For sharply observed details, I go with Chris Difford. He's a genius at catching the little stuff. One of my favorite lyricists of all time is Grant McLennan of the Go-Betweens. John Micek ----- Original Message ----- From: "Marty Rudnick" To: Sent: Wednesday, July 29, 2009 10:47 AM Subject: Re: let's do a turnaround on this topic.... hopelessly inane lyric >I gotta go with Paul Simon. > > One of my personal faves is Kirsty MacColl, who would write the most > wonderfully clever tunes telling off horrible boyfriends. (Innocence) > > How about the beautifully inane? > > Brian Wilson has come up with some real lulus (Johnny Carson), but he > balances it out with such deeply personal offerings that you can't help > but get drawn in (In My Room). In that same boat is Jonathan Richman. > (My Little Kukenhaken) > > Marty > > ---- wrote: >> >> sooooo... on the other hand, who do you think is among the best and >> brightest lyricists? >> >> Surely Andy Partridge is right up there (if you can excuse Melt the Guns >> lol).... his wit and wisdom are best on display on almost any album from >> Drums and Wires forward.... >> >> Mike >> >> --- On Tue, 7/28/09, Gregory Sager wrote: >> >> >> From: Gregory Sager >> Subject: Re: hopelessly inane lyric >> To: audities@smoe.org >> Date: Tuesday, July 28, 2009, 10:34 PM >> >> >> >> > Date: Tue, 28 Jul 2009 18:50:39 -0500 >> > From: "Rick McCall" >> > To: >> > Subject: Hopelessly Inane Lyric >> > Message-ID: >> > >> > >> > "I am ... I said >> > >> > To no one there >> > >> > And no one heard at all >> > >> > Not even the chair" >> > >> > --Neil Diamond's 'I Am ... I Said' >> > >> > >> > Millions of people bought a record that contained this line >> > and millions of >> > women swooned when he vomited it out there live. >> > Meanwhile, bands like >> > Sparks and Pugwash and Ike toil in relative obscurity. >> > >> > Life just isn't fair. >> >> This one gets my vote for most hopelessly inane lyric: >> >> If we explode the atom bomb, >> Would they say that we were dumb? >> >> Courtesy of der Stinglehoffer. Unlike Neil's inane lyric, this one >> doesn't even rhyme. >> >> >> Gregory Sager >> (who actually did like the Police) >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> > >