Lyrical Geniuses
Tuesday, August 14 2012 @ 05:51 AM CDT

Lately... I've been into writing. I've been focusing heavily on song meanings, story-telling, puns, metaphors, images, and all that cool stuff that make your writing solid and appealing. Surprisingly, I became interested in rap (due to peer pressure). As a genre, it's completely different from what I usually listen to but I started digging deep in it and found a few amazing rappers who truly define the term "lyrical genius."

I'm wondering who are some of your favorite songwriters/rappers? Not necessarily just good story-tellers, because I think James Taylor (one of my favorites) would definitely be one of them. But someone who uses creativity with words to convey a pretty good story/message. List away! I'm all ears

Re:Lyrical Geniuses
Tuesday, August 14 2012 @ 06:48 AM CDT

Morrissey:

I was delayed, I was way-laid
An emergency stop
I smelt the last ten seconds of life
I crashed down on the crossbar
and the pain was enough to make
a shy, bald, buddhist reflect
and plan a mass murder

Re:Lyrical Geniuses
Tuesday, August 14 2012 @ 08:35 AM CDT

well keep in mind i am the old guy in the room but i always bring these guys up. They both made me so much more aware how rap is kinda the new folk music.... or not

Check out buck 65




and sage francis

Re:Lyrical Geniuses
Tuesday, August 14 2012 @ 08:56 AM CDT

Colin Molloy of the Decemberists. Sometimes brutal making his point but very moral as part of a grand concept. He often uses arcane language and imagery of a Dickensian nature. A Hogarth picture brought to life

Re:Lyrical Geniuses
Tuesday, August 14 2012 @ 09:37 AM CDT

I don't know much on the subject as subjective as it is. I do know that before I could say I ever reflected on lyricists Tom Waits and Peter Gabriel gave me chills.

Re:Lyrical Geniuses
Tuesday, August 14 2012 @ 09:48 AM CDT

Re:Lyrical Geniuses
Tuesday, August 14 2012 @ 10:19 AM CDT

I've been really into the imagery in a lot of the Blue October songs lately:

Re:Lyrical Geniuses
Tuesday, August 14 2012 @ 10:20 AM CDT

The American lyric tradition grew in a unique direction. The ideas go into the things. If ideas are not presented in the things Americans by cultural norm consider the lyric to be about sound alone. This is not true in other traditions. Obviously songs that originate in other places are popular in America but you might be hard pressed to find one that defies the lyric tradition. America's first professional songster was Steven Foster. He died broke btw... check him out.

Daug

Re:Lyrical Geniuses
Tuesday, August 14 2012 @ 08:44 PM CDT

and this guy

Re:Lyrical Geniuses
Tuesday, August 14 2012 @ 09:38 PM CDT

One of my favorite lyrics - by John Hiatt

Icy Blue Heart

She came onto him like a slow movin' cold front
His beer was warmer than the look in her eyes
She sat on a stool, he said, "what do you want? "
She said, "give me a love that don't freeze up inside."

He said, "i have melted some hearts in my time dear
But to sit next to you, lord, I shiver and shake
And if I knew love, well, I don't think I'd be here
Askin' myself if I've got what it takes."

Chorus:
To melt your icy blue heart
Should I start?
To turn what's been frozen for years
Into a river of tears

"these days we all play cool, calm and collected
Why, our lips could turn blue just shooting the breeze"
But under the frost, well, he thought he detected
A warm blush of red and a touch of her knee

He said, "girl, you're a beauty like I've never witnessed
And I've seen the northern lights dance in the air
But I've felt the cold that can follow the first kiss
And there's not enough heat in the fires burning there."

Chorus