great lyricists

...just not in this thread. I was just sticking to the topic. I thought it was kind of odd that the first lyricists anyone thought of were Rock lyricists. Becker and Fagen are fantastic but I'm sure even they would cop to the fact that they aren't the best of the best.

once again,
Lorenz Hart is the best pre-rock lyric writer
Ira Gershwin, Cole Porter, Mercer and, on rare occasions, Oscar Hammerstein did wonders too[/QUOTE]

I can give you all of those - though I wouldn't say Lorenz Hart is the best pre-rock lyricist. He wrote of "that unfelt clasp of hands" in "My Heart Stood Still." For me, that couplet is just awful. He's also responsible for "Blue Moon," no? If so, that only makes things worse. Just my opinion...

Ed

 

Three that haven't been listed:

David Byrne
Richard Thompson
Aimee Mann

 

Fish
Patterson Hood tells a fine story in a song
Roger Waters
Ric Ocasek

 

Kate Bush - always wonderfully provocative
Chuck Berry - rock's premier wordsmith
Van Dyke Parks - nobody mixes surrealism and Americana like him
Rufus Wainwright - well, with his lineage, it's no surprise

I'd also like to pipe in with my opinion that Johnny Mercer's singing voice is just as brilliant as his lyrics.

and also, Brel was Belgian, not French.

 

Paul Kelly
Ian Curtis

And of course...

Steel Panther

 

James Victor Chesnutt.

 

absolutely singular; good call

and, wow, how did I forget to list Charles Thompson/Black Francis/Frank Black? Most of the time I think he's the best American songwriter (ever) - yep.

 

Dave Alvin and Tom Russell

 

well in france, charles trenet would certainly qualify.

for me otherwise:

nick lowe (when he's trying)
johnny mercer
lorenz hart
johns linnell & flansburgh (of they might be giants)
cole porter
ray davies
smokey robinson
atsuko yamano and michie nakatani (of shonen knife)
jon hendricks
sly stone
curtis mayfield

others...

 

good one!!

 

Ian Kilminster AKA Lemmy

 

Stephen Sondheim is 80 this year. He is the subject of at least three tributes and two revivals in NYC alone during the current season.

The first volume of his lyrics will be published this October:

http://www.amazon.com/Finishing-Hat...=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1269271111&sr=8-2

None of the other Great American Songbook lyricists - not Hammerstein (his mentor), Porter, Hart, Gershwin or Mercer - is his equal. (And I admire all of them greatly.)

 

Mark E. Smith in a league of his own

nobody else even comes close

http://fall.byethost13.com/lyrics.html

 

And these:
Mickey Newbury
Kris Kristofferson
Rodney Crowell
Rosanne Cash
Guy Clark

 

Trying not to repeat, I will add:

Gil-Scott Heron
Andre Benjamin
Zach De La Rocha
Syd Barrett
Bob Marley
Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson
John Frusciante

I agree with a lot of these and I will check out some of these other as well. Good thread that could use a bump.

 

Peter Gabriel

Walter Becker/Donald Fagen

Gordon Lightfoot

 

Update:

The book is out and was listed as one of the 10 best books of the year by the New York Times. (The Sunday Times review of the book was by Paul Simon.) The lyrics are wonderful (naturally) but so is his commentary on the art and the craft of writing songs for musical theater.

 

Leonard Cohen
Nick Drake
Tom Waits
Nick Cave
Frank Zappa
Kate Bush
Neil Peart
Lord Worm (of Cryptopsy)
Joni Mitchell
Roger Waters
Big L (Hip-Hop artist)
Phil Lynott
Chris Barnes (early Cannibal Corpse. Sick but so well written)

 

Not previously mentioned, and great:

Captain Beefheart
Shane MacGowan

 

Some of my favorites:

Warren Zevon
Bob Dylan
Paul Kelly
Randy Newman

 

Hal David

 

Bon Scott
Pye Dubois
Larry Beckett
Brian Eno
Sly Stone

 

Dylan would have to be the greatest.
Eminem is pretty incredible.
Lennon best of the Beatles in my book. Even his non sense stuff is so creative.
Springsteen-nobody has done middle class American life better than Springsteen.
Simon-A genius.
Townshend-If you get Quodrophenia, you feel like he was talking to you.
Waters-The Wall and Darkside are lyrical masterworks whether you like the records or not.
Bono-poetic and beautiful but let's face it. He could sing the phone book and it would sound good.
Joel-His lyrics have aged pretty well.

 

Johnny Rotten.

 

Rod Stewart before "73
Mark Knopfler
David Bowie