Who is the world's greatest lyricist?

[Kounelaki]

http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/music/2008/ ... t_lyr.html

A couple of votes for our Ian.

I'd vote for laughing Len.

[tonywojo]

http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/music/2008/06/who_is_the_worlds_greatest_lyr.html

A couple of votes for our Ian.

I'd vote for laughing Len.

Would anyone vote for me?

[insanejane]

Would anyone vote for me?

myself and sheffieldstiehl

[tonywojo]

myself and sheffieldstiehl

How you know I went to Sheffield Poly?

Who is that guy?

[black francis]

Jarvis Cocker

[withahip]

Neil Diamond.

[tonywojo]

Neil Diamond.

You can't compare yourself to the bible and shakespeare and sinartra and cohen and not be the best.

But where's the originality?

[Red]

i'd vote for Cohen.


(or maybe Nick Cave as a close 2nd)

[tonywojo]

i'd vote for Cohen.


(or maybe Nick Cave as a close 2nd)

Missus said "You're into Leonard Cohen, aren't you?" yesterday when we were in Rough Trade.

I had to deny it.

The choice was Comsats "Fiction" or "Love to Admire" tour pack.

Comsats won - on the way back - "all tracks sound the same".

In my own world anyway.

The same is levelled at most groups, particularly Cohen etc.

[moses (2)]

Dolly Parton for this song



Tumble outta bed
And I stumble to the kitchen
Pour myself a cup of ambition
And yawn and stretch
And try to come to life
Jump in the shower
And the blood starts pumpin'
Out on the street
The traffic starts jumpin'
The folks like me on the job from 9 to 5

Workin' 9 to 5,
What a way to make a livin'
Barely gettin' by
It's all takin' and no givin'
They just use your mind
And they never give you credit
It's enough to drive you crazy
If you let it
9 to 5, for service and devotion
You would think that I
Would deserve a fat promotion
Want to move ahead
But the boss won't seem to let me
I swear sometimes that man is out to get me

They let you dream
Just to watch 'em shatter
You're just a step
On the boss-man's ladder
But you got dreams
He'll never take away
You're in the same boat
With a lotta your friends
Waitin' for the day your ship'll come in
'N' the tide's gonna turn
And it's all gonna roll your way

Workin' 9 to 5
What a way to make a livin'
Barely gettin' by
It's all takin' and no givin'
They just use your mind
And you never get the credit
It's enough to drive you crazy
If you let it
9 to 5, yeah
They got you where they want you
There's a better life
And you think about it, don't you
It's a rich man's game
No matter what they call it
And you spend your life
Puttin' money in his wallet

9 to 5, whoa
What a way to make a livin'
Barely gettin' by
It's all takin' and no givin'
They just use your mind
And they never give you credit
It's enough to drive you crazy
If you let it

9 to 5, yeah
They got you where they want you
There's a better life
And you dream about it, don't you
It's a rich man's game
No matter what they call it

[moondance]

Dolly Parton is actually a very good songwriter.
Mac and Van Morrison are my favorites. Morrison's lyrics are like fine poetry.
Bruce Springsteen, Gordon Lightfoot, John Denver and Paul Simon are excellent too.

[Dr Cheese]

I'm sorry to you all but this is pure genius and I defy anyone to come up with anything better!

Wham! Bam! my cat Splash
lies on my bed with his tongue puffed out
by drinking all my whisky.
As for me, not enough sleep, drained, persecuted,
I had to sleep in the gutter
where I had a flash
Oooo-ooo-ooo-ooo!
in four colours

Allez-oop! One morning
a darling came to my home,
a cellophane puppet with Chinese hair,
a plaster, a hangover,
drank my beer in a large rubber glass
Oooo-ooo-ooo-ooo!
like an Indian in his igloo

This works for me, this works for me
This works for me me me me me
This work for me
Oooo-ooo-ooo-ooo!
This works for me

Allez-oop! The chick***, what a gas!
what a vibration!
to be sent on the door mat
filed, ruined, drained, filled
You are the King of the divan!
she says to me in passing
Oooo-ooo-ooo-ooo!
I am the King of the divan

This works for me, this works for me
This works for me me me me me
This workss for me
Oooo-ooo-ooo-ooo!
This works for me

Allez-oop! Don't mind, don't worry
Don't affect me
It’s not today
that the sky will fall on my head
and I'll be without glue
Oooo-ooo-ooo-ooo!
This life’s for me

Allez-oop! my chick has gone away,
flew away, finally had enough, to break
the sink, the bar, leaving me alone
like a complete jerk
Oooo-ooo-ooo-ooo!
I've put my foot in it

This works for me, this works for me
This works for me me me me me
This workss for me
Oooo-ooo-ooo-ooo!
This works for me
This workss for me, this works for me
This works for me me me me me

[insanejane]

Dolly Parton is actually a very good songwriter.
Mac and Van Morrison are my favorites. Morrison's lyrics are like fine poetry.
Bruce Springsteen, Gordon Lightfoot, John Denver and Paul Simon are excellent too.

I have to say Mac is my favorite too.


Moondance, since you've included some folksy types, I'd have to also say Jackson Browne. He was only 16 when he wrote "These Days"


Love that Coldplay quote

[black francis]

Ian Curtis
JL DeMeyer
Frank Black
Lou Barlow

[Kounelaki]

http://music.guardian.co.uk/greatlyrici ... 29,00.html