Best and worst lyrics

[T-MU]

Hi! Just for curiosity I would like to know which kind of lyrics you native english (or american) speakers like and dislike, because you must have very different point of view to them than someone who isn't a native english speaker.
Please, list some bands and songs with good lyrics and some with the worst, most stupid lyrics ever written !
I'm very interested also to know what makes lyrics good or bad, so maybe I can learn something new.

[jim777]

My favorite bands lyric wise are Rush, and The Beatles. My favorite Rush lyric is Bravado, from "Roll The Bones", my favorite Beatles tune is "In My Life". I love Yes, but deciphering their lyrics will give you fits

jim

[Break Zero]

Tool, Nevermore, A Perfect Circle, anything Devin Townsend has penned, Death

[Jeff]

Originally Posted by jim777

My favorite bands lyric wise are Rush, and The Beatles. My favorite Rush lyric is Bravado, from "Roll The Bones", my favorite Beatles tune is "In My Life". I love Yes, but deciphering their lyrics will give you fits

jim

From an avid, avid Yes listener, he stated that their lyrics were never meant to be their songs' primary focus. There's no real deep philosophical meaning behind them, they're just there to hold place and relax, more or less.

[Dead Roman]

Originally Posted by Jeff

From an avid, avid Yes listener, he stated that their lyrics were never meant to be their songs' primary focus. There's no real deep philosophical meaning behind them, they're just there to hold place and relax, more or less.

"in and around the lake, marlins come out of the skay and they stand there"

anybody got a clue what THAT **** means?

[jim777]

Originally Posted by Jeff

From an avid, avid Yes listener, he stated that their lyrics were never meant to be their songs' primary focus. There's no real deep philosophical meaning behind them, they're just there to hold place and relax, more or less.

I've seen Yes maybe 50 times since 1971 (my first show, I was 10), and Yes is my all time favorite band, has been for 30 years now. This is both true and false, and one of those things they've been arguing about for years in alt.music.yes on Usenet. I agree with you and disagree with you, but I've gone through the argument hundreds of times and can't do it again! I will say though, all in all, the journey takes you all the way, as apart from any reality that you've ever seen and known.

jim

[jim777]

Originally Posted by Dead Roman

"in and around the lake, marlins come out of the skay and they stand there"

anybody got a clue what THAT stuff means?

I doubt it

[Jeff]

Well, I'm not much of a Yes listener, so I can't really have an opinion for myself. My friend is just a total prog junkie (and has given me waaaaay too much DT bootleg material than I know what do with )

[musicdr]

I was looking at a guitar mag the other day and caught myself reading the lyrics to "achilles last stand" by zeppelin.They make no sense at all,in fact many zeppelin lyrics make no sense,but combined with the music it certainly seems as if something meaningful is being said.It seems like the lyrics are just used to color the music rather than make a statement.I rather like that style of lyricism as it invites more audience participation and just when you think you understand it,a nice healthy guitar solo brings you back to reality.

[mechanyx]

My favorite lyricist of all time is Jim Matheos of Fates Warning.

[kennydoe]

Originally Posted by Dead Roman

"in and around the lake, marlins come out of the skay and they stand there"

anybody got a clue what THAT stuff means?

Well, I know that it's "MOUNTAINS" that come out of the sky and remain still, however it doesn't make that much more sense. The vision of Marlins coming out of the sky and standing there is pretty hilarious though. Thanks.

My two least favorite lyrics:
Bon Jovi - It's My LIfe "Like Frankie said I did it 'My Way'" is just godawful.
Queensryche - Sient Lucidity I love the whole song execpt when he proceeds the line "of someone close to you leaving the game" with his whispered/mumbled "OF LIFE". Totally unnecessary, IMO. almost ruins the song for me.

Marillion/Fish have lots of good lyrics, but are very heavy. Fish's 'Cliche' is probably my favorite ballad of all time, lyrically.

Ben Folds write great pop lyrics - always a narrative about a character and always either touching, tongue-in-cheek-funny or both. It'd be hard for me to pick one. Another ballad "The Luckiest" is another favorite ballad of mine.

~K

[hexa-db]

I prefer different lyrics at different times,
I like Nine Inch Nails when I'm in an angsty tantrumey grumpy mood.
For sheer poetry I really like Smashing Pumpkins, especially Melon Collie and The Infinite Sadness.
I also like lyrics by Pink Floyd (Roger Waters era, and his solo stuff), Therapy? and loads of others I can't remember.

I have to say though I think Mr.Vai has been guilty of some pretty terrible lyrics. Some of the tracks on Fire Garden make me cringe.

[kennydoe]

Originally Posted by hexa-db

....I have to say though I think Mr.Vai has been guilty of some pretty terrible lyrics. Some of the tracks on Fire Garden make me cringe.

Agreed wholeheartedly...except for 'still my bleeding heart'.

~K

[jim777]

Originally Posted by kennydoe

Well, I know that it's "MOUNTAINS" that come out of the sky and remain still, however it doesn't make that much more sense. The vision of Marlins coming out of the sky and standing there is pretty hilarious though. Thanks.
~K

I agree with the marlins thing being funny, I thought he was being facetious! Anyway, (last time I mention Yes here, I swear) the line is "in and around the lake, mountains come out of the sky and they stand there". If you look into a lake in front of a mountain, the image in the water is reversed in the reflection, so from the water to the sky, bottom to top, it's sky, mountain, shore, mountain, and sky again. In the lake, and around the lake, the mountains start in and come out of the sky. If you want really indecipherable, there's always "Sound Chaser"

And I always hated that line from the Cars, "it doesn't matter where you've been, as long as it was deep, yeah"

jim

[Two hands31]

Originally Posted by Break Zero

Tool, Nevermore, A Perfect Circle, anything Devin Townsend has penned, Death

Agreed, plus:

The Tea Party
I Mother Earth ("Looking to define masturbation using colour" anyone? )
Incubus ("Floating in this cosmic jacuzzi...")