno, Electrolite...
Eddie Vedder

The guy from Green Day, too.

 

[Bono's shades]

Bob Dylan
John Lennon
Paul McCartney
Bono
Bruce Springsteen
Joe Strummer/Mick Jones
Elvis Costello
Marvin Gaye
Sarah McLachlan
Michael Stipe
Neil Young
Eddie Vedder
Paul Simon

 

[Stories for Boys]

jeff buckley x 1 000 000 (morning theft, what will you say, dream brother, etc)
michael stipe (find the river, nightswimming, sweetness follows, etc)

i don't think anyone's mentioned radiohead...

 

[theSoulfulMofo]

John Lennon
Paul McCarthy
Mick Jagger (You Can't Always Get What You Want, Ruby Tuesday, Paint It Black)
bono (ZooTV days: commerical pop + lyrical poetry)
bob dylan
elvis costello
noel gallagher (Wonderwall, Acquiesce, The Masterplan)
billy corgan (mellon collie and the infinite sadness)
scott weiland (tiny music...)
eninem
2pac
biz markie
mars ill
peace586

 

[Bonochick]

Conor Oberst

 

[Saracene]

Nick Cave
Morrissey