Which genre has the best lyrics?

[thespearkid]

Don't bitch at me because I didn't include your favorite genre. I'm just not that well versed in concrete jazz neo-prog fusion.

[Poe-tryGirl]

Indie, I guess

[briewer]

Duh, Hip Hop.

[Theseventhson]

I voted Blink, but just for some shits and giggles.

[futilespider]

blink is my favorite....but i gotta say that indie usually does the best lyric wise.

[11:11]

Hahahahaha, I loved seeing the blink option.

[TotalCollapse]

Indie

[doppelganger]

indie.
lulz at blink 182

[ryanhartkopf]

Thank you to everyone who picked Indie. Because it's true.

[MattRM]

You grouped alternative and punk together because...?

[fadedmemories]

Every genre has artists/bands that writes good lyrics.

[Shin Akuma]

Muse

[IWasaCamera]

The line between this site's perception of indie and its perception of folk is blurred.

[Theseventhson]

I just thought about how ridiculous this poll is.

[BulleTheory]

what kind of a question is this? lyrics arent based on a genre...

[TangledUp]

What the hell @ putting blink-182 in there.

I voted for folk. I love folk lyrics.

[Ryzenfall]

Every genre has good lyrics, but I typically resonate with lyrics from bands in the indie genre most frequently. Although good Hip Hop has some punch-you-in-the-face lyrics that are top of the line. And i find that if someone can make good alternative rock lyrics, they are often great (see Thrice, Anberlin, Jimmy Eat World, Jeff Buckley...), Etc etc etc...

[kdefrisc]

love folk lyrics, but indie is a close second. also why is blink its own category....?

[Neo Cassady]

Every genre has artists/bands that writes good lyrics.

This.

[phil19]

had to pick blink.
seriously though, each genre has examples of good and bad lyrics. i dont think you could honestly say one genre has better lyrics than any other.

[thespearkid]

The line between this site's perception of indie and its perception of folk is blurred.
Expand a little?

[IWasaCamera]

Expand a little?
This site's users slap the folk rubric on anything even remotely "rustic" or "woodsy", as evidenced by the general forum's favorite folk albums thread highlighted by such curious choices as Margot & The Nuclear So & So's, Grizzly Bear, Neil Young, Wilco, Bright Eyes, Sufjan Stevens, Neutral Milk Hotel, etc. Consequently, pinning only one genre on acts such as Fleet Foxes, The Microphones, Devendra Banhart, Bowerbirds, and so on becomes tricky. Circles intersect and since the two genres in question are stand-alone choices, how does one determine which is more appropriate within these muddled parameters?

[freakster]

You grouped alternative and punk together because...?

because that's how itunes lists the genres.:-d

[IceAge/HeatWave]

FOLK.

bob dylan, neil young, (newer) elvis costello, the decemberists, etc.

[IceAge/HeatWave]

This site's users slap the folk rubric on anything even remotely "rustic" or "woodsy", as evidenced by the general forum's favorite folk albums thread highlighted by such curious choices as Margot & The Nuclear So & So's, Grizzly Bear, Neil Young, Wilco, Bright Eyes, Sufjan Stevens, Neutral Milk Hotel, etc. Consequently, pinning only one genre on acts such as Fleet Foxes, The Microphones, Devendra Banhart, Bowerbirds, and so on becomes tricky. Circles intersect and since the two genres in question are stand-alone choices, how does one determine which is more appropriate within these muddled parameters?

neil young describes his own music as folk. i'll take neil young's word for it.

[Machu505]

Folk.

[Indoor Living]

what kind of a question is this? lyrics arent based on a genre...


Yeah, I don't think you read it right.

[IWasaCamera]

neil young describes his own music as folk. i'll take neil young's word for it.
You shouldn't when he's released the likes of After The Gold Rush, On The Beach, Tonight's The Night, and basically all of his 80s work. Either Neil is referring to a few specific records (chiefly Comes A Time and his records from this decade) or he's an idiot.

[IceAge/HeatWave]

You shouldn't when he's released the likes of After The Gold Rush, On The Beach, Tonight's The Night, and basically all of his 80s work. Either Neil is referring to a few specific records (chiefly Comes A Time and his records from this decade) or he's an idiot.

or you have too narrow of a view of what folk music is? i'm not saying all of his music is folk, but a good amount is.

furthermore, i don't think any poster on absolutepunk.net has room to call neil young an idiot.

[IWasaCamera]

or you have too narrow of a view of what folk music is? i'm not saying all of his music is folk, but a good amount is.
This plays right into my claim that this site blurs the lines between folk and other genres. Neil's work is just as "rock" as it is "folk" yet he's been lumped in with the latter because he plays the acoustic guitar occasionally.
furthermore, i don't think any poster on absolutepunk.net has room to call neil young an idiot.
Why not? Artists have been known to put forth silly statements in the past. If he honestly believes Tonight's The Night is folk music (which I'm guessing he doesn't since you likely quoted him inaccurately), he's a fool.

[cburton92]

to be honest i picked folk for one reason.

Bright Eyes "I'm Wide Awake..." has such amazing lyrics

IMO that album is folk anyway....

[TangledUp]

FOLK.

bob dylan, neil young, (newer) elvis costello, the decemberists, etc.
This.

I picked folk, too.

[IceAge/HeatWave]

This plays right into my claim that this site blurs the lines between folk and other genres. Neil's work is just as "rock" as it is "folk" yet he's been lumped in with the latter because he plays the acoustic guitar occasionally.

Why not? Artists have been known to put forth silly statements in the past. If he honestly believes Tonight's The Night is folk music (which I'm guessing he doesn't since you likely quoted him inaccurately), he's a fool.

lots of artists can play acoustic guitar without being labeled folk.

or, as i said before, you can have an inaccurate view of what folk music is. can you honestly say that you think the likes of bob dylan and neil young have 0 folk background in their catalogue?

EDIT: also, rolling stone magazine bio sections and the rock and roll hall of fame both mention his start in folk music/ folk rock, and his continuing shift to and from that genre, but that he has predominantly written country or folk music. again, i'm not saying all of his music is folk, but a very good portion is.

[IceAge/HeatWave]

This.

I picked folk, too.

bob dylan is the coolest =)

[briewer]

Ouch, no one else is sharing the Hip Hop love.

[just.Starla.]

Indie

[IWasaCamera]

lots of artists can play acoustic guitar without being labeled folk.
Never stated otherwise.
or, as i said before, you can have an inaccurate view of what folk music is. Or erroneous views became general consensus.
can you honestly say that you think the likes of bob dylan and neil young have 0 folk background in their catalogue? When did I ever claim Neil had absolutely no folk background in his music? On the contrary, I outright declared that Comes A Time and a handful of his later releases did apply.
EDIT: also, rolling stone magazine bio sections Now there's a reliable publication. his continuing shift to and from that genre, but that he has predominantly written country or folk music. again, i'm not saying all of his music is folk, but a very good portion is. Again, I never once asserted that Neil had no association with the genre. If anything, I posited that he's as rooted in it as he is in rock 'n' roll which seems difficult to contest given his work with Crazy Horse, After The Gold Rush, On The Beach, Tonight's The Night, etc. Why then is he tagged as a folk artist? You might as well call Radiohead a britpop band.

[TangledUp]

bob dylan is the coolest =)

He really is! I see him July 1st and I am so damn excited!!!

[IceAge/HeatWave]

Never stated otherwise.
Or erroneous views became general consensus.
When did I ever claim Neil had absolutely no folk background in his music? On the contrary, I outright declared that Comes A Time and a handful of his later releases did apply.
Now there's a reliable publication. Again, I never once asserted that Neil had no association with the genre. If anything, I posited that he's as rooted in it as he is in rock 'n' roll which seems difficult to contest given his work with Crazy Horse, After The Gold Rush, On The Beach, Tonight's The Night, etc. Why then is he tagged as a folk artist? You might as well call Radiohead a britpop band.

When it comes to classic artists (i.e Dylan, neil young, zeppelin, etc.) I'll take rolling stones word. sure they don't review modern artists well, but there is a reason they've been in business for 40+ years. Of course, if you give rolling stone magazine any props, you'll lose all that cool non conformist AP cred, right?

also, I'm disagreeing with your definition of folk, as you disagree with mine. it's all good.

good day, sir.

[IceAge/HeatWave]

He really is! I see him July 1st and I am so damn excited!!!

I would be too. I saw him when I was like 15 and it's so weird thinking like "that's REALLY bob dylan" lol

[crypticv24]

Folk. I mean, M. Ward, Fleet Foxes, Bon Iver, Iron & Wine, The Decemberists...I don't think it's a contest.

[IceAge/HeatWave]

Folk. I mean, M. Ward, Fleet Foxes, Bon Iver, Iron & Wine, The Decemberists...I don't think it's a contest.

The decemberists are unreal. I've been listening to the crane wife and hazards of love all week

[TangledUp]

I would be too. I saw him when I was like 15 and it's so weird thinking like "that's REALLY bob dylan" lol
Yeah... for about half of his set that's exactly what's gonna go through my head.

[IWasaCamera]

When it comes to classic artists (i.e Dylan, neil young, zeppelin, etc.) I'll take rolling stones word. sure they don't review modern artists well, but there is a reason they've been in business for 40+ years.
This is a publication who has backpedaled on their views of countless artists (some of them classics such as Zeppelin, The Beach Boys, Radiohead, etc.) after realizing their initial claims were asinine. Inconsistent and out of touch then, same deal now.
Of course, if you give rolling stone magazine any props, you'll lose all that cool non conformist AP cred, right?
He's onto me. Gutted.
also, I'm disagreeing with your definition of folk, as you disagree with mine. it's all good.
That's fine. I'm merely of the opinion that Neil Young is as rock 'n' roll as he is folk. Not including the former in this poll is silly.

[briewer]

Yes, another person voted for Hip Hop. 3.57%, bitches.

[Metal Now]

Fuck, me and Blink is still almost in the top 3.

[Five-Star]

Indie

[murrich]

Folk. See; Leonard Cohen, Bob Dylan, Woody Guthrie.

[CarouselBoy]

don't mess with iwasacamera....he'll tear you a new one over the internet.

Anyway I think it depends on how you define "best" but I'd go with indie. I feel like there are a lot of intelligent, mature and thought out lyrics in the genre and to me that is "best". lol at including blink but I'd go with them if "best" meant the lyrics you can identify with the most.

[MyNameIsRoss]

Don't understand.....

[xBrandNew]

blink 182, hahaha.

no, I'd have to say folk.
conor oberst<3

[Radiology]

All the genres here (with one exception): for every great band that excels lyrically, has a counterpoint band that has some awful lyrics as well.

So with that said, I cannot think of a single folk act that has terrible lyrics. Folk is defined as being carried by it's lyrics and I think with the examples already listed it is truly a genre that is a voice for the people throughout time. It is poetry within song.

Joanna Newsom is also a wonderful lyricist of the folk brand and should be noted along with Oberst, Dylan, Beam, Young, Cohen, and Guthrie.

[ZzyzxScarecrow]

ya the poll is pretty ridiculous.

as a whole though, i think folk has the best lyrics. i just enjoy the story-telling nature they have

[briewer]

don't mess with iwasacamera....he'll tear you a new one over the internet.

Anyway I think it depends on how you define "best" but I'd go with indie. I feel like there are a lot of intelligent, mature and thought out lyrics in the genre and to me that is "best". lol at including blink but I'd go with them if "best" meant the lyrics you can identify with the most.
Shut up.

All the genres here (with one exception): for every great band that excels lyrically, has a counterpoint that has some awful lyrics as well.

So with that said, I cannot think of a single folk act that has terrible lyrics. Folk is defined as being carried by it's lyrics and I think with the examples already listed it is truly a genre that is a voice for the people throughout time. It is poetry within song.

Joanna Newsom is also a wonderful lyricist of the folk brand and should be noted along with Oberst, Dylan, Beam, Young, Cohen, and Guthrie.
Yes x1000. LOVE her.

[oncedarkness]

Indie, and in a close last...hip hop

[VIVALAMATT]

Glassjaw.

[briewer]

Indie, and in a close last...hip hop

Boo.

[batmannj]

Alt/Punk or Indie

[showyourteeth]

folk/indie typically has pretty good lyrics

[CarouselBoy]

Shut up.


Yes x1000. LOVE her.

lolwut

[briewer]

lolwut
You're harping on him for having a discussion in the forums about the topic at hand. Just shut up, there's no reason for you to give him shit, you're just being annoying.

Oh, and you find Blink 182's lyrics relatable. Double shut up.

[IWasaCamera]

don't mess with iwasacamera....he'll tear you a new one over the internet.
Yeah man, totally.
Anyway I think it depends on how you define "best" but I'd go with indie. I feel like there are a lot of intelligent, mature and thought out lyrics in the genre and to me that is "best". lol at including blink but I'd go with them if "best" meant the lyrics you can identify with the most.
Interested in what you mean by "indie".

[CarouselBoy]

You're harping on him for having a discussion in the forums about the topic at hand. Just shut up, there's no reason for you to give him shit, you're just being annoying.

Oh, and you find Blink 182's lyrics relatable. Double shut up.

whoa what is he your boyfriend? It was tongue in cheek, as in I was only half serious either way anyway. Dude, relax, eat some fruit and get off the roids. Also, obviously as far as TYPOAJ backwards the reason it related to me was because I was in high school and middle school. Of course now that I'm 22, not so much anymore. On the relatability, I'm know millions would find them relatable too. So i'm not sure why you find that dumb/wrong/worth a double shut up, except for my age, which I just explained for you.

[briewer]

whoa what is he your boyfriend? It was tongue in cheek, as in I was only half serious either way anyway. Dude, relax, eat some fruit and get off the roids.
http://www.hulu.com/watch/55606/stella-office-party?c=183:192

And dude, you gave both of us crap for having a drawn out discussion two weeks ago (http://absolutepunk.net/showthread.php?p=44852612#post44852 612), and I don't see how this is any different. Maybe it's a joke I just don't get?

Also, obviously as far as TYPOAJ backwards the reason it related to me was because I was in high school and middle school. Of course now that I'm 22, not so much anymore. On the relatability, I'm know millions would find them relatable too. So i'm not sure why you find that dumb/wrong/worth a double shut up, except for my age, which I just explained for you.
You didn't really make it apparent that you used to like them, it seemed like this was something that was still going on, and yes, I would have told a 22 year old who finds blink lyrics relatable to shut up. Apologies on the miscommunication. Oh, and mentioning that millions of people think the same way really doesn't convince me. If that's the case, then I disagree with millions of people.

[gnp8472]

Indie? seriously?

it's folk, by a mile. no genre tells compelling stories like folk artists.

[The Pharmacist]

haha blink 182.....

[Radiology]

"Well the animals laugh from the dark of the wilderness
A baby cries hard in an apartment complex
As I pass in a car buried under the influence
The city's driving me out of my mind
I've seen a child, he's caught in the sad trap of gravity
He falls from the lowest branch of the apple tree
And lands in the grass, and weeps for his dignity
Next time he will not aim so high
Yeah, next time, neither will I

Now a mother takes loans out, sends her kids off to colleges
Her family's reduced to names on a shopping list
While a coroner kneels beneath a great wooden crucifix
He knows there's worse things than being alone
And so I've learned to retreat at the first sign of danger
I mean, why wait around, if it's just to surrender?
And ambition, I've found, can lead only to failure
I do not read the reviews
No, I am not singing for you

Well, I stood dropping a coin into the pit of a well
And I would throw my whole billfold if I thought it would help
With all these wishes I make, I should buy something real
At least a telephone to call home
Well, my teachers, they built this retaining wall of memory
All those multiple choices I answered so quickly
And got my grades back, and forgot just as easily
But at least I got an A
And so I don't have them to blame

Well I should stop pointing fingers, reserve my judgement
Of all those public action figures, the cowboy presidents
So loud behind the bullhorn, so proud they can't admit
When they've made a mistake
Well, poison ink spews from a speechwriter's pen
He knows he don't have to say it so it, it don't bother him
Honesty, accuracy, just popular opinion
And the approval rating's high
And so someone's gonna die

Well, ABC, NBC, CBS bullshit
They give us fact or fiction, I guess an even split
And each new act of war is tonight's entertainment
We're still the pawns in their game
As they take eye for an eye, until no one can see
We must stumble blindly forward, repeating history
Well I guess we all fit into your slogan in that fast food marquee
Red-blooded, white skinned, oh and the blues
Oh, and the blues, I got the blues, that's me!
(That's me!)
That's me!

Well I awoke in relief, my sheets and tubes were all tangled
Weak from whiskey and pills in a Chicago hospital
And my father was there, in a chair by the window
Staring so far away
I tried talking, just whispered, "So sorry, so selfish"
He stopped me and said, "Child, I love you regardless
There's nothing you could do that would ever change this
I'm not angry, it happens
But you just can't do it again"

So now I try to keep up, I've been exchanging my currency
While a million objects pass through my periphery
Now I'm rubbing my eyes, cause they're starting to bother me
I've been staring too long at the screen
But where was it when I first heard that sweet sound of humility?
It came to my ears in the goddamn loveliest melody
How grateful I was then to be part of the mystery
To love and to be loved
Let's just hope that is enough"

how the FUCK is folk not winning this?!

[SuNDaYSTaR]

what kind of a question is this? lyrics arent based on a genre...No, but just think of Flo Rida versus Death Cab For Cutie.

[Brand-new-123]

mewithoutYou

[Outtathaway!]

I wanna make love right na na na.

[AndrewIcex]

Went indie... I enjoy a lot of Folk's too though.

[happie]

haha
i totally knew indie would have the most votes

[DriveLikeScott]

to everyone who is saying hip hop has terrible lyrics

see: cyne