# Ray Davies is the Greatest Wordsmith in Rock Music **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 25, 2008, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ray-davies-is-the-greatest-wordsmith-in-rock-music/474372 "2008-11-25T02:56:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![ShadowFacts](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shadowfacts/32/2934_2.png) [@ShadowFacts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShadowFacts)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2008, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ray-davies-is-the-greatest-wordsmith-in-rock-music/474372/21 "2008-11-25T17:08:50Z")
Love Ray Davies and the Kinks, but I think Tom Waits needs to be in this conversation: \*Wasted and wounded, it ain’t what the moon did, I’ve got what I paid for now See you tomorrow, hey Frank, can I borrow a couple of bucks from you To go waltzing Mathilda, waltzing Mathilda, You’ll go waltzing Mathilda with me I’m an innocent victim of a blinded alley And I’m tired of all these soldiers here No one speaks English, and everything’s broken, and my Stacys are soaking wet To go waltzing Mathilda, waltzing Mathilda, You’ll go waltzing Mathilda with me\* \ \*And you can ask any sailor, and the keys from the jailor, And the old men in wheelchairs know And Mathilda’s the defendant, she killed about a hundred, And she follows wherever you may go Waltzing Mathilda, waltzing Mathilda, You’ll go waltzing Mathilda with me And it’s a battered old suitcase to a hotel someplace, And a wound that will never heal No prima donna, the perfume is on an Old shirt that is stained with blood and whiskey And goodnight to the street sweepers, the night watchmen flame keepers And goodnight to Mathilda, too\* ---
**Author:** ![corkboard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@corkboard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/corkboard)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2008, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ray-davies-is-the-greatest-wordsmith-in-rock-music/474372/22 "2008-11-25T17:09:08Z")
Fifteen posts before someone mentioned Paul Simon? Amazing lyricist. ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2008, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ray-davies-is-the-greatest-wordsmith-in-rock-music/474372/23 "2008-11-25T17:30:52Z")
David Byrne, "This Must Be The Place (Naive Melody): > [@](#): > > Home - is where I want to be > But I guess I’m already there > I come home - she lifted up her wings > Guess that this must be the place > I can’t tell one from another > Did I find you, or you find me? > There was a time Before we were born > If someone asks, this is where I’ll be . . . where I’ll be ---
**Author:** ![Southern\_Yankee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/southern_yankee/32/2800_2.png) [@Southern\_Yankee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Southern_Yankee)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2008, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ray-davies-is-the-greatest-wordsmith-in-rock-music/474372/24 "2008-11-25T18:14:15Z")
> [@lobotomyboy63](#): > > I’m not sure I understand the distinction. We know their lyrics via their bands (excepting, of course, any solo work). I’m not comparing drummers or anything, though Daltrey certainly delivered the “YEAAAAAAAH!” at the beginning of _Won’t Get Fooled Again._ \ But that’s just it. You can compare Davies to Townsend, because they wrote the lyrics. Comparing The Kinks to The Who is a different situation because of the other band members, etc. I’m really just talking about the ability to write catchy, memorable, moving or clever songs. The other names mentioned are all good, although some are much less prolific, and that counts (to me.) This wasn’t about who has written the best song, or even album, but more about their entire catalog. It is all opinion and personal taste of course. And I don’t know if anyone else could write a song about spousal abuse and pull off: > [@](#): > > That’s quite a cut on the side of your head. > Is it from his fist, or did you really fall out of bed? > Oh, so uncouth, > Excuse me, is this your tooth? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Contrapuntal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2008, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ray-davies-is-the-greatest-wordsmith-in-rock-music/474372/25 "2008-11-25T21:13:59Z")
> [@Sam\_Stone](#): > > I think you misspelled ‘Warren Zevon’. Well, it’s hard to argue against him as well. I listened to his “first” album just yesterday. His loss was very sad. ---
**Author:** ![woodstockbirdybird](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/woodstockbirdybird/32/7905_2.png) [@woodstockbirdybird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/woodstockbirdybird)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2008, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ray-davies-is-the-greatest-wordsmith-in-rock-music/474372/26 "2008-11-25T21:43:53Z")
I’ll third **Paul Westerberg** and maybe throw **Morrissey** in there. ---
**Author:** ![Sunshine\_and\_Smiles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a5b964/32.png) [@Sunshine\_and\_Smiles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunshine_and_Smiles)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2008, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ray-davies-is-the-greatest-wordsmith-in-rock-music/474372/27 "2008-11-26T00:46:19Z")
Well, no he isn’t. He is fantastic however. Leonard Cohen is, although he’s maybe not so much _rock_ though. I’d second the nomination of **Morrissey** , biting wit, keen observationist, ability to turn a good phrase, and, perhaps the clincher, awesome song titles. ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2008, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ray-davies-is-the-greatest-wordsmith-in-rock-music/474372/28 "2008-11-26T01:28:18Z")
I too like Leonard Cohen (although I have to admit that Suzanne and Bird On A Wire are my two favorites by him, but Ray gets into the _psyche_, and that makes him a genius songwriter to me. Thanks Quasi ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2008, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ray-davies-is-the-greatest-wordsmith-in-rock-music/474372/29 "2008-11-26T01:45:04Z")
One thing I’ve always loved about Ray Davies is that he’s one of the few British rockers who sings in a British accent. ---
**Author:** ![Eonwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eonwe/32/240_2.png) [@Eonwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eonwe)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2008, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ray-davies-is-the-greatest-wordsmith-in-rock-music/474372/30 "2008-11-26T04:00:09Z")
> [@blondebear](#): > > He’s touring the eastern US now, you know. Get your tickets now! I’m seeing him in just a few weeks! ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2008, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ray-davies-is-the-greatest-wordsmith-in-rock-music/474372/31 "2008-11-26T04:41:21Z")
Is he coming to Atlanta??? Ray, I mean! Please say yes! Q ---
**Author:** ![Toxylon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f05b48/32.png) [@Toxylon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toxylon)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2008, 7:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ray-davies-is-the-greatest-wordsmith-in-rock-music/474372/32 "2008-11-26T07:27:31Z")
> [@robardin](#): > > One of my favorites is _Learning To Fly_: > > _There’s no sensation to compare with this > Suspended animation, a state of bliss > Can’t keep my eyes from the circling skies > Tongue-tied and twisted, > Just an earth-bound misfit, I_ Learning to Fly’s lyrics were written by Alan Moore, a man not in Pink Floyd. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2008, 8:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ray-davies-is-the-greatest-wordsmith-in-rock-music/474372/33 "2008-11-26T08:10:22Z")
Davies is enjoyable, but not the best. The best lyrics in rock and roll are to be found in _Tambourine Man_ by Robert Zimmerman. And I’m not a big Dylan fan. But the lyrics there are the work of a genius of the very first order. Other good lyricists in rock, but hardly exhaustive: Robert Hunter (Grateful Dead) Pete Townsend Roger Waters John Lennon ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2008, 11:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ray-davies-is-the-greatest-wordsmith-in-rock-music/474372/34 "2008-11-26T11:25:49Z")
> [@Toxylon](#): > > Learning to Fly’s lyrics were written by Alan Moore, a man not in Pink Floyd. _Anthony_ Moore, not Alan Moore. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2008, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ray-davies-is-the-greatest-wordsmith-in-rock-music/474372/35 "2008-11-26T15:33:30Z")
> [@Quasimodem](#): > > Is he coming to Atlanta??? > > Ray, I mean! > > Please say yes! > > Q Okay, yes. He’ll be at the Variety Playhouse on 12/2. That’s next Tuesday, so you better get with it! Tickets are still available. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ray-davies-is-the-greatest-wordsmith-in-rock-music/474372.md?page=1)