The two greatest lyricists Morrissey and Bob Dylan, discuss

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There are only two artists that stand alone and untouched as the greatest music lyricists.

One is Morrissey, the other is Dylan.

Of course there’s many, many good lyricists.

But M and Dylan, both, very different writers, have in my summation had the largest impact on song writers that have come after. And these artists that have come after, or are even contemporaries, may not even be aware of the influence that these two artists have had on them.

Both Morrissey and Dylan, mostly imitated, for better and even for worse sometimes.


What do you folks think ?
 
There are only two artists that stand alone and untouched as the greatest music lyricists.

One is Morrissey, the other is Dylan.

Of course there’s many, many good lyricists.

But M and Dylan, both, very different writers, have in my summation had the largest impact on song writers that have come after. And these artists that have come after, or are even contemporaries, may not even be aware of the influence that these two artists have had on them.

Both Morrissey and Dylan, mostly imitated, for better and even for worse sometimes.


What do you folks think ?
hard to disagree but there will be a barrowload of shit coming your way ket.you know the usual suspects.
 
I love Morrissey, the most important moments in my life are connected with him, I wouldn't say a bad word about him but ... putting him on the same level as a songwriter with Dylan is a bit overkill .... You know I mean , you know exacly what I mean ...

The difference is : Morrissey laying in his bed and think about life and about death . Dylan sleeps with life and death in the same bed ...:grin:
 
There are only two artists that stand alone and untouched as the greatest music lyricists.

One is Morrissey, the other is Dylan.

Of course there’s many, many good lyricists.

But M and Dylan, both, very different writers, have in my summation had the largest impact on song writers that have come after. And these artists that have come after, or are even contemporaries, may not even be aware of the influence that these two artists have had on them.

Both Morrissey and Dylan, mostly imitated, for better and even for worse sometimes.


What do you folks think ?

Bob Dylan is in another league. His impact can't be overstated. There's a reason Dylan is at the highest point on the cover of Sgt. Pepper.

As much as I like Morrissey's records, I'd never place him near Dylan.
 
I never got into Dylan. In general I don't like anything from the 60s. But yes in his way he is a great writer. To me Dylan was eloquent but too verbose, too poetic, too much pretense masquerading as profundity.

Nobody comes close to Morrissey, at least not peak Morrissey. To the point, funny, honest, direct, hits the nail on the head every time and the structure holds up.

Put it this way:

"An intellectual says a simple thing in a complicated way. An artist says a complicated thing in a simple way."
-Bukowski
 
Joni Mitchell.

Morrissey - with all due respect - is not even in her league. Dylan is a little closer, but she is far better IMHO.
 
Everyone will have different opinions on this and Ketamine is a huge fan of Morrissey. When you look on polls of greatest lyricists Morrissey doesn't appear on many.
 
Everyone will have different opinions on this and Ketamine is a huge fan of Morrissey. When you look on polls of greatest lyricists Morrissey doesn't appear on many.
Isn't this forum for Morrissey fans?
And he actually always appears in the lists of the greatest lyricists.
 
Joni Mitchell.

Morrissey - with all due respect - is not even in her league. Dylan is a little closer, but she is far better IMHO.

She is one of the greats, M is in the same great league.

So what are your favorite Joni Mitchell records because of her lyrics?
 
Wow, tough question.

Are we judging words on paper (that we might simply read through), or the manner in which they're delivered by the artist?

Personally, in either regard, I don't see anyone surpassing Moz tbh. His words, in the main, are simply stunning, but his delivery is quite impeccable.

Lennon has written some beautiful stuff, but Moz is probably the only one (of a small few) where I've even wanted to study the words.

Dylan on the other hand has never featured, musically or lyrically, as far as I'm concerned.

Moz all day for me.
 
Morrissey is a brilliant lyricist. He can fly under the industry radar because he doesn't have a huge budget behind him - but that doesn't really matter. He'll keep going on merit long after the marketing machines have abandoned classic rock.
 
love moz and at his peak he occupies a truly unique perspective but he aint even in the same ballpark as dylan or joni, come on
 
Don't get me wrong. None is in Dylan's league except Dylan himself . And Morrissey, well, could someone else write as beautifully about love as Mozz did in There is a light ... :hearteyes:
And as for Leonard Cohen mentioned above, Dylan's respect for him is the best testimony to Cohen himself as a lyricist

 
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