sleepy jack's lists
 

Instead of making a gigantic 100 thread and abandoning it I'm going to just do smaller lists and confine them to one thread. First one is my favorite 25 lyricists.

25. Nick Drake
http://userserve-ak.last.fm/serve/_/43377.jpg

Sometimes just a quiet folk singer with straightforward lyrics, other times like Robert Frost with a guitar Nick Drake's seems like hes almost humming the words in his quiet way. Be he asking if you'd love him through the winter or singing about cocaine blues, he always means it.

24. Jenn Ghetto
http://a700.ac-images.myspacecdn.com...73e1e5f8fb.jpg

Raw, sad, and no one's reading this. It's Jenn Ghetto.

I bets i know who'll be first...

I'm just hoping this doesn't turn into some generic singer-songwriter fellating contest. I wanna see someone who was appraised for their musicianship rather than lyrical efforts.

Predictions for future posts:
Elliott Smith
Conor Oberst
Morrissey
Jeff Buckley

...and so on. It's gonna get real boring real quick.

"First one is my favorite 25 lyricists."

Because Elliott Smith has no talent musicianship wise.

23. Owen Ashworth
http://userserve-ak.last.fm/serve/500/175010.jpg

Be he referencing the Smiths, quoting Morrissey or imitating Morrissey. Owen is always a pastor of mope with no hope of being the true pope but he tries and I appreciate his quiet confessions.

His solo career never really showcased any particular musical talents. Shame, because he was the real genius of Heatmiser. If he isn't #1 I will be very surprised.

How can you listen to this: YouTube - King's Crossing and say only Heatmiser showcased his musical talents? That's ridiculous, he was writing, producing and playing everything on his own albums, with Heatmiser he was just their guitarist playing mostly power chord rock songs. He didn't even write half the stuff, Neil Gust did.

You're misinterpret what I'm trying to say. He was a great songwriter and lyricist (obviously), but the stuff he wrote was technically simple in comparison to his earlier work with Heatmiser. And no, it wasn't all power chords.

THAT is obviously an exception.

Keep going...I'm interested!

YouTube - Don't Go Down - Elliott Smith
YouTube - Elliott Smith - Coast to Coast
YouTube - Elliott Smith See You In Heaven
YouTube - Elliott Smith - Son Of Sam
YouTube - Junk Bond Trader - Elliott Smith
YouTube - Elliott Smith A Question Mark

I could go on and list more. Whats one Heatmiser song thats so technical in comparison to Elliott's stuff?

I think songs like King's Crossing and Waltz #2 are perfect examples of Elliott showing he can do more than write songs.. and as much as I love him, he wouldn't be number 1 on my lyricists list, and I think Ethan would agree.

Heatmiser wasn't technical per se, but they had a more layered feel than most of what Elliott wrote by himself. Maybe it was the fact that they were a full band. It's not like he ever enlisted a backing band when he went onstage.

And even those songs aren't really technically difficult, they're just mixed well.

Plenty of Elliott's songs were well layered, Cupid's Trick for instance and all the ones I listed. Heatmiser were heavier, that's about it.

22. Colin Meloy
http://rcrdlbl.com/files/rblog_image...loyPost500.jpg

Why did Colin Meloy love Pirates of the Caribbean? Cause it was rated arrghhh. And if you were to add how hot Orlando Bloom and Johnny Depp are, then cut that in half you'd have the lyrical abilities of Colin Meloy. Whether he's singing Shakespearean songs of love or writing the Engine Driver which rules my life, he's always cool man.

Really? I always thought his lyrics were rather cheesy.

Come on, "I am a writer, writer of fictions / I am the heart that you call home, / And I've written pages upon pages / Trying to rid you from my bones." how does that not rule?

I don't have a home. :(

I'll be your home.

21. Travis Morrison
http://www.usounds.com/wp/wp-content.../08/travis.jpg

I'm really running out of things to say. Travis lyrics are like a mental breakdown and he way way better then Jim Morrison, why is that comparison warranted? Because they have the same last name.

this should be good.
keep em coming.

20. Nick Cave
http://userserve-ak.last.fm/serve/_/396124.jpg

He's the bad motherfucker, the dude with the stache, the manliest man ever, it's Nick Cave.

This could be the creepiest thing I've ever read but other than that I <3 your list Ethan. :)

nice to see colin meloy on the list

Ahhhhh...

Ethan, I just meant that there are good lyricists outside the generic indie/alternative genre. I mean, if that's your primary choice of discourse, it's gonna really limit upon what you say is best. But there are spectacular lyricists beyond that. I mean, I abhor classic rock lyrics because they're so bereft of emotion. But I think there's a lot of folk singers that have breached boundaries and set standards for lyricists. I'm also a big fan of absurdist lyrics, especially Beefheart and Zappa, as well as a few rappers (Mos Def, Immortal Technique, Sage Francis, etc).

I just think that you might not be considering lyricists from wider genres. Its still early, so you have the opportunity to prove me wrong. =)

I'd be surprised if I'M not number 1.

I'd be surprised if Ethan didn't list himself as number 1.

nick cave is one hard mo'****ah
my dad hates him cause he was at school with him...
and he was a depressing kid who drew pictures of women in bath tubs with their wrists slit all art class
but i think hes all class
the birthday party rocked like a bitch!

I never could get into Nick Cave.=x

I'd be surprised if Ethan didn't list Crowequill as number 1.

hahhah touche!!

19. Phil Elverum
http://userserve-ak.last.fm/serve/_/2002.jpg

This is how you get ladies.

18. Richey James Edwards
http://i34.tinypic.com/24oaejd.jpg

Richey is one of the best writers to ever grace music but one of the worst lyrics. Sometimes his lines are awkward, sometimes his ideals too stripped down or simplified to be coherent (though this probably more Bradfield and Wire's fault) but they're always raw, idealistic and angry (mostly on the Holy Bible, which is the goods) though sometimes its confusing as to who the anger's directed at, society, himself or how shit the Manics would become.

17. Jens Lekman
http://userserve-ak.last.fm/serve/500/114550.jpg

Witty and swedish,
Full of love and fireworks,
I wrote a haiku.

YES

i love the microphones.

Get this thread rollin again.

I don't have this list anymore, but I think the next 16 was suppose to go something like this:

16. Sad guy
15. Sad guy
14. Sad guy
13. Sad guy
12. Sad guy
11. Sad guy
10. Sad guy
9. Sad guy
8. Sad guy
7. Sad guy
6. Sad guy
5. Sad guy
4. Sad guy
3. Sad guy
2. Sad guy
1. Sad guy

haha I thought i noticed a pattern ;)