Which of these is the best lyricist

[misterbug]

these are my three favorite male singer/songwriters. who is the best lyricist?

[dissention]

That's the hardest question I've ever had to answer. And I don't have an answer, they're all brilliant. :xoxo:

[misterbug]

i picked dylan because
1. i think he is the most consistently good. imo, more songs by LB and DB than by BD are lyrically weak.
2. i think he is also the most consistently accessible. sometimes the lyrics of LB and DB are "weird" or hard to understand.
3. bob dylan is just a brilliant poet.

[ryan8472]

I said Dylan as well. His lyrics are definatly the best. I never liked his voice though. If it said singer, it would be LB.

[darklinensuit]

I said Dylan as well. His lyrics are definatly the best. I never liked his voice though. If it said singer, it would be LB.

Precisely.

- Jake

[wondergirl9847]

Lindsey, hands down. I'm emotionally attached to those lyrics, so...:)

I don't know any Dylan songs tho really. :shrug: I can't STAND his voice. I do like the Love Minus Zero/No Limit that LB covered, but I rarely listen to it.

[Villavic]

Ok, I voted for Dylan though I don't know his complete work. But thinking in Blowing in the Wind, and some other songs, I think his lyrics are deeper than Lindsey's.


Knocking on heaven's door is not so "deep", but I remeber other very good songs, in terms of lyric. Thoug I don't remember titles.

BTW, I don't like Bob's voice either, but Blowing in the Wind sounds beautiful in Joan Baez voice

[chiliD]

You could put ANY two other names there and Dylan would come out on top. Dylan is a poet/musician like no other.

Dylan's voice is Dylan's voice...he delivers his poetry like no other can. Sure, others make the melody more appealing, but, only Bob can accurately express his words.

:cool:

Lyrics have never been, or are they now, Lindsey's strong suit...however, his SYW tunes have the best lyrics of his career.

[wondergirl9847]

Poetry, art, song lyrics...they are all subjective, IMO. I can wipe snot on a kleenex, frame it and call it art. Some people will walk by and go, "OMG, how disgusting!", others will walk by and go, "OMG, that's inspired!!" :laugh:

If a lyric touches your soul, it's the best. :)

[Gypsy-Rhiannon]

I just don't like Bob Dylan at all really

[Villavic]

You could put ANY two other names there and Dylan would come out on top. Dylan is a poet/musician like no other.



I could put Alejandro Sanz and I'll vote for him, ha ha.......

He is a spanish (writer) singer. His songs are really beautiful poems. He is not popular as Enrique Iglesias or Ricky MArtin, I guess, in the US, but his songs are far far better.

[darklinensuit]

I think a more fascinating question would be "Which of these three would you be MOST surprised to see in a Victoria's Secret commercial?" :rolleyes:

- Jake

[littlelies7]

I chose Lindsey for only one reason:

He's the only one I'm really familar with. :shrug:

[macmar71]

Lindsey, hands down. I'm emotionally attached to those lyrics, so...:)

I don't know any Dylan songs tho really. :shrug: I can't STAND his voice. I do like the Love Minus Zero/No Limit that LB covered, but I rarely listen to it.


Same for me~~Lindsey is my choice! :nod: :nod: But I also like songs by Dylan and Bowie.

[misterbug]

BTW, I don't like Bob's voice either, but Blowing in the Wind sounds beautiful in Joan Baez voice
have you heard her album, Any Day Now, an album of dylan covers?

it's good for people who don't like dylan's craggy howl, but like/want to hear his lyrics. she sings them in a technically superb voice. 'love is just a four letter word' is a classic (also there are no known dylan recordings of this song). her 'sad-eyed lady of the lowlands' is very haunting, kind of a downer, but worth a listen if you have 11+ spare minutes.

[face of glass]

Dylan, of course. I don't usually like separating his lyrics from his singing but his stuff would easily survive the best on the pages of a book. Almost any album released by Bob in between 1963-1967 beats the best lyrics of Bowie or Buckingham.

Lindsey still needs his music for the lyrics if he wants them to have the maximum effect; he may have improved significantly but the game's been over for 40 years already. ;)

[Ledgegirl]

Bob Dylan :sorry:

[darklinensuit]

have you heard her album, Any Day Now, an album of dylan covers?

it's good for people who don't like dylan's craggy howl, but like/want to hear his lyrics. she sings them in a technically superb voice. 'love is just a four letter word' is a classic (also there are no known dylan recordings of this song). her 'sad-eyed lady of the lowlands' is very haunting, kind of a downer, but worth a listen if you have 11+ spare minutes.

I don't have any of her albums, but you just gave me a flashback to when Joan was on the Fame TV show about Sixties-style protests. BTW, I've always regretted arriving late to the Live Aid concert. If I remember, she was on early in the show so I missed her.

- Jake

[jadegypsy]

Dylan, didn't even have to think over that one. I do love both Lindsey and Bowie, but Dylans lyrics are just better. Now if it had read: Dylan, Jim Morrison, Lennon, Plant, Page, I would've been stumped.

[dissention]

Jim Morrison

Quite possibly one of the worst lyricists in history. :shocked:

[CarneVaca]

Apples, oranges and mangoes. All different kinds of fruit, but fruit nonetheless.

Dylan by far. The only person who comes anywhere near him is Leonard Cohen.

[dissention]

Not one for Jim Morrison's lyrics either. American Poet? Perhaps, but of the lesser, simple rhyming kind. I don't like much of Page or Plant's either, but they're one up on Morrison.

From that lot, well there's no doubting that Lennon is easily my choice.

Morrison was ****ty. He couldn't write a decent song no matter how many underage girls he banged or how many acid trips he had per week; he was just bad.

And Lennon better than Dylan? Heck no!

[dissention]

Dylan by far. The only person who comes anywhere near him is Leonard Cohen.

:nod: :nod: :nod:

Always the voice of reason, my man.

[cliffdweller]

I'm kind of disappointed that David is not getting the props he deserves as a lyricist. I know we're all Fleetwood Mac fanatics, but come on people, Bowie is a better lyricist than Lindsey! I mean, song for song, there's no comparison. Of course I listen to Lindsey's stuff more than David's but that's neither here nor there. :laugh:

[dissention]

I'm kind of disappointed that David is not getting the props he deserves as a lyricist. I know we're all Fleetwood Mac fanatics, but come on people, Bowie is a better lyricist than Lindsey! I mean, song for song, there's no comparison. Of course I listen to Lindsey's stuff more than David's but that's neither here nor there. :laugh:

Agreed.

And I think that the stuff on Heathen rivals what are considered his classics.

Sunday? Slip Away? Slow Burn? Those are some fantastic pieces of writing.

[jadegypsy]

"Quite possibly one of the worst lyricists in history."

"Morrison was ****ty. He couldn't write a decent song no matter how many underage girls he banged or how many acid trips he had per week; he was just bad."


Well as they say to each their own, I do like Jim Morrisons songs, and I like Dylans, it just depends on the mood that I'm in. As for his character or lack thereof if I listened to music based on that well, I would not be listening to much rock music now would I. Even Fleetowod Mac had their excesses, affairs, etc, not on the same level, but certainly not role-model status in their hey day.

[dissention]

"Quite possibly one of the worst lyricists in history."

"Morrison was ****ty. He couldn't write a decent song no matter how many underage girls he banged or how many acid trips he had per week; he was just bad."


Well as they say to each their own, I do like Jim Morrisons songs, and I like Dylans, it just depends on the mood that I'm in. As for his character or lack thereof if I listened to music based on that well, I would not be listening to much rock music now would I. Even Fleetowod Mac had their excesses, affairs, etc, not on the same level, but certainly not role-model status in their hey day.

It's all personal preference. :) More power to ya!

[Hawkeye]

Lindsey far from this list. I can't stand Bowie and Dylan's annoying. But the best male lyricist overall is Paul Simon :nod:

[CarneVaca]

Heck yes! But there's no point in arguing (as we no doubt will anyway) because neither of us will convince the other.

Cohen is on par with Dylan, but still I prefer Lennon.

Heck, I prefer Lennon too. But Dylan's lyrical genius is undeniable. Compare "Imagine" to something like "Masters of War." Don't get me wrong, I love the Lennon song, naive daydreaming and all, but Dylan is by far a better lyricist.

Frankly, I shake my head that more people fail to see that. I think there's too much judgment being passed on his voice and persona, rather than just focusing on the lyrics, which is what the original question is about.

[CarneVaca]

To quote myself:

Frankly, I shake my head that more people fail to see that. I think there's too much judgment being passed on his voice and persona, rather than just focusing on the lyrics, which is what the original question is about.

See what I mean:

Dylan's annoying.

[Siri Ruane]

I haven't listened much to Bowie besides his airplay, but uh... yeah... tough question.

[CarneVaca]

I find Lennon's to be brilliantly understated.

Understated!!??? Are we talking about the same Lennon?

A pretty face may last a year or two
But pretty soon they'll see what you can do
The sound you make is muzak to my ears
[How Do You Sleep?]

Woman is the nigger of the world
Yes she is...think about it
[Woman Is the Nigger of the World]

They hurt you at home and they hit you at school
They hate you if you're clever and despise a fool
Till you're so ****ing crazy you can't follow their rules
[Working Class Hero]

God is a Concept by which
We measure our pain
[God]

Mother, you had me I never had you
I wanted you but you didn't want me
[Mother]

Just to name a few. In fact, Lindsey has said he views Lennon as a model because it was Lennon who proved you can be rude in your lyrics and get away with it.

[CarneVaca]

Meh, I don't consider Lennon's lyrics to be rude, in the sense that he doesn't curse for the liberty of cursing. I love 'How Do You Sleep', and I find it to be unrestrained honesty. Same goes for 'Working Class Hero'. Saying the word '****', I don't find to be rude. And 'God', well he's not trying to piss anyone off, it's just semi-brutal honesty. Lennon was quite capable of cursing away during his songs, and if that were the case then I would agree with you. I guess it depends upon when you grew up. So who is rude. Ummm, Eminem is, but that's got nothing to do with any opinion I have of him. But for my liking, there's a difference.


Dude, you're changing the subject. It has nothing to do with cursing. You said he was understated. Above you call it "unrestrained honesty" and "semi-brutal honesty." You don't see a contradiction there?

[CarneVaca]

I was referring to Lindsey's comment about Lennon being rude (in a good way). He is unrestrained, and as a result, it's not quite brutal, but conservatives might call it so. I don't call it rude though.

So now you're saying I'm a conservative!!!??? How dare you?

Besides, Lindsey said it, :eek: and he is far from conservative.