Earlier this week, I heard Janis Ian’s At Seventeen as I was driving to work, and I was struck by the poetry. It got me to thinking about other songs with elegant lyrics, especially so many by Paul Simon: Dangling Conversation, Sound of Silence, America. (Yes, he’s a particular favorite of mine.)
I know the music of my youth wasn’t all of such quality (She loves you, yeah yeah yeah…) but there seemed to be a lot of substance. Carole King, Joan Baez, James Taylor, Lennon & McCartney, Bernie Taupin, and on and on.
I admit I don’t listen to current music, but what bits I’ve caught at different times seems to be unimpressive. I’ve heard contrived rhymes that make me cringe, tortured metaphors, and just plain awful lyrics. Surely there are people who write subtle, elegant, poetic lyrics these days. Aren’t there? Can you point me at some?
“Songs That She Sang in the Shower”
“Outfit” (Originally recorded with Drive-By Truckers)
“Speed Trap Town”
“Decoration Day” (Originally recorded with Drive-By Truckers)
“The fall and rise of Jason Isbell” from CBS Sunday Morning. Background on Isbell, including his struggle with drugs and alcohol, the role his wife and fellow musician Amanda Shires played in helping him achieve sobriety and his recent success as a singer/songwriter.
Alex Turner of the Arctic Monkeys.
He can be too sardonic for some, and is very northern English in his culteral references, but for all that - he is a gifted lyricist.
My favourite is Cornerstone
but there are so many - Number 1 Party Anthem Crying Lightning
They have a fantastic drummer too!
He came to mind, based on a very small excerpt I heard from Hamilton. I need to get my hands on the cast recording, methinks.
I did enjoy reading Jason Isbell’s lyrics. I’ve never heard the music but right now, I don’t want to listen. Later, I’ll give 'em a try.
I know I’ve heard some of Elvis Costello’s stuff, but never really paid attention - I need to. And I’d never heard of Alex Turner, but I’m impressed with what I’ve read.
Good to know it’s not all dreck out there. I’ll be checking all of these out in the coming days. Thanks!
As an aside, I think you’re being unfair to this particular song. It may not be subtle, elegant, or poetic, but there’s more to it than the “yeah yeah yeah” chorus. The lyrics are meaningful and well-constructed; they tell an effective story sung from an unconventional point of view for a love song.
FWIW I notice that many of the writers you’ve mentioned have at least roots in folk music.
As is often the case in threads complaining about current music, the answer is “There’s a lot of good stuff out there if you know where to look.” If you’re just going by what you accidentally hear on the radio or wherever, well, 95% of everything is crap.
I know I bring him/them up a lot in music threads, but Tom Shear of Assemblage 23 writes some very poetic and thought-provoking lyrics. Often cynical and depressing as hell, but still very good.
Several artists mentioned here fall into the alt country/Americana genre which you aren’t really going to hear much of on commercial radio.
Jeff Tweedy (Uncle Tupelo, Wilco)
Ryan Adams
Jason Isbell
Drive-By Truckers
Some others that fall into this category:
Jay Farrar (Uncle Tupelo, Son Volt)
Old 97’s
Shovels & Rope
The Civil Wars
Lucinda Williams
Old 97’s - “Question”
Drive-By Truckers -“Grand Canyon”. This song was written by Patterson Hood as a tribute to close friend and DBT tour merchandise sales manager Craig Lieske who died in 2013.
A few from Lucinda Williams’ excellent album Car Wheels on a Gravel Road
“Drunken Angel”
“Concrete and Barbed Wire”
Very astute - yes, I love folk music. I love an economy of words, a good metaphor, a vivid mental image - evidence of excellent writing. At the other end of the spectrum is the most cringe-inducing song I can name off the top of my head: A Horse With No Name. Apologies to anyone who likes that song, but to me, it’s fingernails on the chalkboard.
And I also know that much of what’s played today on the radio is chosen by personality or commercial value and not necessarily artistic value - then again, that’s what commercial radio is all about, right? I mostly listen to my local public radio station or PRX on SiriusXM. I’ve even quit listening to the stations that play the music of my high school and college days because they play the same 10 songs over and over again, so get off my lawn!!
Maybe thru this thread, I can find music I want to play. I figured I could count on Dopers to point me in a good direction.
Dawes is another one I thought of mentioning. I haven’t listened to a lot of their stuff yet but they did a great cover of Warren Zevon’s “Desperados Under the Eaves.”
I’ll be checking all of these out in the coming days. Thanks!
