Funny this should come up. I just printed out some lyrics from”La Boheme” to show my kid the English major how good lyrics can be — even when translated from Italian to English.
SACRILEGE!
The lyric “De-doo-doo-doo, de-dah-dah-dah” pretty much sealed Sting’s mediocrity (in lyric writing) for me. He’s a hell of a singer though.
Nice to see somebody else note the Renaissance Faire quality of some of that Zeppelin stuff. Only Jethro Tull could out goofy them in that competition.
I always thought Dan Fogelberg wrote great lyrics
...I know the perfect little path
Out in these woods I used to hunt
Don’t worry babe I’ve got your back
And I’ve also got your front
Now, I’d hate to waste a night like this
I’ll keep you safe you wait and see
The only thing allowed to crawl all over you when we get there is me.
You know every guy in here tonight
Would like to take you home
But I’ve got way more class than them
Babe that ain’t what I want.
‘Cause I’d like to see you out in the moonlight
I’d like to kiss you way back in the sticks
I’d like to walk you through a field of wildflowers
And I’d like to check you for ticks....
I don't know, Neil Peart can write some really good stuff that has nothing to do with science or fantasy. Rush's strength, though, mostly lies in the music itself.
Mark
Yeah, I guess the Nabokov name drop was kind of tacky. But Neil Pert has Sting easily beat in the bad lyrics category. He’s kind of like an Aynd Rand novel set to music.
Paul Simon is probably my favorite lyricist. In an interview he said one of his approaches to writing lyrics is to start by scat singing word fragments and unformed phrases and seeing what emerges. So he starts with words as sounds, and their meaning comes later.
Scott Stapp should win this award hands down. I wouldn’t be surprised if David Cross is right and he sat outside junior highs listening to the poetry of 7th grade girls. Actually some of that is probably better than what he writes.
Any such rankings listing Sting 1st and McCartney 38th is demonstrably absurd.
Springsteen had his moments, such as choosing to rhyme "growing up" with "throwing up." I will also never forgive Bruce Johnston for writing the words "skinned our hearts and skinned our knees."
You now he knows just exactLY what the facts is.
He ain't gonna let those two-OO escape justice.
He makes his living off of THE people's taxes.
{And that's the last we hear about ol' Det. Mack)
Hey, I thought that was terrific - worth of Kipling or Poe.
NEW TAGLINE!
ping
Blender needs to take another listen to the 80s and 90s era of one-hit pop wonders and find the real worst lyricists.
I liked the Sinatra version better:
"You are black, and I am white
Life's an Eskimo Pie, let's.. take a bite!
That was groovy thinkin'
Lincoln, when you set them freeeeeee...
We all know
Cats are the same
Maine to Mexico.
Good. Bad.
Guys and chicks!"
Stevie Wonder: "I am dark, and you are light."
Frank Sinatra: "You are blind as a bat, and I have sight!
Side by side, you are my amigo,
Negro, let's not fiiiiiiiight!"
Stevie Wonder: "Ebony, ivory Living in perfect harmony."
Frank Sinatra: "Salt and pepper,
Sammy and Dean
Stevie and me are peachy keen!"
Stevie Wonder: "You are white."
Frank Sinatra: "You are black - and who cares!"
Who cares, baby!