Lyrix

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

I've always thought of the Kinks as being founding fathers of a lyrical strain in British pop - wit, "character songs", satire gentle and vicious, etc etc.

I wonder if this is just received wisdom though - not that the Kinks didn't do it and weren't good at it but their peers often did it too, so maybe it's the way they delivered the lyrics vocally or the melodies they set them to that give me that impression.

Anyway, I'd like to know what you think about lyrics - when you notice them, how highly you value them, and so on.

Or actually, let's make this more concrete: what recent records do you think have good lyrics?

Comments

My Favourite Tracks This Year - Do They Have Good Lyrics Or Not?

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

(not a definitive list of fav trax - just what sprang to mind)

Groove Armada - "Song 4 Mutya" - GOOD: the muttered "Don't panic panic Mutya" bit never fails to raise a smile. Only annoyance is not changing "don't drive erratic" to fit the scenario in the 2nd verse.

"Umbrella" - OK: Lex really likes the lyrics - I think they're fine, they do the job, nothing annoys me.

MIA - "Bird Flu": GOOD: Mix of imagistic stuff and show-off bait-the-hataz stuff, combines on the standout line "Credentials are boring - burnt them at the burial ground". Lyrics not the draw though.

Good Charlotte - "Keep Your Hands Off My Girl": OK: Excellent delivery of lyrics which could be embarassing if done badly.

McFly - "Transylvania": POOR: Trying to be 'trippy' or imagist, just fall into gibberish - though the gusto of the songwriting and delivery saves them.

Gwen Stefani - "Early Winter": OK: There's one attempted effect that doesn't work - the hesitant 'always was one'/'never was one' bits - and one that does - when the song stops for Gwen to suddenly lose patience and go "Why do you act so stupid? You know that I'm always right!"

Re: My Favourite Tracks This Year - Do They Have Good Lyrics Or Not?

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

Oh and S1m0n R3ynolds spotted in his OMM review one of my favourite lyrical moments this year - in Klaxons' "As Above So Below" when after 2 verses of dreadful cobblers they hit on the chant of "Galloping galloping beams faster / Join together and still faster" and it's really effectively hypnotic.

Re: My Favourite Tracks This Year - Do They Have Good Lyrics Or Not?

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

My favourite lyric of the year tho is on "Pussy'ole" by Dizzee Rascal - the verse where he's describing what a totally unreliable flake the 'Pussy'ole' is, getting his friends into trouble then deserting them, and it ends with

"It started because of him and ended with you!
But I guess that doesn't matter if it's what you're into."

- the sneer on into is priceless.

Re: My Favourite Tracks This Year - Do They Have Good Lyrics Or Not?

[justfanoe.livejournal.com]

Line of the year: "Did you hear that, let me repeat that, I want my stuff back!"