Great Lyricists of contemporary music

Original post by usuk2004

Mar 18, 2005 11:24 AM

Sounds so nerdy, but are there any songwriters today that you just think are brilliant???

Adam Duritz - Counting Crows
Billy Joel
Dave Matthews

and my all time favorite, who I think is just a genius!

PRINCE

ahhh...eta: Tori Amos!

meghanmetz Posted: Mar 18, 2005 02:40 PM

Re: Great Lyricists of contemporary music

adam duritz

Slipperboy Posted: Mar 18, 2005 03:19 PM

Re: Great Lyricists of contemporary music

Posted by MonkeyLuv

Posted by tourist

ooh I was thinking Liz Phair , but OLD Liz Phair.
Divorce Song Liz Phair. . .

Word!! (of course I now have the most awesome Liz Phair song stuck in my head... 'f*** & run') But I gotta say, the lyrics on Whitechocolatespaceegg are really good!

And here I thought I would be the first to post the marvelous Liz!

janwinterbridejoy Posted: Mar 18, 2005 03:24 PM

Re: Great Lyricists of contemporary music

morrissey

TwoBugs Posted: Mar 18, 2005 03:27 PM

Re: Great Lyricists of contemporary music

Posted by hbradio

Posted by MonkeyLuv

Isaac Brock from Modest Mouse ('I fell in love and I needed a road map...')

YES!!!!!!!!!!!!

I saw them in concert recently and thought of you and hoping you had a chance to see them too - somehow I knew you are a big Modest Mouse fan. (???? No idea why I know this. )

heidla Posted: Mar 18, 2005 03:31 PM

Re: Great Lyricists of contemporary music

Dolly Parton
Carol King
Burt Bacharach
James Taylor
Joni Mitchell
Beck
Sting
Prince
Alaniss Morisette

bluegrl24ny Posted: Mar 18, 2005 03:34 PM

Re: Great Lyricists of contemporary music

Tori Amos
Jeff Buckley
Thom Yorke
Dave Matthews
Norah Jones

oh there's so many more that I just cant think of right now!

tourist Posted: Mar 18, 2005 03:35 PM

Re: Great Lyricists of contemporary music

Posted by heidla

Dolly Parton
Carol King
Burt Bacharach
James Taylor
Joni Mitchell
Beck
Sting
Prince
Alaniss Morisette

ooh- yes Carol King! How could I forget. She also wrote a lot of stuff you don't relaize is hers.

I have to object to the Alanis & the earlier post of Jon Mayer. He is WAY over-rated. His lyrics are very immature & transparent. He has a good vopice though.

tourist Posted: Mar 18, 2005 03:36 PM

Re: Great Lyricists of contemporary music

Posted by eogara

Billy Joel

Sara McLachlin

Tori Amos

Melissa Etheridge

I can't decide if Tori is brilliant or insane, a little of both I guess, but I can't make much sense of most of her later stuff ( haven't heard the new album yet)

heidla Posted: Mar 18, 2005 03:41 PM

Re: Great Lyricists of contemporary music

Posted by tourist

ooh- yes Carol King! How could I forget. She also wrote a lot of stuff you don't relaize is hers.

I have to object to the Alanis & the earlier post of Jon Mayer. He is WAY over-rated. His lyrics are very immature & transparent. He has a good vopice though.

I loved Alanis's first album. It was so full of raw passion and power. Maybe it was the timing of that album coming out. I was a very angry teen. I have not enjoyed much of her later stuff, but I think Jagged Little Pill was good enough for me to consider her good enough for this list.

tourist Posted: Mar 18, 2005 03:57 PM

Re: Great Lyricists of contemporary music

Posted by heidla

Posted by tourist

ooh- yes Carol King! How could I forget. She also wrote a lot of stuff you don't relaize is hers.

I have to object to the Alanis & the earlier post of Jon Mayer. He is WAY over-rated. His lyrics are very immature & transparent. He has a good vopice though.

I loved Alanis's first album. It was so full of raw passion and power. Maybe it was the timing of that album coming out. I was a very angry teen. I have not enjoyed much of her later stuff, but I think Jagged Little Pill was good enough for me to consider her good enough for this list.

does it have the sma einpact if you lsiten now? I loved it, but it didn't stand the test of tiem for me.

That to me is what seperates a good writer from an amamzing one. James Taylor, Carol King, Bernie Taupin, Paul Simon. . .those songs are timeless.

heidla Posted: Mar 18, 2005 04:01 PM

Re: Great Lyricists of contemporary music

Posted by tourist

does it have the sma einpact if you lsiten now? I loved it, but it didn't stand the test of tiem for me.

That to me is what seperates a good writer from an amamzing one. James Taylor, Carol King, Bernie Taupin, Paul Simon. . .those songs are timeless.

It actually does. I wonder what that means? Guess I am still pretty angry.

I understand your point. I certainly don't put her in the same catagory as Joni Mitchell, King etc. , but compared to a lot of the popular young ladies today I think she actually had some talent at pouring out her guts.

I would also like to add Linda Perry to my list.

hbradio Posted: Mar 18, 2005 04:07 PM

Re: Great Lyricists of contemporary music

Posted by TwoBugs

Posted by hbradio

Posted by MonkeyLuv

Isaac Brock from Modest Mouse ('I fell in love and I needed a road map...')

YES!!!!!!!!!!!!

I saw them in concert recently and thought of you and hoping you had a chance to see them too - somehow I knew you are a big Modest Mouse fan. (???? No idea why I know this. )

Are you talking to me or MonkeyLuv???

tourist Posted: Mar 18, 2005 04:10 PM

Re: Great Lyricists of contemporary music

Posted by heidla

Posted by tourist

does it have the sma einpact if you lsiten now? I loved it, but it didn't stand the test of tiem for me.

That to me is what seperates a good writer from an amamzing one. James Taylor, Carol King, Bernie Taupin, Paul Simon. . .those songs are timeless.

It actually does. I wonder what that means? Guess I am still pretty angry.

I understand your point. I certainly don't put her in the same catagory as Joni Mitchell, King etc. , but compared to a lot of the popular young ladies today I think she actually had some talent at pouring out her guts.

I would also like to add Linda Perry to my list.

well a little anger can be a good thing I thinkof her more int he same category as Avril Lavigne. I think for a kid she has potential, more at writing than performing.
And more for catchy radio songs, that soemthing that borders lyrical poetry.

( like Elenor Rigby which was actually in one of my Lit anthologies in college as an example of Lyrical poetry.)

TwoBugs Posted: Mar 18, 2005 04:40 PM

Re: Great Lyricists of contemporary music

Posted by hbradio

Posted by TwoBugs

Posted by hbradio

Posted by MonkeyLuv

Isaac Brock from Modest Mouse ('I fell in love and I needed a road map...')

YES!!!!!!!!!!!!

I saw them in concert recently and thought of you and hoping you had a chance to see them too - somehow I knew you are a big Modest Mouse fan. (???? No idea why I know this. )

Are you talking to me or MonkeyLuv???

You!

jantany26 Posted: Mar 18, 2005 04:46 PM

Re: Great Lyricists of contemporary music

Posted by divabride

Alicia Keys. I love the way she bares her soul in all her songs.

I agree, I love her music specially her latest album.

xjulietx Posted: Mar 18, 2005 04:53 PM

Re: Great Lyricists of contemporary music

Going out on an 80's limb here. Great lyricist from the UK in the 80's. Anybody remember Nik Kershaw?

lolita4life Posted: Mar 18, 2005 05:00 PM

Re: Great Lyricists of contemporary music

EDDIE VEDDER!!!!!
(i think half the reason why i love them so much is his great lyrics)

Fiona Apple

Melissa Etheridge

cocoa Posted: Mar 18, 2005 08:23 PM

Re: Great Lyricists of contemporary music

you guys have named a lot of my favorites, like jewel, dave (pure poetry!!!!), sarah, melissa, paul, but i gotta add my lady of blues...joni mitchell! man, she makes me cry. the grateful dead and richie havens (although most of his stuff is written for him, like follow, he did open woodstock with freedom). also, wyclef and dido. and the boys from maroon 5. and all three beastie boys!