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Great popular song lyricists
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Who are the contenders for the greatest popular song lyricist of all time?
Who is your favourite?
Who gets your vote for the greatest ever?
OK, i'll open with :
Porter, Hammerstein, Dylan
Silverstein
Dylan
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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I've seen Bob Dylan mentioned a couple of times now and his lyrics are powerful, no doubt about that.
I'd put Billy Bragg up there alongside Dylan as political lyricists, although Dylan's work does cover other areas. Bragg seems to have made his name on purely political comments, but I could be wrong. Even so, he always seems to find a unique angle on things and gets his message out succinctly and with punch. |
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By *ollie_JCouple
over a year ago
London |
Lennon, Dylan, gill Scott heron, maybe nick drake for those sixth form suicidal moments, and naturally the genius of jimmy webb
Jagger is interesting, as from a Poetry point of view they are meaningless but from a lyrics to fit the music, they are excellent. Didn't the stones not have lyrics on their album covers until way into the seventies as they look ridiculous stand alone. I do though have a liking for the flea pit bitten monkey line. |
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pink floyd for dark side and a few others
Zep were ok oh and
Ray Davies for all the hits he wrote.
Dylan for me was the wordsmith tho, Hurricane was a master piece of story telling in a song..Imho of course
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"pink floyd for dark side and a few others
Zep were ok oh and
Ray Davies for all the hits he wrote.
Dylan for me was the wordsmith tho, Hurricane was a master piece of story telling in a song..Imho of course
"
Yep, good choices.
Hurricane is good, based somewhat loosely on a true story but WTF did Lily, Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts appear from? |
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"If it just lyricists you are after I think Morrissey is way ahead of the pack.
The old favourite, was expecting that. Way ahead? Really."
Actually, it reminds me of an Athena poster i had on display at work. The caption simply said :
"I'm so far behind, i think i'm in front" |
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I would say so I would narrow it down to the work he did with The Smiths. The subject matter of their songs and the issues they wrote about puts them in a different league to any other band in terms of lyrics. |
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"pink floyd for dark side and a few others
Zep were ok oh and
Ray Davies for all the hits he wrote.
Dylan for me was the wordsmith tho, Hurricane was a master piece of story telling in a song..Imho of course
Yep, good choices.
Hurricane is good, based somewhat loosely on a true story but WTF did Lily, Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts appear from?"
dont know about them lily etc,i heard that hurricane kicked of the guys appeal as people really began to look at the case.
Forgot The Jam and Stranglers too...lol
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"I would say so I would narrow it down to the work he did with The Smiths. The subject matter of their songs and the issues they wrote about puts them in a different league to any other band in terms of lyrics. "
i liked some of the smiths stuff ,
hang the dj ,this charming man and one of the trickiest short songs i ever heard "Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want" was brilliant |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"pink floyd for dark side and a few others
Zep were ok oh and
Ray Davies for all the hits he wrote.
Dylan for me was the wordsmith tho, Hurricane was a master piece of story telling in a song..Imho of course
"
my favourite dylan is I Want You...the best story I heard him relate was Talkin Bear Mountain Picnic Massacre Blues, which can just make me smile every time. |
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"pink floyd for dark side and a few others
Zep were ok oh and
Ray Davies for all the hits he wrote.
Dylan for me was the wordsmith tho, Hurricane was a master piece of story telling in a song..Imho of course
my favourite dylan is I Want You...the best story I heard him relate was Talkin Bear Mountain Picnic Massacre Blues, which can just make me smile every time. "
lol me too ... |
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"I've seen Bob Dylan mentioned a couple of times now and his lyrics are powerful, no doubt about that.
I'd put Billy Bragg up there alongside Dylan as political lyricists, although Dylan's work does cover other areas. Bragg seems to have made his name on purely political comments, but I could be wrong. Even so, he always seems to find a unique angle on things and gets his message out succinctly and with punch."
Yeh billy bragg,spent many an hour listening to his songs when i was an angry young man.'now a man can spend a lot of time wondering what was on chairman mao's mind,but time is all i have without you here' classic |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"Well nobody laugh but i think damien rice writes beautifully dark lyrics.i think hes up there with the people mentioned already"
Not laughing at all, blowers daughter is one of my fav songs. |
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"Well nobody laugh but i think damien rice writes beautifully dark lyrics.i think hes up there with the people mentioned already
Not laughing at all, blowers daughter is one of my fav songs."
Yeh thats a classic song.one of his best.its just a lot of people i speak to think he comes under the easy listening to label.an nothing could be further from the truth.lol |
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By *umourCouple
over a year ago
Rushden |
Paul Weller
Bob Dylan
and Roger Waters
Also love some of his track titles:
Several species of small furry animals, gathered together in a cave and grooving with a Pict!
Now that is a title!  |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"Ha ha ha... Just seen the post above.. I really do mean Paul weller! I hadn't finished reading the thread! "
love weller
morrisey
holland dozier holland
richard hawley
jim croce
james blunt (yes really !)
etc etc etc
so many brilliant lyricists
but for up and coming future genius
check out mike rosenberg from Passenger the guy is a total poet...i love him !!! |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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haven't seen Micah P Hinson get a mention yet?
outstanding native american singer/song writer (the influence is apparant). at the age of 29 he has written music with the pen of dylan, the vocals of vedder and the style of cash in his darker days.
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