Favorite Lyrist?

B.M.R · Post by **B.M.R** » Sat Jul 01, 2006 11:18 pm

Who are your favorite lyrists? What about them do you enjoy?

My favorite lyricists (right now anyway) are

Issac Brock - Modest Mouse

Ben Gibbard - Death Cab for Cutie

David Bazan - Pedro the Lion

I really like Issac Brocks lyrics because they seem very random and kind've off the wall. Often times though they have deeper meanings. But at first glance you might think he was crazy.

Ben Gibbard strikes me as a very intelligent person. He has a way of making everyday things that I don't even take the time to think about and makes them them into something much larger. One of my favorite lines by Gibbard is from the song "A Lack of Color" where he says "And when I see you, I really see you upside down. But my brain knows better. It picks you up and turns you around."

I just recently got into "Pedro the Lion", but I really enjoy David Bazan's Song writing. I can't wait to hear more by them.

7WetCigarettes · Post by **7WetCigarettes** » Sun Jul 02, 2006 1:30 am

Ben Gibbard is super cool. "In Catholic school, as vicious as Roman rule, I got my knuckles bruised by a lady in black. I held my tongue as she told me, 'Son, fear is the heart of love'. So I never went back."

Adam duritz is a favorite of mine. "She's talking in her sleep. It's keeping me awake, and Anna begins to toss and turn. Every word is nonsense, but I understand. Oh lord, I'm not ready for this sort of thing."

Chris Conley of Saves The Day sings catchy pop melodies with really dark lyrics. "I draaa-eee-aaaa--eee-ank your blood / feel it dripping down my throat / and heads for my heart / You've become a ghost / You're floating somewhere in between / the waking world and a landscape of dreams."

of course Robert Zimmerman.

"Pointed threats, they bluff with scorn
Suicide remarks are torn
From the fool's gold mouthpiece
The hollow horn plays wasted words
Proves to warn
That he not busy being born
Is busy dying."

GxWxLx · Post by **GxWxLx** » Sun Jul 02, 2006 2:43 am

D.C. Berman is my all-time favorite lyricist.

other favorites include...Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Townes Van Zandt, Stephen Malkmus, Will Oldham, Steve Earle, Jeff Tweedy, Ryan Adams & Jay Farrar. There are more, I just don't much feel like looking through my CD's at 2 a.m.

BIGFrame · Post by **BIGFrame** » Sun Jul 02, 2006 3:03 am

I know it may sound cliche to say it since he's coming tomorrow, but Listener hands down. This guy is the bar I've set for my own writing.

Other Favorites:
M-One of Dead Prez
Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys

7WetCigarettes · Post by **7WetCigarettes** » Sun Jul 02, 2006 3:05 am

Kanye West "Mayonaise colored Benz....I push miracle whips."

HAHA! just listened to that one.

Plan9FromAuburn · Post by **Plan9FromAuburn** » Sun Jul 02, 2006 3:22 am

i knew if GxWxLx got to this first he'd beat me to stephen malkmus.

my favorite right now is willie nelson, i just love his phrasing and down home touch.

others include elvis costello, warren zevon, stephen malkmus, ben harper, richard ashcroft, burt bacharach, and The Ol' Dirty Bastard. what can i say, i like my bastard's old and dirty. SHIMMY SHIMMY YA, SHIMMY YAM, SHIMMY YAY...........

Oliver's Army · Post by **Oliver's Army** » Sun Jul 02, 2006 10:23 am

Elvis Costello

Paul Westerberg

Bob Mould

Andy Partridge

Donald F a g e n

7WetCigarettes · Post by **7WetCigarettes** » Sun Jul 02, 2006 1:20 pm

Oliver's Army wrote:
Donald F a g e n

OOOOHHHHH...wish I woulda put that one down.

Renegadesoulx · Post by **Renegadesoulx** » Sun Jul 02, 2006 9:34 pm

Dustin Kensure-Thrice
Maynard James Kennan-Tool
Tim Lambesis-As I Lay Dying

independent_Jes · Post by **independent_Jes** » Mon Jul 03, 2006 2:07 am

Justin Sane

Fiona Apple

Beth Orton

Bjork

Gwen Stafani

david sumner · Post by **david sumner** » Mon Jul 03, 2006 2:27 pm

patti smith
mark eitzel
damien jurado
will sheff
john roderick
jenny lewis

Bjart Sod · Post by **Bjart Sod** » Mon Jul 03, 2006 2:54 pm

Jeff Magnum - creeps me out, so he has to be doing something right.

In the dark we will take off our clothes
And they'll be placing fingers through the notches in your spine

Andrew Bird - for writing about things never meant to be song subjects, rhyming things never meant to be rhymed, and in general, just surprising me with little gems like

I know we're gonna meet some day
In the crumbled financial institutions of this land
There will be tables and chairs
There'll be pony rides and dancing bears
There'll even be a band

And I hate to say it, but 80s-early 90s Morrissey. He could make any happy melody depressing with two words and turn the worst sort of sudical-teen-notebook ramblings into self defeating commentary on itself.

Young bones grow and the rocks below say
"Throw your skinny body down, son"
But I'm going to meet the one I love
At last, at last, at last

Massage...Bored · Post by **Massage...Bored** » Mon Jul 03, 2006 3:40 pm

The Boss

Sufjan Stevens

Rivers Cuomo (Pre-Make Believe, I'd like to make believe that album never happened, but alas, it did.)

Ben Folds

Costello

Neil Fallon (Clutch)

J. Mascis

Frank Black (Black Francis)

Thom Yorke

sbivocals · Post by **sbivocals** » Mon Jul 03, 2006 5:23 pm

My fav. would be Keith Buckley from Every Time I Die. Very off the wall but very smart stuff.

Curtis

david sumner · Post by **david sumner** » Mon Jul 03, 2006 5:36 pm

Bjart Sod wrote:Jeff Mangum

fixed