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Worlds greatest lyricist
Posted: 18 Sep 2003, 16:51
by Major de Coverly
Words, words, words. They are important, you know. And so are lyrics.
AE, malheureusement*, does not feature in my top ten lyricists.
Lou Reed does.
But only after Paul McCartney. Eleanor Rigby is beautifully written, and to my mind the greatest pop song of all time. PMcC was only 23 when he wrote it. That is worthy of intellectual love god status - or whatever you want to call it.
What do my fellow heartlanders think? Please bear in mind though that my last CD purchase was the lighthouse family (BD will confirm this), so it would be helpful if you could illustrate by example any obscure (i.e. non-chart) choices.
I have automatically put a rules wizard on this strand to delete any reference to the Manic Street Preachers.
* French CP sweetie, French. Don't know the Greek for it.
Posted: 18 Sep 2003, 17:07
by Serendipityhaven
i agree about eleanor rigby.
was the first song of the beatles i heard which drew me to them.
lyrically,its strikingly delicate and exceptionally powerfull because of this.
it is a tale/song with no pretence or desires to be any more than it is.
listen to it and you wont find any pointless studio layering or needless fiddling.
its essentially a song in the raw,as far as it could ever be,other than being performed live.
beautifull.
Posted: 18 Sep 2003, 17:15
by Jim
I f**king hate the beatles. Especially that Mccartney c**t. Good bassist though.
Lyricists - AE, Zodiac Mindwarp (life changing stuff), Morrisey (sorry) and Bowie.
Posted: 18 Sep 2003, 17:28
by Black Planet
Jim wrote:I **** hate the beatles. Especially that Mccartney ****. Good bassist though.
Lyricists - AE, Zodiac Mindwarp (life changing stuff), Morrisey (sorry) and Bowie.
LOL I hate the beatles too.
Lyrics? Zodiac Mindwarp, definately. Smooth bastard.
The Cure....sigh....great lyrics.
And yes, my love, AE. Just listen to Floodland.
Posted: 18 Sep 2003, 17:30
by Jim
To be honest I was gonna put Robert Smith down as one of the
worst lyricists...
Posted: 18 Sep 2003, 17:32
by Big Si
Posted: 18 Sep 2003, 18:30
by Guest
I, sumphtheirô*, completely agree with Jim. AE may not be original, but his rhyme-schemes and form are exceptional, and it's nice to have literary references in music. Lyrics-wise, "Good Things" is my fav.
Morrissey always has his heyday in post-pubescent depression land, which is an impressionable age. Sticks with you.
I think Robert Smith's lyrics are fairly nonsensical, and I've never liked the Beatles.
*Latin transliteration, malheureusement.
Posted: 18 Sep 2003, 20:17
by Ginger
Trent Reznor
Posted: 18 Sep 2003, 21:32
by khepri II
John Lydon - poptones plus many others
Posted: 18 Sep 2003, 21:39
by Big Si
Forgot these two.....
Posted: 18 Sep 2003, 22:05
by Thrash Harry
Roger Waters - DSOTM still astounds me
Morrissey - first album/ Hatful Of Hollow are witty, intelligent, ambiguous and yet instantly understandable.
Paul Weller - a true wordsmith (apart from "the mighty sparrow" of course)
As for AE, never really thought of him as a good lyricist - more the images he conjured up. Could never make sense of any song except Alice. But I'm prepared to take his word for it. Anyone who reads German philosophy must be clever, right?
Posted: 18 Sep 2003, 22:18
by Guest
Thrash Harry wrote:
Paul Weller - a true wordsmith (apart from "the mighty sparrow" of course)
Oh yes, Paul Weller. The stuff he did with The Jam is great--Just Who is the Five O'Clock Hero, very poignant and well-expressed.
Thrash Harry wrote:Anyone who reads German philosophy must be clever, right?
No.
Posted: 18 Sep 2003, 22:21
by khepri II
no one has mentioned Bowie, or is that just me being silly again
oh and can i add Don Mclean and thanks to my mad teacher who thought it was cool for 5 year olds to analyse American Pie and therefore was responsible for the mess i'm in now
Posted: 18 Sep 2003, 22:37
by Thea
alexander veljanov.
Posted: 18 Sep 2003, 23:16
by Serendipityhaven
Wayne Coyne,front man of The Flaming Lips.
breath takingly fragile lyrics to picturesque songs.
Posted: 18 Sep 2003, 23:32
by pikkrong
d00mw0lf wrote:alexander veljanov.
i have always thought lyrics are the most ridiculous point of Deine Lakaien.
good voice, yes.
nice music, say thanks also to Herr Horn.
Posted: 19 Sep 2003, 00:06
by Thea
pikkrong wrote:d00mw0lf wrote:alexander veljanov.
i have always thought lyrics are the most ridiculous point of Deine Lakaien.
good voice, yes.
nice music, say thanks also to Herr Horn.
hmmm... i prefer veljanov's side projects to horn's
DL's lyrics are fantastic! i want more people to speak english like that
Posted: 19 Sep 2003, 00:11
by Mrs RicheyJames
Robert Smith, Robert Smith, Robert Smith (P*ss off Jim lol)
And I very much agree with with Trent Reznor..and Roger Waters is a lyrical god
Posted: 19 Sep 2003, 00:29
by Padstar
Miles Hunt
only joking, but he is good......
Paddy.
Posted: 19 Sep 2003, 00:50
by Serendipityhaven
quite a fan of farm animals too.been know to compose the odd ditty relating to the size of one in particular i believe
makes me "dizzy" just thinking about it.
look,its very late ok
Posted: 19 Sep 2003, 00:57
by CellThree
Serendipityhaven wrote:quite a fan of farm animals too.been know to compose the odd ditty relating to the size of one in particular i believe
makes me "dizzy" just thinking about it.
look,its very late ok
Ok, now I have to go listen to Hup and Never Loved Elvis now. Forgotten how good the 'Stuffies were.
Posted: 19 Sep 2003, 00:58
by Andy TG
CorpPunk wrote:I, sumphtheirô*, completely agree with Jim. AE may not be original, but his rhyme-schemes and form are exceptional, and it's nice to have literary references in music. Lyrics-wise, "Good Things" is my fav.
*Latin transliteration, malheureusement.
@ Corp Punk - I totally agree with "Goodhtings" Lyric-wise!
As for my personal and purely subjective choice:
Lou Reed
Leonard Cohen (no surprise there)
Andrew Eldritch
Martin Gore (Depeche Mode)
Trent Reznor
Roger Waters
Julieanne Regan (All About Eve)
The Beatles IMHO are very overated - they got better the more drugs they consumed!
As for one of the worst - That Guitarist - for example "Butterfly On a Wheel" - AAAHHH!!! Not that I am biased or anything;-)
Posted: 19 Sep 2003, 02:12
by Mrs RicheyJames
AndyTheGoth wrote:CorpPunk wrote:As for one of the worst - That Guitarist - for example "Butterfly On a Wheel" - AAAHHH!!! Not that I am biased or anything;-)
LOLOLOLOL
That was mine and my ex ex's song......you couldn't be more right!!!!!!
Posted: 19 Sep 2003, 02:22
by Andy TG
Sexygoth wrote:AndyTheGoth wrote:CorpPunk wrote:As for one of the worst - That Guitarist - for example "Butterfly On a Wheel" - AAAHHH!!! Not that I am biased or anything;-)
LOLOLOLOL
That was mine and my ex ex's song......you couldn't be more right!!!!!!
@ Sexygoth - "You are a Tower Of Strength TO MMMMMMMMEEEEEEEEEEEE - MMMMMMMEEEEEEEEEE!!!
Oi - Hussey - NO!
Posted: 19 Sep 2003, 07:51
by The Green Lantern
Apart from AE, I very much admire Tori Amos's lyrics.
