Best and Worst lyricist

Lisnaholic · 08-06-2011, 10:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheCunningStunt

Bump.

3 pages? Is that it? I love discussing lyrics/people who have those ways with words.Well..

Lennon/Mccartney, Morrissey, Ian Curtis, Alex Turner, Bob Dylan, Lou Reed, Kurt Cobain.

And I can't believe no one has mentioned this guy - Nick Cave.
I'm not really a fan of his, and haven't heard much of his stuff. (Just the 1 album)
But the man seems like an absolute brilliant story teller.

^ Yeah, so do I, though my praises for Lennon/McCartney are limited: their Beatles material was good, but their solo stuff showed up how weak their lyrics could be. IMO, they very rarely made it to the league of the really inspired lyricists:

Already mentioned in this thread: Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, Paul Simon, Roger Waters
Not yet mentioned : Joni Mitchel, Captain Beefheart, Syd Barrett

Hopelessly unfashionable today, W.S.Gilbert wrote hundreds of lyrics which were so clever that some of them have slipped un-noticed into our language. For example, the phrases "Let the punishment fit the crime" and " a short,sharp shock" are both from Gilbert and Sullivan songs.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Muzak Geek

As for the worst - Too many to mention in one post. Although, for some reason, one that has always stuck with me as one of the worst lines ever was by Dr. Dre, "Never let me slip, 'cause if I slip, then I'm slippin'." (Ain't Nothin' But a G Thang"… Classic.

^

That line is so bad ! Thanks. Some other worst lyrics ever :
America: " The heat was hot..."
Boney M: " Ra Ra Rasputin, leader of the Russian dream."

The Monkey · 08-07-2011, 04:45 PM

Best: Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen (how can you all have missed him?), Tom Waits (again, how could you miss him?), Jack White, Ian Curtis, Roger Waters, Damon Albarn, Pete Townsend, Nick Cave, Lou Reed, David Bowie, Morrissey, Ray Davies, Joe Strummer

Worst: Most of the hired songwriters for popular artists

Queen Boo · 08-07-2011, 04:51 PM

Kurt Cobain is by no means a bad lyricist but he has to be the most overrated bastard ever. They read like unedited streams of consciousness, not that there's anything wrong with them but they just aren't that wonderful. I hate to compare them because there's next to no common ground other than lyrically but Stephen Malkmus has the same kinda lyrical style and his work seems more substantial and is overall more appealing to me anyway.

TheBig3 · 08-14-2011, 07:58 PM

the worst lyrics I've heard recently are from the Red House Painters. Found them awhile back through iTunes. They had a "folk artists, up and coming" section and I DL'ed this to give them a shot...Here's the masterwork:

I can't let you be, cause your beauty won't allow me
wrapped in white sheets,
like an angel from a bedtime story
and shut out what they say,
cause your friends are ****ed up anyway
and when they come around,
somehow they feel up and you feel down.

When we were kids, we hated things our parents did
we listened low to Casey Kasem's radio show
that's when friends were nice,
to think of them just makes you feel nice
the smell of grass in spring
and October leaves cover everything.

Have you forgotten how to love yourself? [x2]

I can't believe all the good things that you do for me
sat back in a chair like a princess from a faraway place
nobody's nice, when you're older your heart turns to ice
and shut out what they say;
they're too dumb to mean it anyway

When we were kids, we hated things our sisters did
backyard summer pools and Christmases were beautiful
and the sentiment of coloured mirrored ornaments
and the open drapes
look out on frozen farmhouse landscapes

Have you forgotten how to love yourself? [x6]

Natalie · 08-14-2011, 08:19 PM

Roger Waters from Pink Floyd (have a cigar is my favorite song of theirs, lyrically) and Anthony Kiedis from RHCP (she looks to me, is very well written)

the lyrics of any song from Death cab for Cutie really bother me for some reason.

blastingas10 · 08-14-2011, 09:00 PM

Bob Dylan. No one has mentioned Robert Johnson, he was a good lyricist of his time. Roger Waters. I can't believe no one has mentioned Hendrix. No one has mentioned Robbie Robertson either.

Itsme · 08-14-2011, 11:05 PM

Lil Wayne probably is the worst songwriter of all time... not that he writes his own lyrics anymore anyways.

I think that Michael from Opeth wrote some pretty good lyrics in the early Opeth albums... but the BEST lyricist? Impossible to tell.

Zer0 · 08-17-2011, 03:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheBig3

the worst lyrics I've heard recently are from the Red House Painters. Found them awhile back through iTunes. They had a "folk artists, up and coming" section and I DL'ed this to give them a shot...Here's the masterwork:

I can't let you be, cause your beauty won't allow me
wrapped in white sheets,
like an angel from a bedtime story
and shut out what they say,
cause your friends are ****ed up anyway
and when they come around,
somehow they feel up and you feel down.

When we were kids, we hated things our parents did
we listened low to Casey Kasem's radio show
that's when friends were nice,
to think of them just makes you feel nice
the smell of grass in spring
and October leaves cover everything.

Have you forgotten how to love yourself? [x2]

I can't believe all the good things that you do for me
sat back in a chair like a princess from a faraway place
nobody's nice, when you're older your heart turns to ice
and shut out what they say;
they're too dumb to mean it anyway

When we were kids, we hated things our sisters did
backyard summer pools and Christmases were beautiful
and the sentiment of coloured mirrored ornaments
and the open drapes
look out on frozen farmhouse landscapes

Have you forgotten how to love yourself? [x6]

I wouldn't call a band that split up 8 years ago "up and coming".

I've never really paid that much attention to the lyrics but they are definitely not the worst, it's not really what he sings but the way he sings them.

Necromancer · 08-17-2011, 08:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by blastingas10

No one has mentioned Robert Johnson, he was a good lyricist of his time.

Areosmith:= (Some of the worst lyrics).

When I think of bad lyrics, and also at the same time, "lyrics that are hard to understand" and interpret when listening to their music, in my opinion would have to be "Aerosmith".
Ive always liked Aerosmith and Steven Tyler, especially their earlier albums like Toys In The Attic, Rocks, and one of my personal favorite albums, Get Your Wings. Permanent Vacation is one their later albums Ive always liked, Pump was OK..

(For example) - Train Kept A Rollin

Well, on a train, I met a dame,
She rather handsome, we kind looked the same
She was pretty, from New York City
I'm walkin' down that old fair lane,
I'm in heat, I'm in love,
But I just couldn't tell her so

Jedey · 08-17-2011, 08:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Necromancer

Areosmith:= (Some of the worst lyrics).

When I think of bad lyrics, and also at the same time, "lyrics that are hard to understand" and interpret when listening to their music, in my opinion would have to be "Aerosmith".
Ive always liked Aerosmith and Steven Tyler, especially their earlier albums like Toys In The Attic, Rocks, and one of my personal favorite albums, Get Your Wings. Permanent Vacation is one their later albums Ive always liked, Pump was OK..

(For example) - Train Kept A Rollin

Well, on a train, I met a dame,
She rather handsome, we kind looked the same
She was pretty, from New York City
I'm walkin' down that old fair lane,
I'm in heat, I'm in love,
But I just couldn't tell her so

"Train Kept A-Rollin" is a song written by Tiny Bradshaw, Howard Kay, and Lois Mann.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Train_Kept_A-Rollin'

08-07-2011, 04:45 PM	#42 (permalink)
The Monkey Music Addict Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Sweden Posts: 803	Best: Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen (how can you all have missed him?), Tom Waits (again, how could you miss him?), Jack White, Ian Curtis, Roger Waters, Damon Albarn, Pete Townsend, Nick Cave, Lou Reed, David Bowie, Morrissey, Ray Davies, Joe Strummer Worst: Most of the hired songwriters for popular artists __________________ Now another stranger seems to want you to ignore his dreams as though they were the burden of some other My Last.fm

08-14-2011, 07:58 PM	#44 (permalink)
TheBig3 killedmyraindog Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Boston, Massachusetts Posts: 11,172	the worst lyrics I've heard recently are from the Red House Painters. Found them awhile back through iTunes. They had a "folk artists, up and coming" section and I DL'ed this to give them a shot...Here's the masterwork: I can't let you be, cause your beauty won't allow me wrapped in white sheets, like an angel from a bedtime story and shut out what they say, cause your friends are ****ed up anyway and when they come around, somehow they feel up and you feel down. When we were kids, we hated things our parents did we listened low to Casey Kasem's radio show that's when friends were nice, to think of them just makes you feel nice the smell of grass in spring and October leaves cover everything. Have you forgotten how to love yourself? [x2] I can't believe all the good things that you do for me sat back in a chair like a princess from a faraway place nobody's nice, when you're older your heart turns to ice and shut out what they say; they're too dumb to mean it anyway When we were kids, we hated things our sisters did backyard summer pools and Christmases were beautiful and the sentiment of coloured mirrored ornaments and the open drapes look out on frozen farmhouse landscapes Have you forgotten how to love yourself? [x6] __________________ I've moved to a new address

08-14-2011, 08:19 PM	#45 (permalink)
Natalie Groupie Join Date: Aug 2011 Posts: 10	Roger Waters from Pink Floyd (have a cigar is my favorite song of theirs, lyrically) and Anthony Kiedis from RHCP (she looks to me, is very well written) the lyrics of any song from Death cab for Cutie really bother me for some reason.

08-14-2011, 09:00 PM	#46 (permalink)
blastingas10 Music Addict Join Date: Aug 2011 Posts: 2,126	Bob Dylan. No one has mentioned Robert Johnson, he was a good lyricist of his time. Roger Waters. I can't believe no one has mentioned Hendrix. No one has mentioned Robbie Robertson either.

08-14-2011, 11:05 PM	#47 (permalink)
Itsme Groupie Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Here Posts: 28	Lil Wayne probably is the worst songwriter of all time... not that he writes his own lyrics anymore anyways. I think that Michael from Opeth wrote some pretty good lyrics in the early Opeth albums... but the BEST lyricist? Impossible to tell.