Top Lyricists of all time
- Thread starter JM4CY
- Start date
Ian McCullough of Echo and the Bunny men.
And Sting - De doo doo, de da da da, is all I want to say to you.
Classic.
And Sting - De doo doo, de da da da, is all I want to say to you.
Classic.
I always like to plug Craigie. Nomads and I am California are great lyrics.
Steve Earle had some great ones as well.
I was a sucker for the lyrics of old Megadeth, particularly Rust in Peace and some from Countdown to Extinction were cool.
My all time favorites:
Bob Dylan
Jason Isbell
John Prine
Steve Earle
Dolly Parton
Newer favorites:
Evan Felker
Margo Price
Sturgill Simpson
John Craigie
A couple that I haven’t seen mentioned:
Willie Nelson
Steve Goodman
Michael Stipe
Townes Vansandt
Embarassedly adding Jeff Tweedy, definitely one of my all time favorites
Bob Dylan
Jason Isbell
John Prine
Steve Earle
Dolly Parton
Newer favorites:
Evan Felker
Margo Price
Sturgill Simpson
John Craigie
A couple that I haven’t seen mentioned:
Willie Nelson
Steve Goodman
Michael Stipe
Townes Vansandt
Embarassedly adding Jeff Tweedy, definitely one of my all time favorites
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Well, I've been spending all my money on weed n' pills
Tryin' to write a song that'll pay the bills
But it ain't came yet, so I guess I'll have to rob a bank
Same song...
Well, the name of the game is hurry up and wait
But that ain't putting no food on my plate
Or gas in my car, and I drive a Bronco
So Lord, if I could just get me a record deal
I might not have to worry about my next meal
But I'll still be trying to figure out what the hell rhymes with Bronco
I really liked Brandon Boyd of Incubus' lyrics on their first 3 albums (S.C.I.E.N.C.E., Make Yourself, Morning View). The lyrics below are from their song "New Skin".
At first I see an open wound
infected and disastrous
It breathes chaotic catastrophe
it cries to be renewed
Its tears are the color of anger,
they dry to form a scab
To the touch, its stiff and resilient,
underneath, the new skin breathes
As outwardly cliche as it may seem,
yes, something under the surface says,
"C'est la vie"
It is a circle, there is a plan
dead skin will atrophy itself to start again
Look closely at the open wound
see past what covers the surface
Underneath chaotic catastrophe,
creation takes stage.
Its all been saved
with exception for the right parts
When will we be new skin?
Its all been seen with exception for what could be
When will we be new skin?
Fallacious cognitions
spewed from televisions
do mold our decisions.
So stop and take a look,
and you'll see what I see now
At first I see an open wound
infected and disastrous
It breathes chaotic catastrophe
it cries to be renewed
Its tears are the color of anger,
they dry to form a scab
To the touch, its stiff and resilient,
underneath, the new skin breathes
As outwardly cliche as it may seem,
yes, something under the surface says,
"C'est la vie"
It is a circle, there is a plan
dead skin will atrophy itself to start again
Look closely at the open wound
see past what covers the surface
Underneath chaotic catastrophe,
creation takes stage.
Its all been saved
with exception for the right parts
When will we be new skin?
Its all been seen with exception for what could be
When will we be new skin?
Fallacious cognitions
spewed from televisions
do mold our decisions.
So stop and take a look,
and you'll see what I see now
1 Bob Dylan I consider Hard Rain his masterpiece. Patti Smith sang it for his Nobel ceremony.
1A Townes Van Zan Zandt
Then in no particular order, Jim Morrison, Paul Simon, and Hank Williams Sr.
1A Townes Van Zan Zandt
Then in no particular order, Jim Morrison, Paul Simon, and Hank Williams Sr.
Now you've done it! ... Rabbit hole, here I come!
A smattering ...
“I was chewing gum for something to do” //
“I looked like someone I used to know” //
"Oh, it's OK for you to say what you want from me / I believe that's the only way for me to be / Exactly what you want me to be.”
— Handshake Drugs
"A watch that ticks is wrapped around my wrist / (Oh no) / I'm a bomb, regardless.”
— nothing’severgonnastandimywayagain
“Why can't they wish their kisses good? / Why do they miss when their kisses should? / Fly like winging birds fighting for the keys / On a private beach in Michigan.”
— Spiders (Kidsmoke)
“Phones still ring / And singers sing / Speakers are speaking in code / What now? / Well anyhow / Your prayers will never be answered again.” //
"You know it's all beginning / To feel like it's ending / No love's as random / As God's love / I can’t stand it. I can’t stand it.”
— I Can’t Stand It
“I am an American aquarium drinker / I assassin down the avenue / I'm hiding out in the big city blinking / What was I thinking when I let go of you?”
— I Am Trying to Break Your Heart
Burt Bacharach
Elvis Costello
Aimee Mann
Lennon/McCartney
Bob Dylan
Those are my favs, if I had to pick just one it’d be Evis Costello. I feel like Costello, Bacharach and Mann all have same songwriting style without outright copying each other.
Elvis Costello
Aimee Mann
Lennon/McCartney
Bob Dylan
Those are my favs, if I had to pick just one it’d be Evis Costello. I feel like Costello, Bacharach and Mann all have same songwriting style without outright copying each other.
I’m not really that into modern pop music but Sia seems to be a pretty brilliant pop song writer.
Tom Petty wrote so many great songs for himself and many others.
I had to breeze thru some pages but don't think I've seen Jagger/Richards mentioned. Their body of work is not only prolific, but deceptively poignant. Not many blues mentions either. I'll throw out Willie Dixon just for the number of covers that exist. Also, I'm not necessarily a fan, but Randy Newman has thrown together some interesting songs.
Oh, and Buckethead, whose guitar vocabulary in unmatched.
Oh, and Buckethead, whose guitar vocabulary in unmatched.
Came on here to post Paul Simon. I see @Cyrealist beat me to it
