FabSwingers.com forum: Great popular song lyricists

By *ushroom7 OP Man
over a year ago

Bradford

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

Lennon & McCartney are the obvious choice but I can't stand the Beatles so don't rate their lyrics either.

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By *unky monkeyMan
over a year ago

in the night garden

Bee gees

Burt Bacharach -- not sure if he wrote lyrics aswell

Difford and Tilbrook

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

dylan (has he ben said already?) and leonard cohen...more modern, guy garvey is up there for me, very simple lyrics, but strong

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

I've seen Bob Dylan mentioned a couple of times now and his lyrics are powerful, no doubt about that.

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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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By *etillanteWoman
over a year ago

Gershwin

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

elvis costello, difford/tilbrook,

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Radiohead have written some fantastic lyrics even if they are a little depressing.

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By *iamondsmiles.Woman
over a year ago

little house on the praire

My personal favourite songwriter of all time is

drum roll

are you ready

Jim Steinman

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By *ushroom7 OP Man
over a year ago

Bradford

Nice to see Jimmy Webb get a mention, heard a great interview he gave a year or so ago.

Where are the fans of the great tamla /soul writers?

Huff/Gamble, Lamont-Dozier-Holland.

Goffin/king?

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By *yuiop08Man
over a year ago

Salford

If it just lyricists you are after I think Morrissey is way ahead of the pack.

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By *aucy3Couple
over a year ago

glasgow

roger waters.

leonard cohen.

mike scott.

burt bacharach.

john lennon.

my god there are so many.

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By *leasureDomeMan
over a year ago

all over the place

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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By *ushroom7 OP Man
over a year ago

Bradford

"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.

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By *ushroom7 OP Man
over a year ago

Bradford

"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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By *ushroom7 OP Man
over a year ago

Bradford

"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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By *yuiop08Man
over a year ago

Salford

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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By *leasureDomeMan
over a year ago

all over the place

"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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By *leasureDomeMan
over a year ago

all over the place

"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 *undebigaryMan
over a year ago

dundee

Well nobody laugh but i think damien rice writes beautifully dark lyrics.i think hes up there with the people mentioned already

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"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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By *leasureDomeMan
over a year ago

all over the place

"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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By *undebigaryMan
over a year ago

dundee

"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

Roger waters springs to mind.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"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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By *undebigaryMan
over a year ago

dundee

"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 *he BananamanMan
over a year ago

WORCESTERSHIRE

some of my faves

are:isaac haye/david porter

otis redding/jerry butler

jackie de shannon

and those two sisters ann & nancy wilson from seattle who write such great songs in the band heart.

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By *atisfy janeWoman
over a year ago

Torquay

Smokey Robinson....Brian Holland....Lamont Dozier....

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Bill Oddie...

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"Bill Oddie...

The Funky Gibbon...Classic...

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By *ushroom7 OP Man
over a year ago

Bradford

"Bill Oddie...

The Funky Gibbon...Classic...

Didn't he go on to form ZZ Top?

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By *ikeriderMan
over a year ago

prestatyn

Patti Smith, THE most under rated songwriter around.

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By *ell of the ballWoman
over a year ago

birmingham

Na gota be Jasper Carrot, Magic Roundabout lol

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Cant believe no one has mentioned Paul Weller

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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 *umourCouple
over a year ago

Rushden

Ha ha ha... Just seen the post above.. I really do mean Paul weller! I hadn't finished reading the thread!

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"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 *emmefataleWoman
over a year ago

dirtybigbadsgirlville

Bob the Builder- big fish little fish was class

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By *he_original_poloWoman
over a year ago

a Primark shoebox in Leicester

Hendrix, Matt Bellamy and Old Dirty Bastard

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By *ertngladCouple
over a year ago

thornton -cleveleys

How about Justin Hayward and the rest of the Moody Blues

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Polly Harvey

Frank Black of the pixies

Pete Townshend

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By *ushroom7 OP Man
over a year ago

Bradford

John Prine

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Tim and Neil Finn from Crowded House, Jarvis Cocker, George Harrison, Wayne Coyne from Flaming Lips and the great Roky Erikson

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

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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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Freddie Mercury

scaramouch scaramouch do the fandango!

Quality! & was the best live performer

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