10 Favorite lyric writers

NorioDS

My list so far (I'm thinking hard, ok)...

- Queen
- U2 (Who writes their stuff? Bono?)
- Ben Harper (Lots!)
- REM (Losing my Religion, etc)

Ben Harper - Alone

This empty room it fills my mind
Freedom it leaves me so confined

...

Today and tomorrow have become one
Every single thing has become none
Human nature is a beast
What I've done the most, to show I have the least

...

SimoneMeyer

Hmm... Not sure if I've got ten, but let's give it a try...

1.) Hunter Kennedy - Fokofpolisiekar
2.) Francois vanCoke - Van Coke Kartel
3.) Tom deLonge - Blink 182
4.) Kurt Cobain - Nirvana
5.) Courtney Love - Hole
6.) Adam Lazzara - Taking Back Sunday
7.) Paul McCartney/ John Lennon
8.) Freddie Mercury

Yeah, I think that's it ^_^

Satriani

LOVE this topic!

1) Queen collectively (The Show Must Go On greatest and saddest lyrics I've ever heard)
2) Billy Joel
3) Diane Warren
4) Bon Jovi
5) Def Leppard
6) Benny & Bjorn (ABBA)
7) Max Martin / Andreas Carllson
8) Phil Collins
9) Jascha Richter (Michael Learns To Rock) INCREDIBLE lyricist
10 Robbie Williams

DANVIG

1. Hunter Kennedy (fokofpolisiekar, aKing, Die Heuwels fantasties)

Can't think of any1 Better, My Afrikaans teacher gave us lesson on the Lyrics of Hunter Kennedy and you won't believe what that stuff acually means. He write all his stuff with a twist and with lots of "ironie".

After she gave us that lesson my whole view of fokofpolisiekar change, I have so much repect for Hunter.

BobC

In no particular order -

1) Adam Duritz - Counting Crows
2) Joni Mitchell
3) Dan Fogelberg
4) Bruce Springsteen
5) Marc Cohn
6) Roger Waters
7) Kelly Joe Phelps - also one of my favourite guitarists
8) Tom Petty
9) Richard Ashcroft - The Verve
10) Tracy Chapman

Bob-Dubery

Renesongs wrote: Following from the Tom Waits thread. Who are your favourite 10 Lyric writers.

Thinking in terms of a body of work rather than individual songs...

Richard Thompson (definitely numero uno for me - the rankings of the rest are less fixed)
Dylan (OK... definitely number 2 because he advanced the game so much so rapidly)
WS Gilbert
Louden Wainwright III
Paul Simon
Peter Case
Randy Newman
Sandy Denny
Robbie Robertson
Hank Williams

Bob-Dubery

Squonk wrote:
Steeleye Span - "alison gross she must be the ugliest witch in the north country"

How many songs did the revolving line-up of Steeleye Span actually write? I'd bet there was a fair percentage of "trad, arr" in their liner notes. Certainly they were conceived as a band to present English traditional song in an updated but respectful style.

Bob-Dubery

DANVIG wrote: 1. Hunter Kennedy (fokofpolisiekar, aKing, Die Heuwels fantasties)

Can't think of any1 Better, My Afrikaans teacher gave us lesson on the Lyrics of Hunter Kennedy and you won't believe what that stuff acually means. He write all his stuff with a twist and with lots of "ironie".

After she gave us that lesson my whole view of fokofpolisiekar change, I have so much repect for Hunter.

I actually feel a bit blind for not listing any South African songwriters.

People that stick in my mind are James Phillips, Roger Lucey, "Mac" McKenzie, Jennifer Ferguson, Robbie Robb.

Matt-White

Don't have time for a full list now, but about new songwriters: I definately want to mention Ben Harper. He's not just an amazing guitar and lap slide player, but his lyrics are great. He puts a twist on the most simple saying to make it great. Soulful and spiritual songs.

Guys who really write good lyrics these days are the alt-country singer/songwriters. Like Ryan Adams and a guy called M Ward. They write deceptive simple songs with HUGE impact.
Check out M Ward's tune Carolina eg, where he likens the fact that his girl left him with different states in the US.
Like (North and South) Carolina, he "split myself in two".
"Im walking backwards
from Chicago to Washington,
But that's not enough,
You want me to run."

Another great track is "I've got fuel for fire" - singing about his heart...

(BTW, I agree on Hunter. He changed the Afrikaans rock landscape.)

Bob-Dubery

Renesongs wrote:
Riaan C wrote: Becker / Fagen
Riaan I was wondering when you were going to pitch in with the steely knife, "turn up the eagles the neighbours are listing" Here's one for those who don't know what the hell we on (about?)

Personally I thought the Dan did way better songs than that one. Thanks for the reminder of that great "...Eagles...neighbours..." line. I'd forgotten that one ?

Somebody posted the lyrics to Deacon Blues. That's a wonderful song. Off the same album I liked "Home At Last".

Generally with The Dan I preferred the earlier albums. "My Old School" is a favourite of mine - as a song as well as for Skunk Baxter's playing. I love their first album. Donald Fagan's first solo album had some great songs on it. My favourites there, in terms of lyrics, would be "The Goodbye Look" and "Nightfly".

Squonk

Bob Dubery wrote:
Squonk wrote:
Steeleye Span - "alison gross she must be the ugliest witch in the north country"
How many songs did the revolving line-up of Steeleye Span actually write? I'd bet there was a fair percentage of "trad, arr" in their liner notes. Certainly they were conceived as a band to present English traditional song in an updated but respectful style.

You are right Bob, but they do write the occasional song and more so now. The lineup is a lot more consistent now. I am a bit biased because their latest drummer Liam Genockey is my wifes Uncle, and he has been there since 1992. This might be of interest to you, in 2001 when we visited Liam, Jerry Donahue had just been and presented Liam with a Signature Telecaster.

Bob-Dubery

Squonk wrote: You are right Bob, but they do write the occasional song and more so now. The lineup is a lot more consistent now.

In 1969 Fairport Convention recorded their famous "Liege and Lief" album. A lot of people would say that this was the birth of British folk-rock. For various reasons there was a lot of emotional investment from the band in that album. In particular Ashley Hutchings (whose band Fairport really was) was converted to the beauty of the English folk song and was very keen to start working with traditional music rather than a folky kind of rock with some nods to the real thing. Singer Sandy Denny had really introduced Fairport to the English folk canon, but she was quite keen to move on from there rather than be a "folk" singer for the rest of her life. So Hutchings split so that he could pursue his vision. Ironically Sandy split at about the same time for fear of the band going too folky....

Anyhoo it was Hutchings who was the initial inspiration behind Steeleye Span. And the intention was to work strictly with traditional English music. These days, as you rightly say, they do perform some originals and even have a drummer (gasp)!

Squonk wrote: I am a bit biased because their latest drummer Liam Genockey is my wifes Uncle, and he has been there since 1992. This might be of interest to you, in 2001 when we visited Liam, Jerry Donahue had just been and presented Liam with a Signature Telecaster.

Cheeky bastard! He was endorsing Peavey by then.

Bob-Dubery

I'm wondering if there's any kind of gap in anybody's lists between those they enjoy and those they admire? Votes cast for guys who you might recognise as being very good, important etc but you don't listen to or maybe can't stand. People like me who can't stand Dylan these days but still acknowledge his importance and excellence.

It occurs to me, for example, that Jim Morrison was a pretty good lyricist (his vocals are another matter). I don't ever listen to The Doors, and don't lie awake at night worrying about it. But in any kind of debate or argument I would pretty easily concede that Morrison was a bit special in the lyrics department - and then continue to not listen to him.

Or Joni Mitchell. Was she great? OF COURSE she was. Do I listen to her. No. I'd really LIKE to like Joni Mitchell, kind of feel that I should. But I don't - I just admire her in an academic kind of way from a distance.

Spyke

In no order as such...

Jimmy Pop - Bloodhound Gang
Tim McIlrath - Rise Against
Kurt Cobain - Nirvana
Bouwer Bosch - Straatligkinders
Hunter Kenedy - FPK
Pete Loeffler - Chevelle
Serj Tankian - System of a Down

well, there's seven.

Riaan-Combrink

Bob Dubery wrote: Donald Fagan's first solo album had some great songs on it. My favourites there, in terms of lyrics, would be "The Goodbye Look" and "Nightfly".

Absolutely. I did a post on that album some time back. Ony Donald would throw in, in the context of being on an island paradise where "the embassy's been hard to reach" (Havana?), "Won't you pour me a Cuban Breeze, Gretchen?", before a great guitar/ marimba conga line outtro just winds the song down in style ...

On the Nightfly's CD liner notes, Fagen writes the songs on this album "represent certain fantasies that might of been entertained by a young man growing up in the remote suburbs of a northeastern city during the late fifties and early sixties". ?

Here's the Goodbye Look:

Another classic off the album: New Frontier (what a bass-line!!):

The title track (incredible musicianship):

And a rare clip of Fagen solo (with Mike McDonald) doing Pretzel Logic, just 'cause I couldn't help myself (great example of a simple solo fitting the song in the right spaces) ?

If anybody's interested in Fagan/Becker/Steely Dan Lyrics:
Nightfly album:
http://www.steelydan.com/nightflyrics.html

Every Dan and solo album:
http://www.steelydan.com/lyrics.html

Riaan

My favourites, somewhat in order of preferrance but not strictly so:
Roger Waters
Leonard Cohen
David Gilmour (and wife Polly)
Roger Taylor
Bob Dylan
George Harrison
John Lennon
Bernie Taupin
Tom Petty - don't know if he writes his own vocals.
Locals: Koos Kombuis, Valiant Swart, Rian Malan, the late Johannes Kerkorrel

Bob-Dubery

This been some interesting lists here. Which goes to show that there are rather more than 10 great songwriters.

So, Christmas is starting to loom on the horizon (I've already heard Boney M being played), and if you're interested in songwriting then you might think about dropping hints RE Paul Zollo's book "Song Writers On Song Writing". That would make a nifty stocking filler. Available from your favourite e-tailer.

Published by Da Capo Press
ISBN: 0-306-81265-7

Or you could give it to yourself from yourself.

Riaan

Or you could give it to yourself from yourself.

Now there's an idea...!

Trippp

Wow ... not ONE vote for Chris Cornell? Is it just me that rates him? ?

WantzChas

I only have one true favourite, but I'll name a few I like.

1. Koos du Plessis (most people aren't familiar with his work, but I think he was a genius.)
2. Hunter Kenedy - Fokofpolisiekar (Stuff is so metaphorical and deep.)
3. Corey Taylor - Stone Sour (Not Slipknot, maybe Snuff on the new album.)
4. Don Felder, Don Henley and Glenn Frey - The Eagles (Hotel California, weird stuff, also very metaphorical.)
5. Bob Seger (You got to love Bob Seger, although I'm not 100% sure if he wrote his lyrics himself.)