music question: favorite lyricists

[aviax]

Simple enough - who are your favorite lyricists. Include samples if you can...

Mine, in no particular order:

Elvis Costello -
"Japanese got Jesus robots, telling teenage fortunes
For all we know and all we care, they might as well be martians..."
Death wears a big hat, 'cause he's a big bloke..."
- Tokyo Storm Warning

"I think you better hold your tongue
Although you've never been that strong..."
- Sulky Girl


Bob Mould (especially w/Sugar) -
"These poison thoughts in my mind
Got to free myself from this bind
I know I'm a reasoning guy
In an act like Jesus Christ
Stare into the sun
You don't see eye to eye with anyone..."
- Poison Years


Peter Gabriel -
"The light, the heat
I am complete
I see the doorways
Of a thousand churches
The resolution
Of all the fruitless searching
Oh, I see the light and the heat
Oh, I want to be that complete
I want to touch the light, the heat I see in your eyes..."
- In You Eyes


Jonathan Richman -
"I go to bakeries all day long
There's a lack of sweetness in my life..."
- Hospital The Modern Lovers

"Well, he was only five foot three,
But girls could not resist to stare
Pablo Picasso was never called an @$$hole
Not like you..."
- Pablo Picasso The Modern Lovers

"True Love is not nice
No, no..."
- True Love (?) There's Something About Mary Sdtk


Amy Ray (half of The Indigo Girls) -
"Are you on fire
From the years?
What would you give for your kid fears?"
- Kid Fears

"I've taken so many down...
I take there hand-me-downs
All with hope, all with hope
That emptiness brings fullness
And loss of love bring wholeness
To us all..."
- Hand-Me-Downs

There are more I could mention such as David Byrne, but I gotta stop for now...

EDIT - silly typo...

[Blood_Luster]

Heh... my uh... "lyrics" for my songs... would not be aloud on this fourm... heh ehhh...

[OuTpaTienT]

For the most part I really love the good one liners.


"...and that you say you will pray for me
You realize you ARE prey for me..."
Song: Reckoning Day
Artist: Megadeth/Dave Mustaine


"It's too late to reach for the stars
When they're falling from the sky"
Song: The Rapture
Artist: Jake E. Lee


"...only time will tell if we stand the test of time..."
Song: Why Can't This Be Love
Artist: Van Halen/Sammy Hagar


"...if I was God, you'd sell your soul..."
Song: The Great Southern Trendkill
Artist: Pantera


"Only shadows remain of the words that were never spoken"
Song: Seasons
Artist: Badlands/Ray Gillen


"You call me a dog well that's fair enough
'Cause it ain't no use to pretend, you're wrong
When you call me out I can't hide anymore
I have no disguise you can't see through
Well you say it's bad luck, to have fallen for me
Well what can I say to make it good for you?
You wore me out like an old winter coat
Trying to be safe from the cold

But when it's my time to throw the next stone
I'll call you beautiful if I call at all "

Song: Call Me A Dog
Artist: Temple of the Dog

[Thud]

Not sure this qualifies as my favorite lyric or lyricist, but I've listened to it a lot lately, and I definitely like it.

The song sounds like a hard rock version of an old sea-shanty. It's kind of a drunken celebration of life and reverent hail to the dead. If that makes any sense at all.


Drink to the Dead by Clutch

Lyrics by Neil Fallon

(3rd verse)
If surrounded by toadstools at the old green glen
I'm afraid there's little that I can recommend
Save all your courage and sincere prayer
And where you go a' treading, take the utmost care

(bridge)
May you go marching in three-measure time
Dressed up as asses, drunk to the nines
Swing from the rafters, shouting those songs
Gone unsung for far too long

(chorus)
So let us drink to the dead, all you still alive
We shall join them in good time
Should you go crossing that silvery brook
It's best to leap before you look

[sven222]

all nirvana songs, they make no sense whatsoever, but I love them

[matty]

Like most babies smell like butter
his smell smelled like no other
he was born scentless and senseless
he was born a scentless apprentice

Go away - get away, get away, get a-way
every wet nurse refused to feed him
electrolytes smell like semen

I promise not to sell your perfumed secrets
there are countless formulas for pressing flowers

I lie in the soll and fertilize mushrooms
Leaking out gas fumes are made into perfume

You can't fire me because I quit
Throw me in the fire and I won't throw a fit

Scentless Apprentice
Nirvana
Albulm: In Utero

[SPEEDO]

TRANSFUSION
Nervous Norvus

ZZZZZZOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMM
Tooling down the hightway doing 79
I'm a twin pipe papa and I'm feelin fine
Hey man dig that was that a red stop sign-
(scrreeech-BANG!!tinkle)
Transfusion transfusion
I'm just a solid mess of contusions
Never never never gonna speed again
Slip the blood to me Bud

I jump in my rod about a quarter to nine
I gotta make a date with that chick of mine
I cross the center line man you gotta make time-
(scrreeech-BANG!!tinkle)
Transfusion transfusion
Oh man I got the cotton pickin convolutions
Never never never gonna speed again
Shoot the juice to me Bruce

My foot's on the throttle and it's made of lead
But I'm a fast ridding daddy with a real cool head
I'ma gonna pass a truck on the hill ahead-
(scrreeech-BANG!!tinkle)
Transfusion transfusion
My red corpsuckles (sic) are in mass confusion
Never never never gonna speed again
Pass the crimson to me Jimson

I took a little drink and I'm feelin right
I can fly right over everything everything in sight
There's a slow poking cat I'm gonna pass him on the right-
(scrreeech-BANG!!tinkle)
Transfusion transfusion
I'm a real gone paleface and that's no illusion
I'ma never never never gonna speed again
Pass the claret to me Barrett

A rollin down the mountain on a rainy day
Oh when you see me coming better start to pray
I'ma cuttin up the road and I'm the boss all the way-
(scrreeech-BANG!!tinkle)
Transfusion transfusion
Oh doc pardon me for this crazy intrusion
I'm never never never gonna speed again
Pump the fluid in me Louie

I'm burning up the highway early this morn
I'm passing everybody oh nothing but corn
Man outa my way I don't drive with my horn-
(scrreeech-BANG!!tinkle)
Transfusion transfusion
Oh nurse I'm gonna make a new resolution
I'm never never never gonna speed again
Put a gallon in me Alan

Oh barnyard drivers are found in two classes
Line crowding hogs and speeding jackasses
So rememmber to slow down today
Hey daddy-o
Make that type O huh
Atta-boy
(scrreeech-BANG!!tinkle)


SPEEDO

[maface]

Besides the obvious ie. Lennon/ McCartney

U2/Bono
One Tree Hill

I don't believe in painted roses
Or bleeding hearts
While bullets rape the night of the merciful
I'll see you again
When the stars fall from the sky
And the moon has turned red
Over One Tree Hill

Garbage
Cup of Coffee

you told me you don't love me
Over a cup of coffee
And I just have to look away
A million miles between us
Planets crash into dust
I just let it fade away

Belly/Tanya Donnelly
Feed The Tree

Take your hat off boy
when you're talking to me
and be there when I feed the tree


Crash Test Dummies

Mmmm Mmmm Mmmm
Mmmm Mmmm Mmmm
Mmm Mmmm Mmmm

J/K on last one

aviax,

I like Sugar also, Copper Blue was a great CD

[Theophylact]

Noël Coward, Mad Dogs and Englishmen:

In tropical climes there are certain times of day
When all the citizens retire to tear their clothes off and perspire.
It's one of the rules that the greatest fools obey,
Because the sun is much too sultry,
And one must avoid its ultry-violet ray.
The natives grieve when the white men leave their huts,
Because they're obviously, definitely nuts!

Mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun,
The Japanese don't care to, the Chinese wouldn't dare to,
Hindus and Argentines sleep firmly from twelve to one
But Englishmen detest-a siesta.
In the Philippines they have lovely screens to protect you from the glare.
In the Malay States, there are hats like plates which the Britishers won't wear.
At twelve noon the natives swoon and no further work is done,
But mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun.

It's such a surprise for the Eastern eyes to see,
that though the English are effete, they're quite impervious to heat,
When the white man rides every native hides in glee,
Because the simple creatures hope he will impale his solar topee on a tree.
It seems such a shame when the English claim the earth,
They give rise to such hilarity and mirth.
Ha ha ha ha hoo hoo hoo hoo hee hee hee hee ......

Mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun.
The toughest Burmese bandit can never understand it.
In Rangoon the heat of noon is just what the natives shun,
They put their Scotch or Rye down, and lie down.
In a jungle town where the sun beats down to the rage of man and beast
The English garb of the English sahib merely gets a bit more creased.
In Bangkok at twelve o'clock they foam at the mouth and run,
But mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun.

Mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun.
The smallest Malay rabbit deplores this foolish habit.
In Hong Kong they strike a gong and fire off a noonday gun,
To reprimand each inmate who's in late.
In the mangrove swamps where the python romps
there is peace from twelve till two.
Even caribous lie around and snooze, for there's nothing else to do.
In Bengal to move at all is seldom ever done,
But mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun.

[Target]

Listing all of my favorite lyricists would take forever..... but one of the most notable for me would have to be Neil Pert of RUSH.

Such intelligent and meaningful writing disguised in Rock-n-roll songs.