# Lyricists' favorite words **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 20, 2012, 11:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lyricists-favorite-words/622503 "2012-05-20T11:15:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![GESancMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gesancman/32/2923_2.png) [@GESancMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GESancMan)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2012, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lyricists-favorite-words/622503/21 "2012-05-22T21:18:17Z")
> [@janis\_and\_c0](#): > > John Denver? Hmmm, could be, but that’s not who I was thinking of. ---
**Author:** ![Ichbin\_Dubist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/51bf81/32.png) [@Ichbin\_Dubist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ichbin_Dubist)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2012, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lyricists-favorite-words/622503/22 "2012-05-22T21:22:05Z")
> [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](#): > > Here’s another set of words: father mother motel waitress guitar Loudon Wainwright III. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2012, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lyricists-favorite-words/622503/23 "2012-05-22T23:04:41Z")
> [@bup](#): > > XTC? Interesting guess! That would work. But I was thinking of another they-were-better-when-they-were-80s-alternative-rock, three-letter band…from the other side of the pond from XTC. ---
**Author:** ![Gleena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b3f665/32.png) [@Gleena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gleena)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2012, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lyricists-favorite-words/622503/24 "2012-05-22T23:27:30Z")
An easy one: loving things Journey - specifically Steve Perry ---
**Author:** ![Ponch8](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponch8/32/9883_2.png) [@Ponch8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponch8)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2012, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lyricists-favorite-words/622503/25 "2012-05-23T03:16:37Z")
> [@GESancMan](#): > > river > dream > sunshine > mountain > summer Marvin Gaye? Glitter Jack (Daniel’s) Party Sick Sleaze ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2012, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lyricists-favorite-words/622503/26 "2012-05-23T03:17:38Z")
> [@JKellyMap](#): > > megaphone misconstrued Jefferson pretend ornithology Michael Stipe? ---
**Author:** ![Gleena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b3f665/32.png) [@Gleena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gleena)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2012, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lyricists-favorite-words/622503/27 "2012-05-23T03:51:51Z")
> [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](#): > > Rush? Yes. insulated (Subdivisions on Signals, 1982) unobtrusive (Spirit of Radio on Signals, 1982) ploughmen (Closer to the Heart on Farewell to Kings, 1977) turbine (Red Barchetta on Moving Pictures, 1980) arranger (Possibly New World Man, but I have it as “a writer and a ranger and a young boy bearing arms”, but I checked some lyrics sites and they have arranger, so there you go. Signals, 1982) Gleena Rush nerd PS: **Jonathan Chance** could have also said spheres, which is a big Peartian word. It’s on, among other things, The Analog Kid, which was playing when my son was born. (And Cygnus X1.) ---
**Author:** ![Gleena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b3f665/32.png) [@Gleena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gleena)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2012, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lyricists-favorite-words/622503/28 "2012-05-23T03:53:24Z")
> [@Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](#): > > beauty, especially in the phrase “your beauty” > song/singer > golden > street > gypsy Fleetwood Mac? ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2012, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lyricists-favorite-words/622503/29 "2012-05-23T05:01:06Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > Michael Stipe? It’s definitely R.E.M. but I have doubts about the words Jefferson, megaphone and ornithology recurring. Misconstrued - _Laughing_ Pretend - _World Leader Pretend_ Jefferson - _Little America_ Megaphone - _Hairshirt_ Ornithology??? ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2012, 10:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lyricists-favorite-words/622503/30 "2012-05-23T10:28:34Z")
Yup, Stipe/R.E.M. “Jefferson” definitely appeared in two songs, but I can’t recall the other one right now. Truth be told, I ignored the OP’s idea that the words “recur” in a lyricist’s canon. I think it’s just too hard to make such a list that’s more or less unique to that lyricist. Words that are: 1. Memorable in the song they’re in and 2. collectively suggest a cretin “vibe” associated with the lyricist, might work better, if that’s okay with the OP. “Ornithology” is from “Begin the Begin”. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2012, 11:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lyricists-favorite-words/622503/31 "2012-05-23T11:25:59Z")
On second thought, maybe “Jefferson” only appears once as well. I think I was confusing it with “Jeffrey”, which appears twice in the Jethro Tull (lyricist: Ian Anderson) corpus, as song titles (not lyrics, interestiingly). ---
**Author:** ![pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pseudotriton_ruber_ruber)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2012, 11:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lyricists-favorite-words/622503/32 "2012-05-23T11:28:03Z")
> [@Ichbin\_Dubist](#): > > Loudon Wainwright III. Excellent! Didn’t even need a clue, didya? ---
**Author:** ![GESancMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gesancman/32/2923_2.png) [@GESancMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GESancMan)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2012, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lyricists-favorite-words/622503/33 "2012-05-23T13:43:33Z")
> [@Ponch8](#): > > Marvin Gaye? Nope. The person I’m thinking of is still alive, has been big in the music scene since the late '60s, and is currently not with the band he is well-known for fronting. ---
**Author:** ![kirk1168](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/45deac/32.png) [@kirk1168](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kirk1168)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2012, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lyricists-favorite-words/622503/34 "2012-05-23T14:19:45Z")
> [@Peanuthead](#): > > Springsteen? Got it in one! ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2012, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lyricists-favorite-words/622503/35 "2012-05-23T17:08:50Z")
> [@JKellyMap](#): > > “Ornithology” is from “Begin the Begin”. I’m pretty sure that’s “mythology.” It’s hard to think of recurring words, but it still works just trying to identify an artist from five words. ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2012, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lyricists-favorite-words/622503/36 "2012-05-24T17:12:03Z")
> [@GESancMan](#): > > river > dream > sunshine > mountain > summer Eric Clapton? ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2012, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lyricists-favorite-words/622503/37 "2012-05-24T18:27:37Z")
> [@JKellyMap](#): > > Yup, Stipe/R.E.M. “Jefferson” definitely appeared in two songs, but I can’t recall the other one right now. > > Truth be told, I ignored the OP’s idea that the words “recur” in a lyricist’s canon. I think it’s just too hard to make such a list that’s more or less unique to that lyricist. Words that are: 1. Memorable in the song they’re in and 2. collectively suggest a cretin “vibe” associated with the lyricist, might work better, if that’s okay with the OP. ::Fist pump:: You did very well because that does feel totally representative of Stipe’s lyrics even considering it’s often hard to understand him. The Internet says it’s “mythology” in Begin the Begin, but “ornithology” sounded so much like a Stipe word I figured he might’ve used it in Disturbance at the Heron House and must’ve used it someplace. “Jefferson” only appears in one song, but combined with ornithology it was a giveaway. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2012, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lyricists-favorite-words/622503/38 "2012-05-24T18:36:46Z")
My ignorance has been fought today! I will try to sing it right in the shower tomorrow. ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2012, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lyricists-favorite-words/622503/39 "2012-05-24T19:54:30Z")
> [@JKellyMap](#): > > My ignorance has been fought today! I will try to sing it right in the shower tomorrow. Yeah, but from now on I’ll be singing: _or-ni-thology begins the begin_ ---
**Author:** ![Time\_Like\_Tears](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/df705f/32.png) [@Time\_Like\_Tears](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Time_Like_Tears)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2012, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lyricists-favorite-words/622503/40 "2012-05-24T23:11:20Z")
[QUOTE=pseudotriton ruber ruber] Here’s another set of words: father mother motel waitress guitar [/QUOTE] > [@Ichbin\_Dubist](#): > > Loudon Wainwright III. This could also have been Tori Amos. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lyricists-favorite-words/622503.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lyricists-favorite-words/622503.md?page=3)