Beck
Michael Stipe
Van Morrison
Jim Morrison
Two Johns (TMBG)
i dont know, i cant really think of any other good lyricists right now.

James Mercer

Stephen Malkmus
Bob Dylan
Bryan Webb (best lyricist I've ever heard)
Kurt Cobain
Leonard Cohen
Black Francis
Jack White
Tom Waits
Joe Strummer
John Lennon
Ian Curtis
"Funeral" Win Butler

i appreciate the lyrics of dan bejar and spencer krug the most as far as music that is coming out now is concerned. dose one (subtle, 13 and god, etc.) is probably my favorite in terms of rap.

quote:

Originally posted by krugulitis:
i appreciate the lyrics of dan bejar and spencer krug the most as far as music that is coming out now is concerned. dose one (subtle, 13 and god, etc.) is probably my favorite in terms of rap.

Doseone is awesome. His rhythms and delivery are amazing. I think his lyrics are sort of formulaic though. The images he uses are all the same feeling and his songs all bring up the same sort of uneasiness. Not that this is bad. This is also called "consistency" in some areas.

Doseone is like Trent Reznor for me lyrically. They are master painters, but they are stuck using the same colors, and painting the same basic scene.

Mark Kozelek. His work in Red House Painters had some of the most powerful lyrics I've ever experienced.

This might be esotaric to those of us in the great white north BUT

Gord Downie of The Tragically Hip is probably the most important musical lyricist in this little country of ours.

The way he has documented the history of Canada and brought it all down to a very personal, but universal, scale is just mind-blowing.

His lyrics are so amazingly full of allusions, wit, banter and heart that I can't think of any other lyricist to match him.

As for a top 3 though...

1. Gord Downie of "The Tragically Hip"

"Then fake incredulous, say, 'I just can't believe!
How'd it get this late so early?'
say, 'Ain't life a grand' and 'I'm in awe of y'all'
then drop into your haunted bunk
go to your touchless times
out where the water's drying
go past the 'No Attractions Past This Point' sign
what you'll find there are all flaws in progress
where all songs are one song and that song is, Don't Forget"

-World Container

2. Matthew Good

"Like tv dinners for the third world
And amputee dancing girls
You try but you fail cause youre bad at life
And good in a vacuum"

-Fated

3. Jeff Mangum of "Neutral Milk Hotel" How has nobody mentioned him yet!?

"Two headed boy she is all you could need
She will feed you tomatoes and radio wires
And retire to sheets safe and clean
But don't hate her when she gets up to leave"

-Two Headed Boy Part II

Michael Stipe
Billy Corgan
James Mercer
Dan Bejar
Brock Issac

1. Jeff Tweedy
2. Thom Yorke
3. Isaac Brock
4. Beck
5. James Mercer

In no particular order...
Michael Stipe
Thom Yorke
Karl Hyde
Matt Berninger (sp?)
Paul Banks
Morrissey (hasn't been mentioned once!!)
Tracey Thorn (makes the topic of lost love sound new)

quote:

Originally posted by kendocubano:
Colin Meloy. Easily the most literary minded of our contemporary lyricists.

What about John Darnielle (Mountain Goats)? I mean he's written liner notes (and song titles) in latin and quotes Ayi Kwei Armah. What do you expect from a Classics Major, though.

I can't believe no one has said Sam Beam or Sufjan Stevens yet.

quote:

I can't believe no one has said Sam Beam or Sufjan Stevens yet.

Sam Bean, I'll give ya - great imagery - but Sufjan?? He reminds of Bright Eyes in that his pretentiousness is called "good songwriting."

I've always thought Sufjan wrote songs beautifully. How the words, though simple, seem to just flow together. Not what they mean, but how they're written. You know?

Sam Beam has always reminded me of Ernest Hemmingway.

However, I think that Isaac Brock wins my number one spot for the best lyricist. How he struggles with the understanding of the universe and God in all of his songs.

Matt Berninger-most of his lyrics seemingly mean nothing, yet they all seem to take on an almost ambiguously beautiful power.

Craig Finn-no one does the 'story song' better

quote:

Originally posted by efrigo:
Craig Finn-no one does the 'story song' better

Bruce Springsteen waves hello.

Maybe in 1975. Actually, definitely in 1975, but not anymore

When "that guy from the Hold Steady" even comes close to writing an album as brilliant as Nebraska, be sure and let me know.

I think I'll step in for a moment to defend Sufjan. I wouldn't call him the best Lyricist of all time, but he is still excellent. He can write songs about wildly different subjects, including emotional resonance, unique humor, subtle characterization, and thoughtfullness. He can place you inside a conflict, or make you an observer, or lock you out of it entirely. His lyrics are never arbitary or half cooked. I'm pretty sure half the musicians in the business (even some of my favorite) throw lyrics out off the top of their heads during jam sessions. Sufjan obviously sits down at a desk and writes them on paper. Not to mention hours in the library researching and brainstorming before hand.

EDIT: Also, as a christian, I can appreciate Sufjan's subtle and respectful influence of faith in his characters and stories. I love God, but I can hardly listen to what passes as people singing about Him on the christian radio stations. Contemporary Christian musicians make God out to seem like some kindof trendy modern version of Santa Claus. So let's all close our eyes and put our hands in the air, so we can force ourselves to feel like it's real.