Opinions: Worst and best lyricists.

[Lateralus14]

idk, I didn't know metalheads could read, but still there's some really nice lines in there. TBH we should always specify modern or 80s when talking about metallica so no fanboys like me get offended.

 

[Kamel]

idk, I didn't know metalheads could read.

 

[Nettacki]

Best at the moment:

Neil Peart
Trent Reznor
Whoever wrote for The Who, particularly in Quadrophenia
Cliff Burton
Rob Halford...ish

Worst:
St Anger era James Hetfield
Jonas Brothers (any one of them, Rock or not)
A lot of death metal writers, though admittedly some of them have intelligent lyrics.

 

[Frosties]

Best at the moment:

Cliff Burton

You're aware that the dude in his whole lyric-writing career wrote 4 lines, right?

 

[To rid you disease]

hey, he was killed in a bus accident, dont question his potential qualities!

 

[Jester-Race]

worst: jesus christ

best: satan

HAIL SATAN

 

[lammoth]

worst: jesus christ

best: satan

HAIL SATAN

 

[Don Corleone]

hey, he was killed in a bus accident, dont question his potential qualities!

nice one

 

[Space Butler]

Because it has not been discussed yet, I thought I would point out the obvious that as far as genres go, rap/hip hop consistently has the worst lyrics. I mean, look at this steaming pile of shit I found while looking for completely unrelated lyrics:

http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/lupefiasco/gottaeat.html

 

[Don Corleone]

poor generalisation...hip hop has a lot of talented lyricists. it's a genre based totally on lyrics, so obviously there must be good ones. examples: chuck d and q-tip off the top of my head.

 

[Obtuse]

You're aware that the dude in his whole lyric-writing career wrote 4 lines, right?

True, but To Live is to Die is

Anyway, I'd say between Ride and Justice, James Hetfield was one of the best.

Steve Harris is probably the best heavy metal lyricist of all time, though. How can one compete with the guy who wrote Phantom of the Opera, The Number of the Beast, Hallowed Be Thy Name, the Trooper, To Tame a Land, Aces High, Rime of the Ancient Mariner, Caught Somewhere in Time, 7th Son of a 7th Son, etc?

 

[Khayman666]

Steve Harris is probably the best heavy metal lyricist of all time, though. How can one compete with the guy who wrote Phantom of the Opera, The Number of the Beast, Hallowed Be Thy Name, the Trooper, To Tame a Land, Aces High, Rime of the Ancient Mariner, Caught Somewhere in Time, 7th Son of a 7th Son, etc?

I've always thought Bruce was the most creative of the two. Steve takes a theme (book or movie, usually) and gives a first-person plot summary in lyrical form, where Bruce takes a theme and tends to build something new from it.

 

[Sad Madrigal]

Best lyrics ever:
http://www.musicsonglyrics.com/A/analcuntlyrics/analcunttomarnoldlyrics.htm

 

[NicholasDWolfwood]

.

 

[{-sapob-}]

Man, That song must have taken Seconds to write

 

[Khaos427]

I'm as much a prog rock fan as I am metal, so here it goes... Some of my favorites and what I think to be great examples of their work.

Ihsahn (Emperor, solo) - "An Elegy of Icaros" from the album, "IX Equilibrium"
Mikael Åkerfeldt (Opeth) - "Demon of the Fall" from the album "My Arms, Your Hearse"
Tomas Haake (Meshuggah) - "Lethargica" from the album "Obzen"
Phil Shulman (Gentle Giant) - "Pantagruel's Nativity" from the album "Acquiring the Taste"
Kerry Minnear (Gentle Giant) - "Experience" from the album "In A Glass House"
Peter Sinfield (King Crimson) - "Epitaph" from the album "In the Court of the Crimson King"
Peter Hammill (Van Der Graaf Generator, solo ) - "Man-Erg" from the album "Pawn Hearts"

 

[{-sapob-}]

^
Hey First post I see.
Welcome Buddy!

 

[Khaos427]

Thanks, Sapob

 

[Prophet178]

I'm as much a prog rock fan as I am metal, so here it goes... Some of my favorites and what I think to be great examples of their work.

Ihsahn (Emperor, solo) - "An Elegy of Icaros" from the album, "IX Equilibrium"
Mikael Åkerfeldt (Opeth) - "Demon of the Fall" from the album "My Arms, Your Hearse"
Tomas Haake (Meshuggah) - "Lethargica" from the album "Obzen"
Phil Shulman (Gentle Giant) - "Pantagruel's Nativity" from the album "Acquiring the Taste"
Kerry Minnear (Gentle Giant) - "Experience" from the album "In A Glass House"
Peter Sinfield (King Crimson) - "Epitaph" from the album "In the Court of the Crimson King"
Peter Hammill (Van Der Graaf Generator, solo ) - "Man-Erg" from the album "Pawn Hearts"

Epic post, Gentle Giant, Graaf Generator, and King Crimson, awesome.

 

[Kir-ir-Bannog]

I cant beleive that Martin Walkyier from Sabbat / Skyclad has not been mentioned. Best lyricist in metal BAR NONE.

http://lyrics.rockmagic.net/lyrics/sabbat/dreamweaver_reflection_of_our_yesterday_1989.html#s03

When living your life
Like an arrow in flight
You must always accept that
The end is in sight,
Be grateful at least for the fact
That you knew, you came to death -
He did not come for you.

You are like targets
Who sit and await -
Patiently suffer
The arrows of fate,
Saying "I am but mortal
And destined to die -
I can change nothing
So why should I try?"
Each morning you wake is an
'ember day' dawning,
Your penance for living in
Permanent mourning.
By erst while ideals your
Hearts are enslaved,
You crawl out of the cradle
Straight into the grave.
What reward is a banquet
Of red wine and bread,
When you hunger for life -
But on death you are fed?



Other great metal lyricists I would say are:

Steve Harris/Bruce Dickenson
Warrel Dane
James Hetfield (old stuff)
Maynard James Keenan
Peter Steele (as people have said both great and bad - but the bad, very tongue in cheek)
Lemmy Kilminster (some great humour in the lyrics - Eat the Rich for example.
Blackie Lawless (if you dont take him too seriously -same as Lemmy)

Worst:

The guy from Katatonia