10 Favorite Lyricists
 

Post your 10 favorite lyricists.
Paul Simon
Nick Drake
Adam Duritz
Bob Dylan
Vashti Bunyan
Leonard Cohen
Elliott Smith
Ian Anderson(See Thick As A Brick)
Aesop Rock(Don't if anyone will agree on this one)
John Lennon

Elliott Smith is a pretty average lyricist, amazing songwriter but from a purely lyrical standpoint even at his best hes just good. For the most part hes average. Anyway off of the top of my head.

1. Bob Dylan
2. Conor Oberst
3. Jeff Mangum
4. Will Sheff
5. Vashti Bunyan
6. Morrissey
7. Nick Drake
8. Kevin Barnes
9. Isaac Brock
10. Jenny Lewis

Really? Well, I really like the lyrics. I really like him in general. Maybe I need to read the lyrics on paper.

Most of his lyrics are along the lines of these "You walk down Alameda / Shuffling your deck of trick cards over everyone / Like some precious only son / Face down, bow to the champion". With him the King's Crossings and Between the Bars are few, while the Alamedas and Bled Whites are many.

Meh, I guess they sound a lot more impressive in context. To me that's what being a lyricist is about, but to each his own.

To me since were talking about lyrics its about the words themselves, not the way they're delivered. If its about delivery that would include the singing and the instrumentation, which wouldn't really be about lyrics. It would be about the actual song, so favorite songwriters would be more appropriate. My list would be completely different if this was about songwriting and Elliott Smith would be at the top.

Yeah, but certain lyricists have a way of fitting lyrics into the songwriting and arrangements.

Will Sheff
Emily Haines
Aaron Weiss (MewithoutYou)
John Darnielle (Mountain Goats)
Michael Nau (Page France)
Maria Taylor
Stephen Malkmus (Pavement)
Rocky Votolato
Devendra Banhart
Kevin Devine

Yeah but if the lyrics aren't spectacular then it doesn't mean much from a lyrical point of view.

But lyrics are different from poetry. Lyrics have to fit in with the song and if you write something amazing that doesn't fit some sort of rhythm and doesn't coincide with the melody, etc. al., then it doesn't matter.