# Who are the best modern lyricists? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 14, 2010, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-best-modern-lyricists/524998 "2010-01-14T22:41:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slow_moving_vehicle/32/291_2.png) [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slow_Moving_Vehicle)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2010, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-best-modern-lyricists/524998/1 "2010-01-14T22:41:00Z")
_De gustibus non disputantem_, of course, but I’ve always preferred songwriters who are great lyricists - who can knock you on your butt with imagery or rhetoric or metaphor. And for me, the two best of the last half-century or so are Kris Kristofferson and Ani DiFranco. My evidence? Check out _Casey’s Last Ride_ by the former, and _Fuel_ by the latter. I would also throw Suzanne Vega and Harry Chapin in the discussion as well… Any one suggest anyone else? ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2010, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-best-modern-lyricists/524998/2 "2010-01-14T22:54:42Z")
I’ve always thought that Elvis Costello had the sharpest, smartest, and most intriguing lyrics in pop music. I think of him as the modern-day Cole Porter…TRM ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2010, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-best-modern-lyricists/524998/3 "2010-01-14T22:58:18Z")
Shane MacGowan ---
**Author:** ![Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slow_moving_vehicle/32/291_2.png) [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slow_Moving_Vehicle)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2010, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-best-modern-lyricists/524998/4 "2010-01-14T22:59:56Z")
> [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](#): > > I’ve always thought that Elvis Costello had the sharpest, smartest, and most intriguing lyrics in pop music. I think of him as the modern-day Cole Porter…TRM I’m embarrassed to say I don’t know Elvis Costello as well as I should, but I do think _Veronica_ is a devastatingly heart-rending depiction of senile dementia. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2010, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-best-modern-lyricists/524998/5 "2010-01-14T23:05:32Z")
Ditto on Elvis Costello, and ditto on the Cole Porter comparison – he does some wonderfully witty wordplay. I’m a new member of Andrew Bird’s fan club. Just this morning, for unrelated reasons, I looked for the [lyrics to his song “Fiery Crash.”](http://www.songmeanings.net/songs/view/3530822107858654087/) ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2010, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-best-modern-lyricists/524998/6 "2010-01-14T23:07:05Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > Shane MacGowan Seconded. Craig Finn is pretty amazing. How good is this? > [@](#): > > It started recreational, > It ended kinda medical. > It came on hot and soft > And then it tightened up its tentacles. > The band played screaming for vengance > And we agreed: this world is mostly manacled. > It started ice cream social nice, > It ended up all white and ecumenical. The song goes on to mirror the “recrational/medical” line with “It started in the vestibule/ and ended in the hospital”. Clever as fuck. (Define “modern” though.) ---
**Author:** ![Endymion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/3da27b/32.png) [@Endymion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Endymion)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2010, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-best-modern-lyricists/524998/7 "2010-01-14T23:07:16Z")
Depends what you mean by “modern” lyricist. If you count the past half century, I think my vote would probably go to Bob Dylan. However, if “modern” really means “currently relevant,” then my vote would probably go to Jay-Z. ---
**Author:** ![Busy\_Scissors](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d78d45/32.png) [@Busy\_Scissors](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Busy_Scissors)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2010, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-best-modern-lyricists/524998/8 "2010-01-14T23:07:25Z")
Costello is a great shout. Two other standouts over the past 30 years are Shane MacGowan and Morrisey. Morrissey is really the governor. Can’t think of a band that’s even in the same league as the Smiths for lyrics in the past 30 years. Despite my usrname, I’m not some a Smiths tragic, but lyrically they really are exceptional. The Pogues are more of a one man band, less musically relevant than the Smiths. Shane’s lyrics are definitely more in the singer-as-poet vein, but 'king hell. _The Boys from the County Hell_ or \*The Sick Bed of Cuchulainn \*- can songs like these be matched in the modern era? ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Baldy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Gary\_Baldy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Baldy)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2010, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-best-modern-lyricists/524998/9 "2010-01-14T23:07:50Z")
Is there no love for Bob Dylan here? ---
**Author:** ![ivan\_astikov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@ivan\_astikov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivan_astikov)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2010, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-best-modern-lyricists/524998/10 "2010-01-14T23:08:12Z")
Paddy McAloon of Prefab Sprout has always been a fave of mine. ---
**Author:** ![Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slow_moving_vehicle/32/291_2.png) [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slow_Moving_Vehicle)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2010, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-best-modern-lyricists/524998/11 "2010-01-14T23:24:39Z")
> [@jjimm](#): > > (Define “modern” though.) By modern, I had in mind Fifties to present. You really couldn’t call Kris Kristofferson “relevant” today - but his lyrics still stand up. ---
**Author:** ![Labdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/439d5e/32.png) [@Labdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labdad)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2010, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-best-modern-lyricists/524998/12 "2010-01-14T23:27:55Z")
John Hiatt’s lyrics never cease to amaze me. ---
**Author:** ![Rrose\_Selavy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bcef8e/32.png) [@Rrose\_Selavy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rrose_Selavy)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2010, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-best-modern-lyricists/524998/13 "2010-01-14T23:35:18Z")
Howard Devoto ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2010, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-best-modern-lyricists/524998/14 "2010-01-14T23:38:20Z")
> [@slowmovingvehicle](#): > > By modern, I had in mind Fifties to present. You really couldn’t call Kris Kristofferson “relevant” today - but his lyrics still stand up. Can we include Tom Lehrer then? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Erdosain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/erdosain/32/7284_2.png) [@Erdosain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Erdosain)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2010, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-best-modern-lyricists/524998/15 "2010-01-14T23:38:47Z")
> [@Busy\_Scissors](#): > > Morrissey is really the governor. Can’t think of a band that’s even in the same league as the Smiths for lyrics in the past 30 years. Despite my usrname, I’m not some a Smiths tragic, but lyrically they really are exceptional. I agree, but I probably _am_ a Smiths tragic. Also, funny since your username is from a Morrissey song, not a Smiths song. I think some of Moz’s early solo work was even better lyrically than many Smiths songs. Unfortunately, he’s nowhere near where he used to be, but no one can be on top forever. He has had some real howlers lately though, such as “I could go on, but you get the general idea.” :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MPB_in_Salt_Lake)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2010, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-best-modern-lyricists/524998/16 "2010-01-14T23:39:02Z")
Bob Dylan, Robert Hunter, Van Morrison are the Holy Trinity to all serious music lovers. (PERIOD) Paul Simon, Neil Young, and Bruce Springsteen should also be venerated… ---
**Author:** ![Hodge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Hodge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hodge)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2010, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-best-modern-lyricists/524998/17 "2010-01-14T23:59:35Z")
Criminally over-looked [Ron Sexsmith](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_Sexsmith). ---
**Author:** ![Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slow_moving_vehicle/32/291_2.png) [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slow_Moving_Vehicle)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2010, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-best-modern-lyricists/524998/18 "2010-01-15T00:05:53Z")
> [@jjimm](#): > > Can we include Tom Lehrer then? 🙂 Abso-freaking-lutely. He was brilliant. ---
**Author:** ![Gamaliel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b487fb/32.png) [@Gamaliel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gamaliel)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2010, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-best-modern-lyricists/524998/19 "2010-01-15T00:06:54Z")
_ahem_ Lennon/McCartney, people. Other teams I’d throw out that haven’t been mentioned yet would be Joe Strummer/Mick Jones and Jerry Leiber/Mike Stoller. ---
**Author:** ![Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slow_moving_vehicle/32/291_2.png) [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slow_Moving_Vehicle)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2010, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-best-modern-lyricists/524998/20 "2010-01-15T00:08:17Z")
> [@MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](#): > > Bob Dylan, Robert Hunter, Van Morrison are the Holy Trinity to all serious music lovers. (PERIOD) > > Paul Simon, Neil Young, and Bruce Springsteen should also be venerated… I agree about Paul Simon and Bruce Springsteen, but I’m sorry - Bob Dylan is not in the same league as Ani DiFranco. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-best-modern-lyricists/524998.md?page=2)