Who is the best lyricist in music history?

[Cedric Farthsbottom III]

OOOhhhhhhhhhhhh.Mine would have to be for local issues Morrisey.For a wee bit world wide Bono,even though he was made oot to be Jesus!!!!!For his own art of music Fish.For Fish,I think he wrote his best lyrics when he was pissed oot his face.I love that.

[rob murray]

OOOhhhhhhhhhhhh.Mine would have to be for local issues Morrisey.For a wee bit world wide Bono,even though he was made oot to be Jesus!!!!!For his own art of music Fish.For Fish,I think he wrote his best lyrics when he was pissed oot his face.I love that.

Dylan no question...Blonde on Blonde, Highway 61 period, take your pick from any song " God said to Abraham kill me a son, Abe said to God, man your puttin me on....

[Cedric Farthsbottom III]

Dylan no question...Blonde on Blonde, Highway 61 period, take your pick from any song " God said to Abraham kill me a son, Abe said to God, man your puttin me on....

Good one Rob.
But to me these lyrics are better
"It was morning and I found myself mourning
For a childhood that I thought had disappeared
I looked out a window I saw a magpie in a rainbow
The rain is gone I'm not alone I looked in the mirror I saw you"

Excellent.....oh by the way Fish on Marillions 'Misplaced Childhood'

[Cedric Farthsbottom III]

Another good lyric was by Fish I remember was the story in primary school about Robert the Bruce before Bannockburn seeing a spider rebuild his web showing that nothing was invicible.

Fish wrote:

"A spider wanders aimlessly within the warmth of a shadow
Not the regal creature of Border caves
But the poor miscarded directionless familiar
Of some obscure Scottish poet"

I love lyrics me.......

[rob murray]

Good one Rob.
But to me these lyrics are better
"It was morning and I found myself mourning
For a childhood that I thought had disappeared
I looked out a window I saw a magpie in a rainbow
The rain is gone I'm not alone I looked in the mirror I saw you"

Excellent.....oh by the way Fish on Marillions 'Misplaced Childhood'

Aye, good stuff right enough, I dont know much Fish / Marillion material but yes a great lyric. Must admit I prefer the mid 60's Dylan, over all otehr Dylan periods ie spouting brilliant surreal nonsense all over Blonde / Highway etc. " Six white horses that she sent me finally arrived at the gates of the penitentiary, but you know to live outside the law you must be honest" or " I dunno how he did it but that river boat captain he knows my name" ( Absolutly Sweet Marie )or "tell me great leader, but make it quick". I can never remember whole lyrics, just the bits that strike me as quirky and funny.

[Cedric Farthsbottom III]

Aye, good stuff right enough, I dont know much Fish / Marillion material but yes a great lyric. Must admit I prefer the mid 60's Dylan, over all otehr Dylan periods ie spouting brilliant surreal nonsense all over Blonde / Highway etc. " Six white horses that she sent me finally arrived at the gates of the penitentiary, but you know to live outside the law you must be honest" or " I dunno how he did it but that river boat captain he knows my name" ( Absolutly Sweet Marie )or "tell me great leader, but make it quick". I can never remember whole lyrics, just the bits that strike me as quirky and funny.

But thats the best thing about lyrics Rob,the one's that "strike "you.Cos while the drummer was striking it hard,the guitarist was kissing his licks and the bassist was pumpin the beat and a group at its best wi a keyboardist singing the keys.It was the singer or lyricist singing their own song or somebody else's to the crowd.The words are sometimes stronger than the chord.

[rob murray]

But thats the best thing about lyrics Rob,the one's that "strike "you.Cos while the drummer was striking it hard,the guitarist was kissing his licks and the bassist was pumpin the beat and a group at its best wi a keyboardist singing the keys.It was the singer or lyricist singing their own song or somebody else's to the crowd.The words are sometimes stronger than the chord.

Totally agree, music is always the back drop to the lyric, look at the Sex Pistols, would God Save the Queen have the same effect and immediacy if the lyric / song was called " Pour me another one" !!

[Cedric Farthsbottom III]

Totally agree, music is always the back drop to the lyric, look at the Sex Pistols, would God Save the Queen have the same effect and immediacy if the lyric / song was called " Pour me another one" !!

Ma favourite lyric that caused asture at the time.

"Won't you come back tomorrow,won't you come back tomoorow
There's a black car parked at the side of the road
Don't go to the door
Don't go to the door"

A song wrote by a young Bono after his maw had died about a hearse waiting for his Mums funeral.Was made out to be an IRA song,why.Sometimes lyrics are heard more sinister than they were made out to be.

[The Pepsi Challenge]

Frank Zappa.

[rob murray]

Ma favourite lyric that caused asture at the time.

"Won't you come back tomorrow,won't you come back tomoorow
There's a black car parked at the side of the road
Don't go to the door
Don't go to the door"

A song wrote by a young Bono after his maw had died about a hearse waiting for his Mums funeral.Was made out to be an IRA song,why.Sometimes lyrics are heard more sinister than they were made out to be.

I cant remember the song title, didnt know that is caused a stushie, but was the song on the second album October ? I actually thought the early U2 were brill !

[Cedric Farthsbottom III]

I cant remember the song title, didnt know that is caused a stushie, but was the song on the second album October ? I actually thought the early U2 were brill !

Yer spot on Rob.The song was "Tomorrow" on the 'October' album.But then lyrics are always there to be misjudged.Just ask Liz Fraser fae the Cocteau Twins she sung a song "Song to the Siren"by Bill Buckley,it was made to be a lesbian anthem.The song was about a fisherman stickin up to the siren curse.Lyrics..........I love them.More political than politics today

[Cedric Farthsbottom III]

Frank Zappa.

Gie us an example Pepsi?

[trix]

i wid say prity much anything by roger waters, hes got 3 main solo albums

amused til death, radio kaos, an pros an cons o hitchhiking

e lyrics are fantastic...

[The Pepsi Challenge]

Gie us an example Pepsi?

What's the ugliest
Part of your body?
What's the ugliest
Part of your body?
Some say your nose
Some say your toes
But I think it's
YOUR MIND
I think it's your mind, woo woo
ALL YOUR CHILDREN ARE POOR
UNFORTUNATE VICTIMS OF
SYSTEMS BEYOND THEIR
CONTROL
A PLAGUE UPON YOUR
IGNORANCE & THE GRAY
DESPAIR OF YOUR UGLY LIFE
Where did Annie go
Whe she went to town?
Who are all those creeps
That she brings around?
ALL YOUR CHILDREN ARE POOR
UNFORTUNATE VICTIMS OF LIES
YOU BELIEVE
A PLAGUE UPON YOUR
IGNORANCE THAT KEEPS
THE YOUNG FROM THE TRUTH
THEY DESERVE...

[supernova]

"I wish that for just one time you could stand inside my shoes - you'd know what a drag it is to see you"..."don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows"....

two of my favourite lyrics by Dylan - definitely the best lyricist in my view, there are hundreds more to choose from.

Floyd, Neil Young, Joni Mitchel also at the top of the list.

oh my god, I must be a hippy!!

did I forget to mention Shakin' Stevens?

[Jeemag_USA]

There is so many befoe I list some of them, here is the man that i say is undoubtedly the crown champion of all lyricists and also one of the most prolific, every song a winner.....

BOB MARLEY (easy peasy)

But I'd like to throw these names into the ring....

Marc Bolan
David Bowie
Lennon & McCartney
James Taylor
Bono
Tracy Chapman

Who wrote for Elvis, whoever it was I thought he or she was really good, my favourite line is from Hound Dog.

"You ain't never caught a rabbit, you ain't no friend of mine"

[fred]

Who wrote for Elvis, whoever it was I thought he or she was really good, my favourite line is from Hound Dog.

I don't think anybody wrote for Elvis. Carl Perkins wrote Blue Suede Shoes I know that but I don't think he wrote any of the others, wouldn't surprise me if every song didn't have a different composer.

House of the Rising Sun was a classic example of how things worked in them days. Been around in the barrelhouses for donkeys years before someone decided to make it their own, Bob Dylan heard them doing it and decided to record it then the Animals nicked it off Bob Dylan and everybody associates it with them now. Hard to say just who wrote what, it wasn't always the person who got the credits.

[Aaldtimer]

One of the early sources of "House of the Rising Sun" was Leadbelly (Huddie Leadbetter, pronounced Hewdie btw). God only knows where the original came from.

[fred]

One of the early sources of "House of the Rising Sun" was Leadbelly (Huddie Leadbetter, pronounced Hewdie btw). God only knows where the original came from.

One of the unsung heroes of music, the grass roots who innovate not the mainstream who capitalise, I take my hat off to him whoever he was.

[WeeRob]

I don't think anybody wrote for Elvis. Carl Perkins wrote Blue Suede Shoes I know that but I don't think he wrote any of the others, wouldn't surprise me if every song didn't have a different composer.

Leiber and Stoller wrote Hound Dog, original (and best) version done by Big Mama Thorton.

I think that folk / traditional songs have the best lyrics, especially the more haunting ballads that have come out of our way - though I'm fond of older blues, old timey Americana as well. I'm sure Dylan would agree with me too!