Favorite Lyricists

[Illuminate]

Here are mine:

Morrissey:
"Everybody's lost, but they're pretending they're not lost"

Jesse Lacey:
And I wish for one more day to give my
Love and repay debts.
But the morning finds our bodies washed up thirty miles west.


Conor Oberst:
I believe that lovers should be tied together, thrown into the ocean in the worst of weather, left there to drown, left there to drown in there innocence."


What about yours?

[doritoz]

I aaaaammmm readyy to be neeeeewwww agaaaaiinnn!

[Gin]

You Were Gravely Mistakeeeeeeeeen!!!

[awakeohsleeper]

Aaron Weiss? You cannot beat mewithoutYou's first three albums lyrically.

[TinMan20]

nick torres
matt embree
jesse lacey
dustin kensrue
elliott smith

in no order

[anthonydarko]

Dustin Kensrue

[Oddpac87]

Aaron Weiss? You cannot beat mewithoutYou's first three albums lyrically.

/thread

[Jaimehere]

i love lyricists that write about life in general or things that RELATE to me, examples are:

Steve Klein of New Found Glory
Matthiew Thiessen of Relient K
Kenny Vasoli of The Starting Line
Mark Hoppus and Tom DeLonge

[EchoPark]

Ole' Butch

[ropati]

You see a storm knocked out my super power,
Now I sleep through thundershowers.
Wake me when you learn to be cool.
If I'm the captain of this boat then all my shipmates are fools.
And all the the stars in the world couldn't help me steer my way out of this kiddy pool.

Yeah it's a chronic pain in my ass but no, it's not a burden.
It's ironic that I drink to make my insides stop hurting.
And it's a love that gives me heartburn,
It's a song that makes my stomach turn,
And I wouldn't trade my hand for all the aces in the deck.

I love Dan's lyrics, and his songs, and his voice haha!!
Genius

[AnUnseenLove]

Aaron Weiss? You cannot beat mewithoutYou's first three albums lyrically.

could not agree more.

[xohalezz]

i love lyricists that write about life in general or things that RELATE to me, examples are:

Steve Klein of New Found Glory
Matthiew Thiessen of Relient K
Kenny Vasoli of The Starting Line
Mark Hoppus and Tom DeLonge


so true.

[oddwithoutend]

Phil Elverum
Sam Beam
Bill Callahan

[TravelingBySea]

Nick Torres
Jesse Lacey
Conor Oberst
Tim Kasher
Ben Gibbard
Mike Kinsella
Win Butler
John Nolan
Jarrod Gorbel
Kevin Devine
Max Bemis

In no particular order, but these people's lyrics usually entice me the most

[RonStoppable]

Ben Gibbard
Elliott Smith
Conor Oberst
Kanye West
Mark Hoppus
Max Bemis
John Nolan

[Big_Guy]

Nick Torres
Chris McCaughan

[Daigle lol]

Aaron Weiss? You cannot beat mewithoutYou's first three albums lyrically.

This.

Along with Aaron Weiss, for me, Elliott Smith, Conor Oberst and Morrissey. I've quoted a lot of lines from these guys haha

[iheartmystd]

chris conley
jesse lacey
max bemis

[squared82]

Aaron Weiss? You cannot beat mewithoutYou's first three albums lyrically.

it's all crazy... had some great lyrical work too. Sure most of it was stripped down and got rather repetitive (Angel of Death), there are some real gems in there. The Fox... had some fantastic wordplay, and Timothy Hay and Goodbye, I! still had tons of meaning.

Aaron Weiss is definitely the top for me. I love pretty much everything he's done.

[Animalhill]

Howlin Wolf.
Dan Auerbach.
Tim Kasher.
Isaac Brock.
Nick Torres.
Aesop Rock.

[corrupt_rocker]

Atmosphere, Jeff Ott, Mos Def, Maria Mena, Scott Russo, Nuno Pereira.
oh and Mad Conductor.

[awakeohsleeper]

it's all crazy... had some great lyrical work too. Sure most of it was stripped down and got rather repetitive (Angel of Death), there are some real gems in there. The Fox... had some fantastic wordplay, and Timothy Hay and Goodbye, I! still had tons of meaning.

Aaron Weiss is definitely the top for me. I love pretty much everything he's done.
Oh yeah, definitely. By no means was I discounting that album. I just think that I am not exaggerating when I say there isn't a moment, lyrically, that I don't enjoy on the first three full lengths.

[squared82]

Oh yeah, definitely. By no means was I discounting that album. I just think that I am not exaggerating when I say there isn't a moment, lyrically, that I don't enjoy on the first three full lengths.

Totally agree.

[maxvsmaradona]

YmEwNPyhbZM
4Y3ObJm0m9w

seriously, /thread

[Macbeth.]

lacey/smith/weiss/oberst/bemis

[only the clouds]

Dustin Kensrue
This, a lot

[Brand-new-123]

Other than Aaron Weiss, I think Cody Bonnette and David Bazan are pretty high up there on my favorites.

[And Hours Pass]

Ben Gibbard
Paul Simon
John Mayer
Chris Thile
Regina Spektor
Brett Dennen

[dismrepair08]

Aaron Weiss? You cannot beat mewithoutYou's first three albums lyrically.

Agreed. He's probably the best lyricist I've heard. Although I think his lyrics on it's all crazy... are also profound, but in a different way than the first three albums.

Aside from Aaron Weiss, though, I'd also have to include Jesse Lacey, Stephen Christian, and Dustin Kensrue, even though I've only ever heard one Thrice album. I also really enjoy Josh Scogin's lyrics in songs by The Chariot and Norma Jean...there's more them than what appears at first glance.

[singyoutocoma]

You see a storm knocked out my super power,
Now I sleep through thundershowers.
Wake me when you learn to be cool.
If I'm the captain of this boat then all my shipmates are fools.
And all the the stars in the world couldn't help me steer my way out of this kiddy pool.

Yeah it's a chronic pain in my ass but no, it's not a burden.
It's ironic that I drink to make my insides stop hurting.
And it's a love that gives me heartburn,
It's a song that makes my stomach turn,
And I wouldn't trade my hand for all the aces in the deck.

I love Dan's lyrics, and his songs, and his voice haha!!
Genius

Love that stanza.

[kim_nokiamusic]

Blake Schwarzenbach and John K Samson are the stand outs.

[Yellowcard2006]

Whichever band member writes for This Time Next Year. Amazing lyrics.

Anthony Raneri, Justin Pierre, Ryan Key

[jdnard]

Dominic Owen Mallorys
of last lights
def the best lyricist of all time

then Aaron beddard of bane is second

[owiseone35]

Sam Beam
Scott Hutchison
Ryan Adams
Chirs Conley

[Charles777]

Max Bemis and Anthony Green

[IWasaCamera]

Lock this, Craig.

[DrStrong]

Max Bemis and Anthony Green
Seriously?

Just an old friend coming over
Now to visit you and
That's what I've become
I let myself in
Though I know I'm not supposed to but
I never know when I'm done
Stephen Jenkins - I relate to alot of what he writes, its crazy.

I threw a stone down at the reflection of my image in the water and it altogether disappeared.
I burst, it shattered me like a bullet through a bottle.
And I'm expected to believe that any of this is real.

Aaron Weiss - Because his metaphors are amazing.

[kearn1tm]

Chuck D

Elvis was a hero to most
But he never meant shit to me you see
Straight up racist that sucker was
Simple and plain
Mother fuck him and John Wayne
Cause I'm Black and I'm proud
I'm ready and hyped plus I'm amped
Most of my heroes don't appear on no stamps

Vast Aire

You were a still born baby
Mother didn't want you, but you were still born
Boy meets world, of course his pops is gone
What you figga
That chalky outline on the ground is a father figure
So he steps to the next stencil, that's a hustler
Infested with money and diamond cluster

Carrie Brownstein

if you think like thomas edison
could you invent a world for me
now all that's on the surface
are bloody arms and oil fields
could i turn this place upside down
and shake you and your fossils out?

Richard Hell

I belong to the --- generation and I could take it or leave it each time.

[kearn1tm]

There's a lot of Elliott Smith in here. He's a guy I argued against as being "brilliant," and I still do, but I do find his words charming in their fumbling simplicity. At least, I do with Either/Or. I don't really care much about what came after.

[SlappedActor]

John Darnielle is the best one out there right now.

[inthemidst]

1. Ryan O'Neal - Sleeping at Last
2. Kristian Hallbert - Crime In Stereo
3. Justin Mcroberts
4. Preson Phillips
5. AJ Perdomo - The Dangerous Summer

[Gfunk1221]

Isaac Brooke- Modest Mouse
Thom Yorke- Radiohead
Brandon Boyd- Incubus
Ben Gibbard- Deatch Cab/Postal Service
Avery Tare- Animal Collective

[FBTMOPenguins]

Cannibal Corpse-
"Butchery my meat hooks sharpened to penetrate
Emasculate, gouging crotches I will eat
Hung upside down, holes punctured through half chewed
Gristle, debauchery with dead bodies, turning green
Upheaveal of human entrails
Deterioration of grated genitals, dangling from the hooks
Obscene feelings deep inside me
Dislocating, separating a blood
Drenched body
Begin the anal grounting"

[Shatter_Glass]

Dustin Kensrue

this.

and Alex Turner of Arctic Monkeys.

[Charles777]

Seriously?


Stephen Jenkins - I relate to alot of what he writes, its crazy.



Aaron Weiss - Because his metaphors are amazing.

Yep.

[the seventeenth]

Butch Walker.
and (as wrecked I'll get for this): Ronnie Radke.- imo his lyrics are just simple things I relate to, for example The Day I Left The Womb is just all to good.

[the seventeenth]

Cannibal Corpse-
"Butchery my meat hooks sharpened to penetrate
Emasculate, gouging crotches I will eat
Hung upside down, holes punctured through half chewed
Gristle, debauchery with dead bodies, turning green
Upheaveal of human entrails
Deterioration of grated genitals, dangling from the hooks
Obscene feelings deep inside me
Dislocating, separating a blood
Drenched body
Begin the anal grounting"

that is most prettiest image I've ever once thought.
Still, really?

[Nick860]

Anthony Raneri

[made4tvmovie]

gotta love brandon boyd

[Readyfuels]

Stephen Christian, Isaac Slade, Anthony Raneri, Aaron Marsh

[ate_teenfourevr]

lacey
armstrong
delonge/hoppus
mayer
adkins
springsteen

[Joeypeapot777]

Max Bemis, Ryan Ross, Jesse Lacey, Ben Gibbard.

Conor Oberst, Morrissey

[FBTMOPenguins]

that is most prettiest image I've ever once thought.
Still, really?

Yeah young bro without Cannibal Corpse I would have never gotten through middle school.

[Deadbolt23]

Jordan Dreyer (La Dispute)
Dustin Kensrue (Thrice)
Scroobius Pip
Casey Crescenzo (The Dear Hunter/ The Receiving End Of Sirens)

[Stavie Steelo]

Butch Walker.
and (as wrecked I'll get for this): Ronnie Radke.- imo his lyrics are just simple things I relate to, for example The Day I Left The Womb is just all to good.
That song is fucking awesome.

Brandon Boyd
Matt Skiba - simple and awesome
Aaron Gilespie
Tim Mcllrath
Tom Delong
Kanye West
Nas
Big Sean
Eminem
Chris Demakes
Roger Manganelli
Tim Armstrong

[doritoz]

nick torres
matt embree
jesse lacey
dustin kensrue
elliott smith

in no order
Those last three are some of my favorites too. Excellent choices.

[goldandgreen182]

Bruce Springsteen

[soundofasmile]

Joanna Newsom, Joni Mitchell, Larry Beckett...can't think of anymore at the moment

[ate_teenfourevr]

Bruce Springsteen

hell yeah. born to run and thunder road.. wow. and then the lesser known songs: candy's room, growing up, jungleland.

[matchbox202006]

Rob Thomas- "I'm not crazy, i'm just a little unwell"
Johnny Rezeznik-"Shots in the dark, from empty guns, never heard by anyone"
Stephen Jenkins-"I'm only pretty sure/that i can't take anymore/before you take a swing/i wonder, what are we fighting for?"
-"rapstars bragging 'bout shooting eachother, whatever happend to brother brother?"
Kevin Matisyn- "life taught you how to fly, and then you flew away from me"

[Numero10]

Kanye West
Nas
Jay-Z
Chuck D
Eminem
Ice Cube
Jesse Lacey
Pete Wentz
Brian Fallon
Max Bemis
DeLonge/Hoppus
Thom Yorke
Josh Francheschi
Steve Klein
Ian Curtis

[shes.a.ghost]

Tim Kasher
Keith Buckley
Jesse Lacey
Stephan Jenkins
Thom York

[blissfulrain]

Hayley Williams
Stephen Christian
Tim Lambesis
Spencer Chamberlain
Anthony Green
Cove Reber
Jeremy Mckinnon
Mike Hranica
Hayley Williams
Hayley Williams
Hayley Williams.












Hayley Williams.

[Charles777]

I forgot POS before.

[broaddplease]

max bemis
jenny lewis/blake sennet
regina spektor

[Jali]

Roger Waters
Ian Dury
Chuck D
Steve Ignorant/Penny Rimbaud/Eve Libertine/anyone else who wrote lyrics for Crass
Corey Taylor
Nick Cave
Jake Shears/Ana Matronic (scissor sisters)
Eminem
Brandon Dicamillo (Gnarkill)

[bowl of oranges]

Isaac Brock, Keith Buckley, Jeff Magnum, and Aaron Weiss

[pleasedontask]

I'm just gonna go ahead and say that I never saw what was so great about Morrissey's lyrics, but that's probably just me..

[SincerelyMe]

Conor Oberst
Andrew McMahon
Max Bemis

[Kid B]

David Berman
Tim Kinsella
Bobby Markos
Yoni Wolf

Phil Elverum
Sam Beam
Bill Callahan

These too.

[Montauk1222]

Anthony Raneri
Dominic Mallary
and a ton of others that have probably been posted.

[Lemmi!]

bono

[dash64]

Tom Delonge
Jesse Lacey
Jared Leto
Kele Okereke
Kanye West
Mike Shinoda
Trent Reznor
Matthew Bellamy

[SophGod]

Jesse Lacey
Geoff Rickly
Dustin Kensrue
Conor Oberst
Matt Embree
Anthony Raneri
Jim Adkins
Claudio Sanchez
Nuno Pereira

[KingJohn_654]

John Nolan
Daryl Palumbo
Kevin Devine
Jesse Lacey
Nate Ruess
Nick Torres
Jeff Magnum

[jessicaa__]

Sam Beam
Conor Oberst
Max Bemis
Keith Buckley
Aaron Weiss
Justin Vernon
Jesse Lacey
Jeff Mangum

Just to name a few :)

[IntoTheSun]

MANGUM, YOU TURDS.

/Cuddles

[schenksta]

Soupy from The Wonder Years, on The Upsides at least.

[kearn1tm]

Tim Kasher


How did I forget to mention Tim Kasher? That man is a self-conscious badass.

[marchofmarty]

Jacob Bannon

[blissfulrain]

I forgot to mention Hayley Williams :\

[SophGod]

John Nolan
Daryl Palumbo
Kevin Devine
Jesse Lacey
Nate Ruess
Nick Torres
Jeff Magnum

how the hell did I forget your first 3 and Nick Torres?

[Thriftstoresuit]

Will Sheff

[KingJohn_654]

how the hell did I forget your first 3 and Nick Torres?

i dunno man. what would you do without me?

[hitormiss92]

Nate Ruess for sure

[Nedical]

Max Bemis or Justin Pierre

[cavanaughpark09]

I'll just leave a few I haven't seen yet:

Andrew McMahon
Josh Partington (some of my favorite Something Corporate lyrics are his)
Jimmie Deeghan

[Brokenhill]

http://www.mountcarmelschool.net/student-websites/asmwebsite/images/Waters12giugno1971.jpg

http://www.mtv.com/shared/media/news/images/t/Thursday/sq-geoff-coachella-04-js.jpg

http://www.cbc.ca/gfx/images/arts/photos/2007/03/29/billy-corgan-cp-1258369.jpg

[MelissaMDaniels]

Tori Amos, Elliott Smith, Jeff Magnum, Michael Shepard, John K. Sampson, Aaron Weiss

[joeag1985]

Christy Moore.

[cshadows2887]

Someone actually claimed Mark Hoppus as their favorite lyricist. This thread should be closed as spam just for that.

[Illuminate]

Sorry for bumping the thread but no one really gave examples, just listed a bunch of names.

[Charles777]

Ian Metzger from Dear and The Headlights. Especiallly on Drunk Like Bible Times.

[fightforyou]

You see a storm knocked out my super power,
Now I sleep through thundershowers.
Wake me when you learn to be cool.
If I'm the captain of this boat then all my shipmates are fools.
And all the the stars in the world couldn't help me steer my way out of this kiddy pool.

Yeah it's a chronic pain in my ass but no, it's not a burden.
It's ironic that I drink to make my insides stop hurting.
And it's a love that gives me heartburn,
It's a song that makes my stomach turn,
And I wouldn't trade my hand for all the aces in the deck.

I love Dan's lyrics, and his songs, and his voice haha!!
Genius

dan is super cool and these lyrics rock!!!!!! although i would def have to say that dead on the floor is my fav on the newbie. i like totally love those random guys!!!!!

[fightforyou]

bono

most def bono is in my top too! he is awesome!!!!

[georgedcc]

Are we really on page 7 of this thread and Bob Dylan hasn't been mentioned yet? Or have I just not been paying close enough attention?


"You don’t need a weatherman
To know which way the wind blows"


So simple, yet so good.

[Sloth7]

Keith Buckley
Chino Moreno
Billy Corgan
Thom Yorke
Eddie Vedder
Morrissey
Dustin Kensrue
Josh Scogin
Jakob Dylan

[yayitsjoe]

gibbard, bemis, guy from the wonder years, weiss, sprinsteen.

[SLoT]

because this is AP i figured i had to put the following disclaimer on here before i get a pile of doo from people:
My favorites does not mean who I think is literally the best lyricist.

Davey von Bohlen (easily my favorite, the lyrics with the music, jesus...)
Brandon Boyd (usually overlooked)
Mike Kinsella
Justin Vernon
Chris Carrabba (simply just so fitting to the music)
Matt & Kim (they both write)

[ropati]

most def bono is in my top too! he is awesome!!!!
yeah bono is pretty awesome although i only really found that out recently!
love dead on the floor too!
currently thrashing tegan and sara the ocean

[EchoPark]

Chris Hannah-Propagandhi

Dan/Matt-Alkaline Trio

Davey Havok-AFI

Jeff Buckley

[imahoodlum]

Typical answer: Conor Oberst.

[imahoodlum]

Keith Buckley
True. I think he gets overlooked by people because of the type of music he makes. But if you actually listen to the lyrics, he is very well versed. I guess it helped he was an English teacher, too.

[Sloth7]

True. I think he gets overlooked by people because of the type of music he makes. But if you actually listen to the lyrics, he is very well versed. I guess it helped he was an English teacher, too.


Absolutely. The lyrics he writes are very intelligent and witty. They're miles ahead of what any other hardcore band writes.

[KING COTTON]

Jim Morrison
John Lennon
Henry Rollins
Elliot Smith
H.R.
Conor Oberst (Bright Eyes is amazing)
Jeff Mangum

[matchbox202006]

Kevin Matisyn:
"my heart's alot like yours, it hurts when it gets broken"

Rob Thomas:
"I'm not crazy i'm just a little unwell"

John Rezeznik:
"There's a young man sitting in an old man's bar, waiting for his turn to die"

[Spikedeheld]

"Do you breath in dreams?"
-Chrigel Glanzmann

..and almost everything Spencer Chamberlain (Underoath) has written

[suckit]

Pretty hard question to answer but I would have to say Tom Waits and Jeff Mangum.

I didn't and I don't plan on reading everything that has been posted, but I hope no one said Matt Bellamy lol.

[mymusicismylife]

Isaac Brock

[aerofan11]

Bob Dylan
John Lennon
Jesse Lacey
Alex Turner
Roger Waters
Paul Mccartney
Morrissey
Jeff Magnum

[KING COTTON]

Bob Dylan
John Lennon
Jesse Lacey
Alex Turner
Roger Waters
Paul Mccartney
Morrissey
Jeff Magnum

i forgot both of them, i am ashamed of myself

[aerofan11]

i forgot both of them, i am ashamed of myself

Ha ha. I was terribly shocked to see on the first few pages, next to no mention of these two.

[devzap516]

Aaron Weiss
Jesse Lacey
Tim Lambesis
Dustin Kensrue
Jason Lancaster

[Sean Rizzo]

Kevin Matisyn:
"my heart's alot like yours, it hurts when it gets broken"

YES! Props to you. That guy is my #1 favorite.

Second is Anthony Green. (Saosin, Circa [duh])

Third is Jessy Ribordy. (Falling Up)

Any idea where I can find lyricists similar to Matisyn? Been looking for ages.

[$eth]

Andrew McMahon

[cwya]

Max Bemis is my favorite.
His metaphors are genius.

[suckit]

Bob Dylan

How did I forgot...

[Ashtradamus]

Anthony Green
Tegan Quin
Sara Quin
Tender Forever/Melanie Valera
Lennon/ McCartney
Steve Klein [NFG]

[Burn That Shit]

Max Bemis is my favorite.
His metaphors are genius.

you know, there are real people who are actually geniuses that would probably be offended.

[fightforyou]

yeah bono is pretty awesome although i only really found that out recently!
love dead on the floor too!
currently thrashing tegan and sara the ocean
tegan and sara? i heard their last album thought it was quite unique. guessing ur a fan?

[Paulb-182]

Jesse Lacey
Dustin Kensrue
Morrissey
Alex Turner

[matchbox202006]

YES! Props to you. That guy is my #1 favorite.

Second is Anthony Green. (Saosin, Circa [duh])

Third is Jessy Ribordy. (Falling Up)

Any idea where I can find lyricists similar to Matisyn? Been looking for ages.

No one can match Kevin's powerhouse emotion but Ben Burnley from Breaking Benjamin comes close

[ohheroine]

dylan.

[Nuns On A Bus]

Issac Brock
Conor Oberst
Gareth Campesinos!
Patrick Stickles
Jesse Lacey
Thom Yorke
Ben Gibbard
James Murphy
Kevin Barnes
Sufjan Stevens

[Bitterserenade]

Casey crescenzo- the dear hunter/ the receiving end of sirens.

Brendan brown-the receiving end of sirens