Who's the greatest ever Lyricist?

[Whelan]

I think McCartney gets unfairly airbrushed out of the Beatles, and his influence is often downplayed, he was a brilliant lyricist.

 

Modern day, I think Frank Turner is good, Alex Turner is fabulous, Mike Skinner is also good, together with most of those mentioned. My favourite line, and still the best opening line of any album is Thrills, Pills and Bellyaches 'Son i'm 30, I only went with your mother cos she's dirty'! He could touch genius Sean Ryder, just too much guff.

 

Conor Oburst is a good shout as well, going to see him in Manchester!

[aws]

Dylan, Ray Davies and Cohen would be my top three -in that order.

[Total Longo]

I still maintain that this is one of the most evocative and beautiful lyrics ever written.

 

Southampton Dock (Waters)

 

They disembarked in 45

And no-one spoke and no-one smiled

There were too many spaces in the line.

Gathered at the cenotaph

All agreed with the hand on heart

To sheath the sacrificial Knifes.

But now

She stands upon Southampton dock

With her handkerchief

And her summer frock clings

To her wet body in the rain.

In quiet desperation knuckles

White upon the slippery reins

She bravely waves the boys Goodbye again.

 

And still the dark stain spreads between

His shoulder blades.

A mute reminder of the poppy fields and graves.

And when the fight was over

We spent what they had made.

But in the bottom of our hearts

We felt the final cut.

[brucespanner]

'But you can't take your eyes off her, get another cup of java,

It's just the way she pours it for you, joking with the customers

Mercy mercy, Mr. Percy, there ain't nothing back in Jersey

But a broken-down jalopy of a man I left behind

And the dream that I was chasing, and a battle with booze

And an open invitation to the blues'

 

Untouchable.

[King Emlyn]

I think McCartney gets unfairly airbrushed out of the Beatles, and his influence is often downplayed, he was a brilliant lyricist.

 

Modern day, I think Frank Turner is good, Alex Turner is fabulous, Mike Skinner is also good, together with most of those mentioned. My favourite line, and still the best opening line of any album is Thrills, Pills and Bellyaches 'Son i'm 30, I only went with your mother cos she's dirty'! He could touch genius Sean Ryder, just too much guff.

 

Conor Oburst is a good shout as well, going to see him in Manchester!

 

Correct, he suffers from an image problem at times. For some reason a few seem to let it mask his genius.

[VERBAL DIARRHEA]

Mr Burt Bacharach.

[Hermes]

I'm in the rare position of agreeing with Hermes about Ray Davies.

 

 

Nearly 4,000 posts, finally you are in the rare position of being correct.

 

Congratulations.

[kopboy11]

Cohen,Springsteen,Waits,McGowan,Lou Reed,Bono & Morrissey.Honourable mention to Alex Turner aswell.

[brucespanner]

Leonard Cohen, hands down

 

'You who wish to conquer pain,

you must learn what makes me kind;

the crumbs of love that you offer me,

they're the crumbs I've left behind.

Your pain is no credential here,

it's just the shadow, shadow of my wound.

 

I have begun to long for you,

I who have no greed;

I have begun to ask for you,

I who have no need.

You say you've gone away from me,

but I can feel you when you breathe.'

 

The angry Jew writes some amazing lyrics.

[aws]

'You who wish to conquer pain,

you must learn what makes me kind;

the crumbs of love that you offer me,

they're the crumbs I've left behind.

Your pain is no credential here,

it's just the shadow, shadow of my wound.

 

I have begun to long for you,

I who have no greed;

I have begun to ask for you,

I who have no need.

You say you've gone away from me,

but I can feel you when you breathe.'

 

The angry Jew writes some amazing lyrics.

 

Agreed.

 

Like a baby still-born

Like a beast with his horn

I have torn everyone

Who reached out to me

 

Simple but classic.

[brucespanner]

On with the Cohen love-in.

 

NDc2uURjW10

 

6fMnF0Fvdpo

 

The Holy Trinity Waits, Dylan and Cohen.

 

Nobody touches them.

[stringvest]

Mr Burt Bacharach.

 

You mean Hal David I think. But he wasn't that good.

[Dr.Filth]

I'd add Nige from Half Man Half Biscuit to the list here.

 

Not necessarily for "Fuck me, it's Fred Titmuss" but for his ability to come up with phrases which conjur up vivid images and stories:-

 

- "Not long now before lollipop men are called Darren"

 

- "Your optimism strikes me like junkmail addressed to the dead"

 

- "They've got a German Shepherd dog called Prince. The one called Sheba died."

 

- "I'm gonna feed our children non-organic food and with the money saved take them to the zoo."

 

- "But the beak in Leek is weak, so she's moved in (so to speak) with featureless TV producer Steve"

 

- "And the very last thing she saw in her life was Sting singing on the roof of the Barbican"

 

- "I'm just a primitive creature of the heath, so excuse my savage ignorance, but if I'm still on my feet at four o'clock I'll be stealing the lead off the roof"

 

 

etc.

 

Also "There's a man with a mullet going mad with a mallet in Millet's"

 

Number 1 gotta be Dylan for me.

[Stouffer]

Parappa.

[VERBAL DIARRHEA]

You mean Hal David I think. But he wasn't that good.

 

Indeed. Although their collaberations brought some great work.

 

Honourable mention to the Brothers Gibb:whistle:

[James]

Leo Cohen/Nick Cave/Coner Oberst

[King Emlyn]

There are loads, all depends on what you like I guess. For me Warren Zevon, Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, Ian Curtis, Ray Davies, Elvis Costello and Morrissey are stand outs...and of course John Cooper Clarke.

[Ginny]

Captain Beefheart

[TE-23]

Des'ree

 

Ooh, I get the shivers

I don't want to see a ghost,

It's a sight that I fear most

I'd rather have a piece of toast

And watch the evening news

 

 

Failing that, Ray Davies for me.

[PestiRed]

Rufus Wainwright & Leonard Cohen's daughter have just had a baby. That's quality song-writing genes

[brucespanner]

Might not be familiar to most but an exceptional talent and fantastic lyricist.

 

VrbzmzuNkiE

 

He's got the Dylan thousand yard stare down to a tee.

[Best Believe It]

Cannot believe Bowie hasn't been mentioned.

[The Flâneur]

Rufus Wainwright & Leonard Cohen's daughter have just had a baby. That's quality song-writing genes

 

I thought he was a bummer?

[brucespanner]

I thought he was a bummer?

 

He is Why do I have two daddies mum?

[The Flâneur]

He is Why do I have two daddies mum?

 

Sweet mother of God, they've taken the military, the sanctity of marriage, and now they're having kids?! what's next, the entertainment industry? Will no-one think of the (non-gay) children?