I have not heard of all the people listed, but of the ones that I HAVE heard of, I agree.
Prince
Alanis Morrisette
Notorious B.I.G.
Common (aka Common Sense)
Tupac
And I’m a little more than shocked that no one has said Stevie Wonder !
I’m gonna have to agree with the OP and say that Tom Waits is the best. For me, he edges out Bob Dylan as the Greatest Lyricist.
I’m very partial to Eminem. I know he’s “controverstial” and all that, but he’s inventive, clever, intelligent, and has an amazing vocabulary. Even as a fan, some of his songs get turned off (I’m extremely tired of hearing how he wants to hurt his ex-wife), but I still think he’s an amazing lyricist.
I’m a big Marvin Gaye fan, too. Anyone who thinks this is an iffy suggestion should listen to his album “What’s Goin’ On” first. It’s an amazing piece of musical greatness that shows Gaye was much greater than his earlier work would have us believe (of which I’m not the hugest fan).
–greenphan
When King wrote w/ ex- husband Goffin he wrote the lyrics. Later she wrote both.
Jerry Leiber-wrote ALL of the musical "Smokey Joe’s Cafe, "including Elvis, Drifters, Coasters , Peggy Lee & on & on. Doc Pomus-Brill building writing machine- Drifters, Dion, Jan & Dean, literally hundreds of hits.
I don’t think Robert Hunter has been mentioned yet. The Dead were known more for the jamming than their lyrics, but there were a lot of great songs in there, that’s why it worked. Box of Rain, Stella Blue, Ripple, Uncle John’s Band, Brokedown Palace…
I think Randy Newman is not bad.
im backing nick cave, tom waits, morrissey
id like to throw in GZA, method man and ghostface from the wu tang clan, plus posdnous and dave (formerly trugoy) from de la soul. some of their stuff is mind boggling, way above your usual guns and hos type shit. whos to say its not as valid as any of the above.
Morrissey uber alles.
He’s simply an incredible lyricist. His lyrics, while sometimes deal with strange topics, make a hell of a lot more sense, and their meaning is straightforward, unlike that hack Dylan.
Tom Waits comes a close second.
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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."
Sorry, aint’ gonna happen and here’s why:
When was the last time you heard anyone other than Rush, Pink Floyd, or Yes perform a Rush, Pink Floyd, or Yes song? Never (or, of so, rarely). The songs those guys right don’t lend themselves to multiple interpretations. Gershwin, Porter, Mercer, et al have been performed by hundreds, if not thousands, of people and will continue to be done as years go by. There classis songs that have a range and can be sung over and over again.
“2112,” “In The Flesh,” and “Going For The One” aren’t going to be around in 70 years. “You’re The Top” will be.
I second the notination 
Plnnr, I guess you haven’t heard of Blue Floyd, a band that interprets PF’s songs in a more bluesy style. Not that I can think of a lot of bands who’ve done Pink Floyd covers in general… I’m not sure I buy it as a measurement of who’s better, but it’s interesting.
Some more:
Neil Finn (Split Enz, Crowded House, solo)
Chris Rea
Michael Penn
Steve Kilbey (The Church)
Josh Clayton-Felt (School of Fish, solo)
…and one more…
Mark Seymour (Hunters and Collectors, solo)
- “Throw Your Arms Around Me”
Let me also nominate Prince, raunchy and poetic and the same time.
Didn’t Dylan say Smokey Robinson was"America’s greatest living poet?"
Two pages, and no one’s mentioned Warren Zevon?
Philistines.