Favorite lyricists not named Craig Finn

[lyman]

Craig's lyrics are humbling to me as a songwriter...they at once inspire me yet also make me want to put down my pen and give it up.  Who are some of your other favorites? I'll go first:

Tom Waits: he can create vivid characters with just a couple lines in a verse. Whether it's his barroom balladeer songs or his junkyard ramblings, a true original voice.
Bob Pollard: of Guided by Voices/solo artist fame. One of the most prolific writers out there. Great song titles too (Big Chief Chinese Restaurant, Pop Zeus, etc)
Robyn Hitchcock: a master of the oblique, there is a dream-like quality to his lyrics which are very rooted in the subconscious. A definite Syd Barrett influence.
Springsteen: great storytelling, and I love how he doesn't just write from the perspective of his characters - he inhabits them.
Bob Dylan: yes

[doctoracula]

Dylan for sure. No one can really top him. But also:

Neko Case
John K Samson
John Darnielle
Laura Jane Grace
Brendan Kelly & Chris McCaughan
Michael Stipe
Leonard Cohen
Randy Newman
Kendrick Lamar
Earl Sweatshirt
Jason Molina
Sean Nelson
Janelle Monae

Probably a million others I'm forgetting

[doctoracula]

Also Lauren Denitzio and Thom Yorke

[dealwiththedealers]

Great thread, and excellent choices so far.

Finn is a clear #1 for me, but here are some others I love, in no particular order:

Lou Reed
Alex Kapranos (Franz Ferdinand)
Noel Gallagher
Bruce Springsteen
Jeff Tweedy (Wilco)
Ben Gibbard (Death Cab For Cutie; pre-2008 - he has been god-awful since then)
Robert Plant
Matt Berninger (The National)
Jeff Mangum (Neutral Milk Hotel)
Britt Daniel (Spoon)


It's interesting for me to note the difference in styles amongst many of my favorite lyricists. Guys like Finn and Springsteen are verbose and story-oriented; Kapranos and Daniel are often obfuscated and weird; Gallagher and Reed tend to be simple, but powerful.

[chinaski]

Off the top of my head, aside from Dylan obviously...

Tom Waits
Richey Edwards/Nicky Wire
Nick Cave
Pete Doherty on his (at this point, admittedly rare) good days could write a great lyric

[citrus]

Blake Schwarzenbach
Devon Williams
Andre Ethier + Age of Danger (fronting the Deadly Snakes)
Black Francis (Original Pixies run)
Paul Westerberg (though I am not completely familiar with his solo stuff)
Mike Watt
Bryan Webb
Joe Strummer


And I have to echo Tom Waits, Robert Pollard, and Jeff Tweedy.

Hip Hop is kind of a whole different game lyrically but in that category DOOM and Cadence Weapon are not to be fucked with.

[doctoracula]

I think Kendrick is one of the best storytellers working in music right now. And I can barely even wrap my head around what Earl does. There's so much packed into every line of his.

[bigontheinside]

milo
john darnielle
childish gambino
john k samson
gareth from Los Campesinos!

[citrus]

Yeah GKMC was more of a screenplay than a lyricsheet. Good stuff. That hip hop comment may be unfair, but I feel like when your whole medium depends that heavily on your way with words, a different criteria needs to be set. But yeah, it is pretty easy to still see that Kendrick and Earl are better lyricists than say lil B.

[doctoracula]

I really need to check out more of Doom's stuff

[citrus]

Have you heard Vaudeville Villain under his alias Viktor Vaughn? Honestly if you dig Earl I see a lot of parallels between him and DOOM's stream of consciousness prose and free for all attitude with internal rhymes. Also, DOOM Cadence Weapon and Earl have all mastered making a slightly monotone delivery work FOR them.

[doctoracula]

I haven't, I'll check that out! The only album of his I have is Madvillainy

[tinyhandsofconcrete]

elvis costello
joe strummer
ian felice

[nowah]

Feb 5, 2014 11:31:19 GMT -5 doctoracula said:

Sean Nelson

Hell dang yeah. Sean's the only guy in the same stratosphere as Craig for me. Make Good Choices is a flawless record and I will fight anyone who tries to say Harvey Danger isn't the best rock band ever from Seattle.

Also +1ing Neko, John K. Samson, and Gareth.

Alex Chilton, Jenny Lewis, Ted Leo, Paul Westerberg, Dave Pirner, Emilyn Brodsky, Brian Sella, Patrick Stickles, Geoff Rickley, Mac McCaughan, Sean Tollefson, and Lou Reed are up there too.

[doctoracula]

King James Version is one of my top 5 records ever

[bigontheinside]

Feb 5, 2014 15:06:20 GMT -5 citrus said:

But yeah, it is pretty easy to still see that Kendrick and Earl are better lyricists than say lil B.

How dare you say that about the based god

[stringer]

Bhi Bhiman - Great storytelling and really witty, sometimes bizarre lyrics. 'Guttersnipe', 'Eye On You' and 'Ballerina' are good ones to check out.

Conor O'Brien (Villagers) - Some of the best lyrics I've heard. 'Ship of Promises' and 'Memoir' particularly.

B.Dolan - Fantastic, relatively little known hip hop artist, fairly politically orientated and his passion really shines through but never feels too preachy. 'Leaving New York', '50 Ways To Bleed Your Customer', 'Kitchen Sink' and 'Which Side Are You On?' being excellent examples.

Peter motherfucking Gabriel.

I'm sure I'll think of more but these are jumping out at me.
+1 for all other choices by the way!

[wackojacko]

Springsteen.

[WhiskeyDaisy]

Tom Waits
Nick Cave
Dave Dondero
Franz Nicolay
Patty Griffin
Lucinda Williams
Ani DiFranco
Beth Orton
Cat Power
Todd Snyder
Jeff Buckley
Stephin Merritt
Johathan Richman
Slim Cessna and Munley
Richard Thompson
Matt Berninger
Mark Eitzel
Ed Hamell
Lloyd Cole
Tracy Thorn

Wow, once I started, there are so many. One reminded me of the other, reminded me of the other, and so on.

XO
WD

[Rattlesnake Gospel]

I learned of Perry Keyes from fellow board member tlon. Sort of the Australian version of Springsteen. Damn near every song's about heroin destroying people's lives so it gets a little redundant after awhile but great storytelling.

[doctoracula]

Speaking of heroin, how could I forget Warren Zevon?

[reallystickyglue]

Feb 5, 2014 14:39:29 GMT -5 doctoracula said:

I think Kendrick is one of the best storytellers working in music right now. And I can barely even wrap my head around what Earl does. There's so much packed into every line of his.

Agreed. Along with their great lyrics, they both got sick flows. Also, as far as lyricism goes, Peter Silberman from The Antlers is stellar. Listen to "Two" from Hospice, you'll understand what I mean. Seconding Matt Berninger aswell, "Sea of Love" from their newest album is one of the best songs of the decade so far, and the lyrics are amazing. Oh, and of course Roger Waters from Pink Floyd, can't forget about him.

[dabook]

Zevon
McMurty
Joni
Dylan
Lou
Jim Carrol

[stringer]

Also, ever so slightly off topic (as I don't necessarily mean lyrics, aside from some cases) but I think Lionel Ritchie and Phil Collins are two of the finest songwriters of their generation (and I will defend this vehemently).

[stringer]

Feb 6, 2014 16:54:16 GMT -5 somuchjoy said:

Hello.

Brilliant chords. Wonderfully simple.