Topic: Lyrical Quality (Read 15190 times)

Typhlosis · « **on:** 29 Nov 2007, 18:00 »

A field I think more often than not gets shuffled to the side in musical discussion is the lyrical quality of songs or albums. While in music debates with personal friends much credit goes to 'sick-rifts' and the like, I give praise to a bands ability to express themselves through words. While much is to be said about the ability for music to match the words spoken, Ive always valued lyrics highest when acessing how I feel about a band.

So, much respected QC music forum, who do you believe has some of the best lyrical abilities when crafting music?

jeph · « **Reply #1 on:** 29 Nov 2007, 18:01 »

Godspeed You! Black Emperor

monkandmovies13 · « **Reply #2 on:** 29 Nov 2007, 18:13 »

Colin Meloy is my favorite songwriter, but some of the others who are the kind of good that they simeltaneously make you want to write songs and think "i'll never be that good, why bother" are John Darnielle, Ben Gibbard, Morrissey, Will Sheff, Jeff Mangum, Robyn Hitchcock, John Roderick, Pete Doherty (yes, I said it, I think he's a great songwriter. Hate me all you want), Elliott Smith, and Stuart Murdoch. Many many more as I have many many favorite bands.

Interesting music is most important for getting into a song at first, but if it doesn't have good lyrics, I will get bored of it very quickly. A good lyricist makes a lifetime relationship with a band.

KharBevNor · « **Reply #3 on:** 29 Nov 2007, 18:24 »

Dave Tibet, Martin Walkyier, Nick Cave, Bob Dylan, Douglas Pearce, Tony Wakeford, Morrissey, Ian Curtis, Jeff Mangum, Rob Halford.

In that order.

IronOxide · « **Reply #4 on:** 29 Nov 2007, 19:31 »

Phil Ochs.

ViolentDove · « **Reply #5 on:** 29 Nov 2007, 20:18 »

Word on the street is Leonard Cohen is pretty alright at writing stuff.

To be honest, quality lyrics aren't something I generally require in a song, however. I've heard some bad lyrics in some beautifully awesome songs, and it didn't really bother me.

JimmyJazz · « **Reply #6 on:** 29 Nov 2007, 20:20 »

Bob Dylan, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Johnny Cash, Anton Newcombe, Ian Curtis, Stuart Murdoch, Neil Young, Ray Davies, Lou Reed, Joe Strummer, Nick Cave, Roger Waters, Pete Townshend, Robert Johnson, Sam Beam, Chuck D, Micheal Stipe, Jim Morrison, Elvis Costello, David Byrne,Leonard Cohen, Thom Yorke, Morrissey, David Bowie, Jeff Tweedy, Van Morrison.

Those are my favorites, and all of them belong in the top tier of songwriters, in my opinion.

Johnny C · « **Reply #7 on:** 29 Nov 2007, 20:41 »

Quote from: jeph on 29 Nov 2007, 18:01

i am already so god damn sick of t-rex's smartass attitude

Tom · « **Reply #8 on:** 29 Nov 2007, 22:00 »

muteKi · « **Reply #9 on:** 29 Nov 2007, 22:35 »

Why is TMBG not on this list?

Johnny C · « **Reply #10 on:** 29 Nov 2007, 22:42 »

Look deep within your post and you will find the answer that you seek.

Thrillho · « **Reply #11 on:** 30 Nov 2007, 04:56 »

Nick Cave is my favourite lyricist of all time. He can be dark, sexy, murderous, hilarious, and gloriously dumb, usually in the space of one stanza.

He also writes lines that I don't think anybody else in the world would ever write, like some of the ones in 'Nature Boy.'

Patrick · « **Reply #12 on:** 30 Nov 2007, 05:18 »

DISMEMBERMENT PLAN ctrl+c ctrl+vvvvvvvvvvvvv

I'll also mention Alan Jackson's later work. For the longest time he just did a bunch of boring, hokey shit. Then he started to bud as a songwriter. Recommended work: "Remember When". It's about his life with his wife, who was his high school sweetheart.

It has *two* key changes.

TheFuriousWombat · « **Reply #13 on:** 30 Nov 2007, 08:51 »

The aforementioned John Darnielle and Will Scheff are terrific and the as-of-yet unmentioned man behind The Microphones and Mount Eerie, Phil Elvrum (or Elverum as it now is) is rather excellent. Colin Melloy writes great stories-as-lyrics, Joanna Newsom writes wonderful poetry-as-lyrics and, to me, the undisputed king of lyrics, Jeff Mangum, writes holy-fucking-hell-that's-way-too-brilliant-poetry/oddity as lyrics.

Green Gorgon · « **Reply #14 on:** 30 Nov 2007, 13:54 »

The Decemberists, by far. Colin Melloy has amazing talent for story telling, and an incredible vocabulary to boot. And I'm saying this as an English major in college.

PECOAE · « **Reply #15 on:** 30 Nov 2007, 14:07 »

Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, John Lennon, Thom Yorke, Morrissey, those guys are all pretty good.

Also, Paul Westerberg of the Replacements in their later records was getting pretty skilled.

monkandmovies13 · « **Reply #16 on:** 30 Nov 2007, 21:26 »

Quote from: Green Gorgon on 30 Nov 2007, 13:54

The Decemberists, by far. Colin Melloy has amazing talent for story telling, and an incredible vocabulary to boot. And I'm saying this as an English major in college.

Some people think his "incredible vocabulary" is a bad thing because it makes the music too "literate" or "pretentious."

PSSSSHHH

I will never understand that, ever.

Tom · « **Reply #17 on:** 30 Nov 2007, 21:55 »

Verbosity can be really annoying to some people and artists like Spencer Krug and Dan Bejar can be lyrically inaccessible to some casual listeners.

Patrick · « **Reply #18 on:** 01 Dec 2007, 04:35 »

Know what strikes me as odd? A lot of my friends are like, "Yeah Freddie Mercury wrote some EXCELLENT lyrics, man." But I've noticed that a lot of the lines he put into his songs never really actually made sense. Maybe one verse made sense by itself, and then the next verse was about an ENTIRE DIFFERENT SUBJECT.

Just my 2¢.

koalamanchester · « **Reply #19 on:** 01 Dec 2007, 06:17 »

Quote from: KimJongSick on 30 Nov 2007, 05:18

I'll also mention Alan Jackson's later work. For the longest time he just did a bunch of boring, hokey shit. Then he started to bud as a songwriter.

Did you really just praise Alan Jackson? I'm sure no matter how much he has "budded," the music is still overwhelmed with reverbed pedal steel guitars and things like "yee-haw."

Patrick · « **Reply #20 on:** 01 Dec 2007, 06:24 »

Yes, I did. And I also just slammed Queen. But:

Quote from: The Thread Title

Lyrical Quality

Leave his shitty producers out of this and stop trying to steal my King Of Thread Derailment title.

To get back on topic, Gary Puckett and the Union Gap.

Clobbersaurus · « **Reply #21 on:** 05 Dec 2007, 20:24 »

joni mitchell
tom waits
Rakim

Beastmouth · « **Reply #22 on:** 05 Dec 2007, 20:59 »

Dylan, naturally. Craig Finn from the Hold Steady puts interesting stories in his songs while still playing fun with the lyrics; it's an interesting style to me.
Paul Simon puts nice little images there. John Cale's global dysphoria is scarily intriguing. I *love* 'Nosferatu Man' by Slint where he throws in Hank's 'Rambling Man'.
I'm def not much of a lyrics guy, tho.

thehollow · « **Reply #23 on:** 05 Dec 2007, 21:25 »

Adam Turla from Murder By Death writes some pretty cool songs.

KvP · « **Reply #24 on:** 05 Dec 2007, 21:42 »

Cedric Bixler-Zavala. Srsly, just listen.

Seriously, though, you can't go wrong with Nick Cave.

casull · « **Reply #25 on:** 05 Dec 2007, 22:11 »

I take the zach condon approach.

Ballard · « **Reply #26 on:** 05 Dec 2007, 23:55 »

I second Craig Finn.

Quote from: monkandmovies13 on 29 Nov 2007, 18:13

Elliott Smith

I love Elliott Smith, but most of his lyrics revolve around him wallowing in self pity longing for a lost love or whining about his pathetic existence and dependency on fine scotch whiskey.

On the opposite side of the spectrum, there are bands like The Brian Jonestown Massacre. Love him or hate him, Anton Newcombe says things in a primitive manner, but what he says is beautiful, vivid, and painfully clear. Lyrics to "Stars" provided:

Quote

I thought I could touch the stars
I lie alone at night
I don't know where you are
my face explodes
teardrops into tears
and every second I'm not with you
well it seems like years.

I've told you
how I love you
and need you
will kill you
yeah, yeah

I won't die
but I don't feel the same
I lie awake at night
hoping to see you again
my face explodes
teardrops into tears
and every moment I'm not with you
well it seems like years.

I love you
I need you
yeah, yeah
and I told you
that I'd kill you
yeah, yeah

Juxtaposition · « **Reply #27 on:** 06 Dec 2007, 10:35 »

If a song doesn't focus on lyrics, or just has unimportant, ignorable lyrics it can still be amazing. But if it has bad lyrics, I can't listen to it, I just sit there wincing. Lyrics are one of the most important parts of a song to me, though.

Leonard Cohen, Bob Dylan, Colin Meloy, David Bowie, Matt Belamy, Morrissey (of course), many others.

Patrick · « **Reply #28 on:** 06 Dec 2007, 11:17 »

Did I mention Cake? I should probably mention Cake if I haven't already mentioned Cake.

Cake.

yossarian07 · « **Reply #29 on:** 06 Dec 2007, 11:55 »

My Favorites:
Colin Meloy, Jeff Magnum from Neutral Milk Hotel, Thom Yorke, John Darnielle from the Mountain Goats, Ben Gibbard, John Samson from the Weakerthans, Thomas Kalnoky from Streetlight Manifesto, Wayne Coyne

uhh_me? · « **Reply #30 on:** 06 Dec 2007, 12:19 »

i'm going to second craig finn and dan bejar.

i'll with also whateverth john darnielle

oh, and i forgot to mention bill callahan.

TheFuriousWombat · « **Reply #31 on:** 06 Dec 2007, 15:13 »

Quote from: KimJongSick on 06 Dec 2007, 11:17

Did I mention Cake? I should probably mention Cake if I haven't already mentioned Cake.

Cake.

Have you considered working in stand-up comedy?

Tehz · « **Reply #32 on:** 06 Dec 2007, 15:55 »

There are tons of others that I love, but Isaac Brock has written some of my favorite lyrics ever, so I'd have to say he's my favorite.

EDIT: I completely forgot to mention Doug Martsch; I believe he deserves a mention.

Ballard · « **Reply #33 on:** 06 Dec 2007, 16:05 »

Isaac Brock is a great lyricist but his voice, to me, is unbelievably annoying. And it's gotten worse with every record.

ImRonBurgundy? · « **Reply #34 on:** 06 Dec 2007, 16:14 »

Finally someone mentioned John K. Samson. I was getting worried for a second. Blake Schwarzenbach's lyrics still resonate with me pretty strongly.

And I'm sorry, but a song must have a minimum of five sick-rifts in order for me to like it.

Tehz · « **Reply #35 on:** 06 Dec 2007, 16:15 »

I personally love his voice, but only on the older records (Moon and Antarctica and earlier). Modest Mouse, in my opinion, has progressively gotten worse since then.

Not bad by any counts, but not nearly as good as they used to be.

TheFuriousWombat · « **Reply #36 on:** 06 Dec 2007, 22:20 »

Crap, I forgot to mention Jason Molina of Songs: Ohia. What was I thinking? Well, no matter. I submit Jason Molina to my list (and damn near the top too).

r2knee2 · « **Reply #37 on:** 06 Dec 2007, 22:28 »

Spirit of the West.

Beastmouth · « **Reply #38 on:** 06 Dec 2007, 22:48 »

Also, while no one'd ever say Cauty or Drummond are master wordsmiths, 'Hey Hey We Are Not The Monkees' has got to be the best song title ever.

yossarian07 · « **Reply #39 on:** 07 Dec 2007, 00:05 »

Britt Daniel is a pretty good lyricist also, when you understand what the hell he's singing about.

Patrick · « **Reply #40 on:** 07 Dec 2007, 06:05 »

Quote from: TheFuriousWombat on 06 Dec 2007, 15:13

Quote from: KimJongSick on 06 Dec 2007, 11:17
Did I mention Cake? I should probably mention Cake if I haven't already mentioned Cake.

Cake.

Have you considered working in stand-up comedy?

1/10 obvious troll

I'm going to put my neck on the chopping block and suggest the Beach Boys. Sure, the lyrics are simple, but that's half the fun: You actually know what the hell they're talking about at first listen. There's also the fact that Brian Wilson was a very skilled composer and could have two or three different things going at once, all of them harmonizing with not only themselves but each other.

Typhlosis · « **Reply #41 on:** 07 Dec 2007, 14:38 »

KimJongSick, I'm going to have to agree with you. The quality with which their lyrics and music blended, plus the simple fun (and 'nostaglia' of better times) you mentioned are quite evident in the Beach Boys.

btw: nothing wrong with Cake if you like a short skirt and a looooonnnnnngggggggg jack-et

Valrus · « **Reply #42 on:** 07 Dec 2007, 15:20 »

Quote from: yossarian07 on 07 Dec 2007, 00:05

Britt Daniel is a pretty good lyricist also, when you understand what the hell he's singing about.

Does this mean you do? Can you explain it to me?

The Cheesinator · « **Reply #43 on:** 11 Dec 2007, 17:40 »

Some songs by Pavement (Stephen Malkmus and everyone else in the band, i don't know their names), or the Russian Futurists (Which is just Matthew Adam Hart, really). They're all pleasant to recite. Plus Lennon/McCartney. I could probably think of more when pressed.

Johnny C · « **Reply #44 on:** 11 Dec 2007, 18:45 »

Quote from: Valrus on 07 Dec 2007, 15:20

Quote from: yossarian07 on 07 Dec 2007, 00:05
Britt Daniel is a pretty good lyricist also, when you understand what the hell he's singing about.

Does this mean you do? Can you explain it to me?

fuckin'

Jooooosh · « **Reply #45 on:** 11 Dec 2007, 19:02 »

The Long Winters most of the time.

thebignothing · « **Reply #46 on:** 13 Dec 2007, 18:28 »

Can't we all just get along?

NEVERMIND

I like Elliott Smith & Cake.

Also Minus the Bear & Bruce Springsteen.

tomselleck69 · « **Reply #47 on:** 13 Dec 2007, 18:50 »

my list goes like this:

1. Jason Molina

SensoryOssuary · « **Reply #48 on:** 13 Dec 2007, 20:27 »

Besides the obvious heavyweights like Nick Cave, Leonard Cohen, Bob Dylan, Tom Waits, etc.:

- Daniel Higgs, both solo and with Lungfish
His songwriting is totally singular--often repetitive and abstract, and with lots of references to the occult, religion, mythology, etc., especially in his solo work. His (instrumental) album "Atomic Yggdrasil Tarot" album comes with a book of acrostics; here's my favorite one:

Mighty
Undulations
Synchronize
Into
Cosmoses

David Berman (Silver Jews)
This guy is channeling Dylan, as far as I'm concerned. Steeped in Americana but with a philosophical weight.

Joanna Newsom
Definitely my favorite songwriter of the "New Weird America"/whatever scene. Totally deserves the recognition she's getting. Some of the songs on Ys are just totally breathtaking.

Immortal Technique
I can't wait for this guy's next album. Insane political rap with a wide breadth of historical knowledge, and some brutal disses.

Captain Beefheart
People tend to focus on how weird his music was, while his songwriting remains overlooked. His early lyrics had a firm basis in blues tradition, but later in his career his lyrics were more like great abstract art--they often contained veiled sociopolitical or environmental commentary, but were sometimes total dada.

"the ocean/gave me oysters/the people watching it/gave me ulcers/when the ocean/is wounded/it takes the/whole world to heal"

Also: Jandek, Nico, Bill Callahan, Michael Franti.

Valrus · « **Reply #49 on:** 13 Dec 2007, 20:31 »

Quote from: Johnny C on 11 Dec 2007, 18:45

fuckin'

Wow, he is a good lyricist.

THESE FORUMS NOW CLOSED (read only)

Author Topic: Lyrical Quality (Read 15190 times)

Typhlosis

monkandmovies13

muteKi

Green Gorgon

monkandmovies13

yossarian07

uhh_me?

r2knee2

yossarian07

Typhlosis

thebignothing

SensoryOssuary