Name a better lyricist than Mark E Smith

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Having just got that Fall Peel sessions box set, the question struck me: Can anyone think of a better lyricist than Mark E Smith? I've been pondering, and no one springs to mind.

Anybody?

― Neil Stewart (Neil Stewart), Thursday, 12 May 2005 10:18 (twenty years ago)

Cole Porter.

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Thursday, 12 May 2005 10:21 (twenty years ago)

James Murphy, and he even sings like Mark E Smith.

"Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah, yeah hey hey hey."

― sovietpanda (sovietpanda), Thursday, 12 May 2005 10:24 (twenty years ago)

Noel Coward.

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Thursday, 12 May 2005 10:25 (twenty years ago)

Good answer, and in a totally different vein to MES. Maybe some hip hop types would fit the bill, Chuck D perhaps?

― Neil Stewart (Neil Stewart), Thursday, 12 May 2005 10:25 (twenty years ago)

I can't do it.

― Dr. Gene Scott (shinybeast), Thursday, 12 May 2005 10:45 (twenty years ago)

Eminem.

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Thursday, 12 May 2005 10:47 (twenty years ago)

Mark E. Smith is one of the best, although only if you like that sort of Beat randomness. Personally I do, but it isn't everything. Nobody alive is better than Cohen, I think.

― Momus (Momus), Thursday, 12 May 2005 10:49 (twenty years ago)

nas

― strng hlkngtn, Thursday, 12 May 2005 10:50 (twenty years ago)

noel coward is a great answer. i agree.

― cindy williams permafrost (Jody Beth Rosen), Thursday, 12 May 2005 10:51 (twenty years ago)

I'd say the guy from the Ventures.

― peepee (peepee), Thursday, 12 May 2005 11:01 (twenty years ago)

neil tennant

― tipustiger, Thursday, 12 May 2005 11:05 (twenty years ago)

Tennant is indeed v good. Maybe Stephin Merritt in a similarly literate pop stylee?

― Neil Stewart (Neil Stewart), Thursday, 12 May 2005 11:10 (twenty years ago)

GHOSTFACE

― Suedey (John Cei Douglas), Thursday, 12 May 2005 11:14 (twenty years ago)

Bonnie Prince Billy. It depends what you want out of a lyric, I guess. Not sure if I'd describe MES as "beat randomness", it's more sarcastic journalism to me. Neil Tennant ? Gimme a break . . .

― Dave H, Thursday, 12 May 2005 11:15 (twenty years ago)

Sheffield Dave

― Tom (Groke), Thursday, 12 May 2005 11:16 (twenty years ago)

GZA is also great if you're thinking of the Wu, as is Raekwon although both less so in recent years I guess.

― Neil Stewart (Neil Stewart), Thursday, 12 May 2005 11:17 (twenty years ago)

Lemmy.

― pdf (Phil Freeman), Thursday, 12 May 2005 11:22 (twenty years ago)

Bob Dylan, Jay-Z, Phil Lynott, Bruce Springsteen, Jack White, Patti Smith, Prince, Mike Skinner, Bubba Sparxxx, Craig Finn, MF Doom, Patterson Hood, Big Boi, Scott Walker, David Bowie, Missy Elliott, Sly Stone, Wayne Coyne, Carole King, Mike Watt/D. Boon, Bryan Ferry, Toots Hibbert, Joey Ramone, Max Romeo, Notorious B.I.G., Curtis Mayfield and Tom Verlaine.

― Stupornaut (natepatrin), Thursday, 12 May 2005 11:23 (twenty years ago)

Peter Hammill, Joni Mitchell, Momus. I do think MES is great though, very "visual" at his best.

― Pashmina (Pashmina), Thursday, 12 May 2005 11:31 (twenty years ago)

nigel blackwell
posdnuos
ivor cutler

― zappi-ah (joni), Thursday, 12 May 2005 11:35 (twenty years ago)

dolores o'riordan

― weasel diesel (K1l14n), Thursday, 12 May 2005 11:43 (twenty years ago)

OMG, Nate was wrong 27 times.

― Dr. Gene Scott (shinybeast), Thursday, 12 May 2005 12:03 (twenty years ago)

Morrissey

― Robin Goad (rgoad), Thursday, 12 May 2005 12:31 (twenty years ago)

Of the above, I like Morrissey, MES and Eminem. Probably some other hip-hop people as well. And Neil Diamond and the Kasenetz / Katz crew. I'd probably like some French people, if I could understand them.

― zombie vermin go home (dymaxia), Thursday, 12 May 2005 15:08 (twenty years ago)

My favorite is probably anon, though.

― zombie vermin go home (dymaxia), Thursday, 12 May 2005 15:09 (twenty years ago)

I thought a lot of these were reasonable, then I listened to a Fall record

― A Viking of Some Note (Andrew Thames), Thursday, 12 May 2005 15:54 (twenty years ago)

Jack White

Oh cmon nate....I know you have this grudge against the fall but you can't REALLLY believe that.

The REAL ANSWER:

DONALD FAGAN

I don't think any of the others on this thread are better than MES.

― M@tt He1geson (Matt Helgeson), Thursday, 12 May 2005 15:59 (twenty years ago)

all of the answers are better than MES.

― Matos-Webster Dictionary (M Matos), Thursday, 12 May 2005 16:02 (twenty years ago)

Och.

― A Viking of Some Note (Andrew Thames), Thursday, 12 May 2005 16:03 (twenty years ago)

OK, I was wrong. In no way does Bonnie Prince Billie qualify. There are probably others too.

― Matos-Webster Dictionary (M Matos), Thursday, 12 May 2005 16:04 (twenty years ago)

John Darnielle by a freaking mile

― Matos-Webster Dictionary (M Matos), Thursday, 12 May 2005 16:04 (twenty years ago)

Haha

― A Viking of Some Note (Andrew Thames), Thursday, 12 May 2005 16:05 (twenty years ago)

G Eliot!

― A Viking of Some Note (Andrew Thames), Thursday, 12 May 2005 16:05 (twenty years ago)

Caetano Veloso. Probably. Leonard Cohen? Maybe.

― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Thursday, 12 May 2005 16:09 (twenty years ago)

Linda Creed, Ronnie Van Zant, John Prine, Joe Ely, James Brown, John Lennon, Mick Jagger, Missy Elliott, Rakim, Big Daddy Kane, Gerry Goffin, Louis Jordan.

― Matos-Webster Dictionary (M Matos), Thursday, 12 May 2005 16:09 (twenty years ago)

Arthur Lee

― Matos-Webster Dictionary (M Matos), Thursday, 12 May 2005 16:10 (twenty years ago)

Also I think earlier MES is more fantastically brilliant.

― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Thursday, 12 May 2005 16:12 (twenty years ago)

maybe early Ice Cube

― M@tt He1geson (Matt Helgeson), Thursday, 12 May 2005 16:13 (twenty years ago)

I like MES too. Nevertheless.

― Matos-Webster Dictionary (M Matos), Thursday, 12 May 2005 16:26 (twenty years ago)

For what? Pure flow?

― A Viking of Some Note (Andrew Thames), Thursday, 12 May 2005 16:27 (twenty years ago)

William Shakespeare by one thumb.

― The Sensational Sulk (sexyDancer), Thursday, 12 May 2005 16:28 (twenty years ago)

who's got the best batting average?!!?!?!?

― hstencil (hstencil), Thursday, 12 May 2005 16:29 (twenty years ago)

check the record.

― The Sensational Sulk (sexyDancer), Thursday, 12 May 2005 16:31 (twenty years ago)

Jarvis Cocker
Stephen Malkmus
Charles Bissell (The Wrens)

Although none of them ever had the sense to write:
Shawn and Petula Macabre
Here are your wedding pictures
They are black AHAHAHAHA

― kornrulez6969 (TCBeing), Thursday, 12 May 2005 16:38 (twenty years ago)

mizutani.

― Ian John50n (orion), Thursday, 12 May 2005 16:38 (twenty years ago)

I AM MIZUTANI TAKASHI!

(Well, actually, no I'm not, but surely a Fall lyric in another dimension.)

― Soukesian, Thursday, 12 May 2005 18:38 (twenty years ago)

OMG, Nate was wrong 27 times.

Up yours.

(I will admit in retrospect being "wrong" once, as Max Romeo's greatness is in no insignificant amount in his delivery rather than his lyrics which scan deceptively simple on paper.)

PS: CAPTAIN BEEFHEART.

― Stupornaut (natepatrin), Thursday, 12 May 2005 20:24 (twenty years ago)

(and I am being serious about Jack White; it may not take super-mad genius to paraphrase Citizen Kane or write, say, "Little Room" but he is one of the better modern-day chroniclers of lyrical postmodern blues neurosis cf. "I Want to be the Boy to Warm Your Mother's Heart" and "I'm Finding it Harder to be a Gentleman" and "Hello Operator" and "Do"; he is Woody Allen as a Nuggets contributor frontman gone supernova)

― Stupornaut (natepatrin), Thursday, 12 May 2005 20:43 (twenty years ago)

And FUCK YES, DONALD FAGEN! Why have I forgotten THE DAN~?

― Stupornaut (natepatrin), Thursday, 12 May 2005 20:44 (twenty years ago)

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