# Who is/was the greatest lyricist? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 19, 2003, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-was-the-greatest-lyricist/182926 "2003-06-19T14:39:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Interrobang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/interrobang/32/17463_2.png) [@Interrobang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Interrobang)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2003, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-was-the-greatest-lyricist/182926/21 "2003-06-19T19:07:26Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by plnnr \* > If anyone is still listening to Neil Peart, Roger Waters, or Jon Anderson 70 years from now I’ll eat your hat. Okay, but having your nurse puree it and feed it to you intravenously doesn’t count. You’ll have to gum it. I’d second several people mentioned before (especially Costello and Porter), but I think I’d rather be the first to mention Stephin Merritt (of the Magnetic Fields and the 6ths, among other groups) and Stew (of the Negro Problem and his own solo career). Good stuff. ---
**Author:** ![metroshane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/aeb1de/32.png) [@metroshane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/metroshane)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2003, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-was-the-greatest-lyricist/182926/22 "2003-06-19T19:18:50Z")
Hmpf…what kind of list doesn’t include Willie Nelson? Shame shame shame. ---
**Author:** ![Spiff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiff/32/9852_2.png) [@Spiff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiff)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2003, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-was-the-greatest-lyricist/182926/23 "2003-06-19T19:27:23Z")
The late, great Joe Strummer. ---
**Author:** ![skaterboarder87](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de0a6/32.png) [@skaterboarder87](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/skaterboarder87)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2003, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-was-the-greatest-lyricist/182926/24 "2003-06-19T19:36:50Z")
I second Neil Peart. ---
**Author:** ![Ms\_Boods](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5e9695/32.png) [@Ms\_Boods](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms_Boods)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2003, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-was-the-greatest-lyricist/182926/25 "2003-06-19T19:46:20Z")
_Dave_ Davies is no slouch himself! 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Logan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/278dde/32.png) [@Logan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Logan)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2003, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-was-the-greatest-lyricist/182926/26 "2003-06-19T20:28:21Z")
Lennon & McCartney Bob Dylan ---
**Author:** ![nebco9](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/cc9497/32.png) [@nebco9](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nebco9)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2003, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-was-the-greatest-lyricist/182926/27 "2003-06-19T20:36:03Z")
Anybody mention Neil Young yet? ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2003, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-was-the-greatest-lyricist/182926/28 "2003-06-19T20:45:58Z")
**Elvis Costello** would be my choice. Has **Mark Knopfler** been mentioned? And hey, some props to **Eddie Vedder**. From the world of country music, **Hank Williams, Sr.** deserves a mention, as do **Merle Haggard** and **Dwight Yoakam**. Amens to: Paul Simon Bob Dylan Bruce Springsteen Joe Strummer Shane Macgowan ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2003, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-was-the-greatest-lyricist/182926/29 "2003-06-19T20:59:55Z")
I third or fourth, whichever it is, Cole Porter. And an underrated rock songwriter who never seems to be mentioned on these lists: John Hiatt. Sure, he’ll occasionally dip from a familiar well (rivers, rain, and trains show up a lot), but how can you not love this? > [@](#): > > Saturday night, he comes home stinking > Sunday morning, she wakes up thinking and thinking and thinking and thinking > Does she need to get the kids dressed to go to church? > He’s pulled a shotgun out of the lurch > He heads for the TV room, starts to search > His problems swollen like a river and his reality’s shrinking > He finds them huddled by the toy box and splatters 'em all > The Ken and the Midge and the Skipper doll > They look like a family but they’re really not at all > Well he’s sad but he ain’t sorry > It ain’t the end of the world > It’s just the wreck of the Barbie Ferrari ---
**Author:** ![Padmaraga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f07891/32.png) [@Padmaraga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Padmaraga)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2003, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-was-the-greatest-lyricist/182926/30 "2003-06-19T21:08:55Z")
A lot of great names already. I have to add one of my favorites: Donald Fagan of Steely Dan. ---
**Author:** ![photopat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e95f7d/32.png) [@photopat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/photopat)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2003, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-was-the-greatest-lyricist/182926/31 "2003-06-19T21:39:04Z")
Lennon and McCartney, no question. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2003, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-was-the-greatest-lyricist/182926/32 "2003-06-19T22:24:49Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Capt. Spaulding said:\*In no particular order (and some have already been mentioned), and this is just an excercise in opinion anyway, right?: > > Harold Arlen He wrote the music, not the lyrics. You’re thinking of Yip Harburg or Johnny Mercer (Arlen’s most frequent lyricists). ---
**Author:** ![Gail](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Gail](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gail)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2003, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-was-the-greatest-lyricist/182926/33 "2003-06-19T23:11:50Z")
No one has mentioned Beck. Pete Townsend ---
**Author:** ![neofishboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/neofishboy/32/444_2.png) [@neofishboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/neofishboy)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2003, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-was-the-greatest-lyricist/182926/34 "2003-06-19T23:19:22Z")
Again, maybe not the _best_ … but I consider **Nick Cave** in the same league as Tom Waits and Shane MacGowan. ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2003, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-was-the-greatest-lyricist/182926/35 "2003-06-19T23:35:48Z")
Ira Gershwin Cole Porter Stephen Sondheim and just to add another name (because all of the ones I would have written are already written) Howard Ashman was on his way… ---
**Author:** ![jackelope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@jackelope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackelope)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2003, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-was-the-greatest-lyricist/182926/36 "2003-06-19T23:57:35Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Gail \* > **No one has mentioned Beck.** I think there’s a reason for that… 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Sikander](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b2d939/32.png) [@Sikander](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sikander)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2003, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-was-the-greatest-lyricist/182926/37 "2003-06-19T23:58:22Z")
Bob Dylan / Townes Van Zandt (considerable gap) Shane MacGowan Tom Waits Bruce Springsteen Johnny Cash Nick Cave Leonard Cohen Guy Clark Steve Earle ---
**Author:** ![RikWriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/49beb7/32.png) [@RikWriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RikWriter)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2003, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-was-the-greatest-lyricist/182926/38 "2003-06-20T00:27:18Z")
I feel compelled to mention Sting. He’s had some incredible lyrics in some of his songs. ---
**Author:** ![Tanaqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3bc359/32.png) [@Tanaqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tanaqui)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2003, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-was-the-greatest-lyricist/182926/39 "2003-06-20T00:27:33Z")
I’m not prepared to make judgements like “the best,” but I think Robert Smith deserves a mention. I just like the way he plays with words. One of my favorites: > [@](#): > > It’s a perfect day for kiss and swell > For rip-zipping button-popping kiss and well… > There’s loads of other stuff can make you yell > Let’s get happy! > It’s a perfect day for doing the unstuck > For dancing like you can’t hear the beat > And you don’t give a further thought > To things like feet > Let’s get happy! > … > Kick out the gloom > Kick out the blues > Tear out the pages with all the bad news > Pull down the mirrors and pull down the walls > Tear up the stairs and tear up the floors > Oh just burn down the house > Burn down the street > Turn everything red and the beat is complete > With the sound of your world > Going up in the fire > It’s a perfect day to throw back your head > And kiss it all goodbye ---
**Author:** ![look\_ninjas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b2d939/32.png) [@look\_ninjas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/look_ninjas)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2003, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-was-the-greatest-lyricist/182926/40 "2003-06-20T01:21:02Z")
I don’t know if I’d say Liz Phair is the greatest lyricist, but she has a way of putting things together that’s very honest. “I don’t know if I could fly a plane Well enough to tailspin out your name Or high enough to lose control completely Honey, I’m thinking maybe” (from “Shatter”) Also, she’s the only one I can think of that hasn’t been listed already. But I’ll cheerfully second Elvis Costello and Robert Smith. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-was-the-greatest-lyricist/182926.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-was-the-greatest-lyricist/182926.md?page=3)