Best/Favorite Lyricists of the 20th Century?

[Golfingdad]

3 minutes ago, dak4n6 said:

Yeah Gd, I was focusing on the 'best' part. No arguments, just debating 8-)

The Baha Men?

Who let the dogs out?  who? Who? Who? Who?

Youre telling me Dylan came up with better stuff than that?  Please. :P

[colin007]

1 hour ago, Golfingdad said:

Who let the dogs out?  who? Who? Who? Who?

Youre telling me Dylan came up with better stuff than that?  Please. :P

 

I know you're being facetious, but honestly, Bob Dylan does nothing for me. I find his writing blah and his voice is god-awful.

[No Mulligans]

I tend to appreciate songwriters more than lyricists.  Crafting a lyric, melody, harmony (as in chord progressions), rhythm and song structure and having that all fit together well is a much taller task that only writing the lyric.  Rap is missing a lot of those elements but this thread is about lyrics so they belong.

Still, a lyric is an art form in and of itself.  Andrew Lloyd Weber (the richest musician in the world? at least in the top five), he said he just didn't have the talent to write lyrics.  Elton John, not sure he has written any lyrics either.

A lot of those mentioned in this thread are great songwriters.  Another songwriter not mentioned, Lyle Lovett.

 

[dak4n6]

I also concentrate waaay more on the music in a song. And, I usually listen to the lyrics as another instrument(s), listening to the rhythm and sounds that the words make. I normally don't care what they are saying unless they are so powerful that they reach out and grab you, which is pretty rare for me.

[Pendragon]

Donald Fagen...Joni Mitchell...Elvis Costello...Warren Zevon...Peter Gabriel...Ian Anderson...Pete Townsend...Roger Waters