[Mattayus]

Favourites? Most hated?

I'm quite funny when it comes to lyrics. I'm very much a guitarists' guitarist, not a very poetic or metaphorical man, and on the odd occasion i have written some words I always think "christ, they were cheesy as fuck!" on reflection.

I'm not fond of poetry, metaphors, hidden meanings, cryptics and such, i quite like clever lyrics, or lyrics that are quite straight forward but mean something powerful. Not like Slayer, that's a bit... too straight forward. Yes, there's nothing more creative than screaming about gassing Jews...
I hate power metal lyrics. About magic, bards, wizards, and every line has the word 'night' or 'shadow' in it!!
Phil Anselmo's writings were always a treat. About unity, brotherhood, respect, and they were powerful, same with Mark Hunter of Chimaira.

Anyway, discuss!

[Ibanezplayer552]

im a giutarist, lyricsist and poet. for a english project we had to do a poem of our on anything an mine was about trippin on acid, it was fucking awsome! im at skool now but ill post it when i get home

[Mattayus]

lol sweet man. i just find them really hard to write without making them sound dishonest and cheap. i'm brilliant with words, i have good diction and i'm eloquent so it's nothing to do with that, it's just putting them into a song context makes me fail, hard.

[Krunch]

I like simple but clever lyrics that imply a bit more than they say. And I really like lyrics that are a little bit disturbing under a veneer of positivity.

The Beatles did that well. One of my favorites is Norwegian Wood, a story about a guy hanging out with a girl at her place, then when she doesn't sleep with him he sets fire to her apartment.

The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Jim Croce are some of my favorites. Porcupine Tree has some that I love and some that I think are silly. There are lyrical gems in several of the bands I like that don't usually have great lyrics. However most of the modern things I listen to regularly are pretty awful, lyrically.

[Variant]

Hmm... as far as the prose side of things go: Fates Warning, Dark Tranquilliy, and Anacrusis are among my favorites.

[Newkie]

I pretty much suck at writing lyrics and can't write something not cheesy no matter how hard I try. If I however do write something good it usually turns out that the exact same thing, or something similar, was written 20 years before me.
My favorite lyricist has to be Neil Peart. He writes such good stuff it's unbelievable.
I pretty much love almost anything he's ever written.

As far as most hated I'd have to say the kinda stuff that's basically just repeating five words over and over and anything Fergie has ever sung.
I'm not too big on the "brag"-rap lyrics when they say how big their rims are or how many women they have swimming in their pool filled with money.

Good topic btw

[Ibanezplayer552]

yeah about what krunch said i liek erie, negative lyrics, the ones that make u think an shiver with a bit of curiousity an think about what the words say gettin a picture in ur head. idk. my lyrics an poem are short but real good in my opinion.

[kristallin]

Lyrics that always make me smile are the words to King Crimson's "Happy With What You Have To Be Happy With". Allow me to quote:

And when I have some words
This is the way I'll sing
Through a distortion box
To make them menacing

Chorus:
I'm gonna have to write a chorus
We're gonna have to have a chorus
And this is as good as any other place
I'll sing it till I'm blue in the face

And for a second verse
Of terse economy
I'll brew another pot
Of ambiguity


Happy with what you have to be happy with
You have to be happy with what you have
To be happy with what you have
You have to be happy with what you have to be happy with

[Cancer]

Not to pat myself on the back, but I think I write lyrics pretty well, my mom was a poet in college and I guess she passed alot of that stuff onto me. If nothing else I like them, so at least I don't break my own personal art rule (ie.... Never release anything to anyone else that you don't presonally enjoy yourself).

Here's an example from M.O.L.D.

Grindfuck

I've kissed the cunt that pleads
I've pierced the ass that bleeds
resampled memories
to quell the ancient needs

My oil lubricates
this gray skin imagery
firing electrodes
Completing circuitry

Underneath the zeros
dead binary trees
Stainless steel and teflon meet
in virtual memory

Grindfuck (4) (clean guitar synth part)

Bodies void and formless
where sexes don't exist
Sent to my dominion
Sent to my abyss

Whorriors in passion
fight 'til one deletes
The One who frags the victims
is One who is Elite.

Fight!!! (3 times)....(fast picking part)

Grindfuck(4)

Face away upon your knees
this time will be your last
waves of mercury erupt
where I slap your ass

I am now your victor
allegiance to me sworn
dying as you download
into a cast, respawn (or reborn)

Grind...fuck...you...fuck...Grind...fuck...you.... fuck....Grind....

[Mr. S]

i always enjoyed the lyrics for the ..and Justice for all album, also the lyrics for Emperors Prometheus are full of win, but then that album is just generally win anyway