Which band has the most well-written, creative lyrics?

I'm an English teacher, so I love good writing--use of metaphors, analogies, aliteration, etc.


The Shins, in my opinion, have incredible lyrics.


Sample:


"Gold teeth and a curse for this town were all in my mouth.


Only, I don't know how they got out, dear.


Turn me back into the pet that I was when we met.


I was happier then with no mind-set. "





Anyway, what band's lyrics intrigue you? Have a sample?

Which band has the most well-written, creative lyrics?
I'm going to have to go with the older collection of Bright Eyes. If I were an English teacher, I would eat it up. Let me see what I can find...





June on the West Coast:





"I spent a day dreaming of dying in Mesa, Arizona


Where all the green of life had turned to ash,


And I felt I was on fire, with the things I could have told you,


I guess I just assumed that you eventually would ask,


And I wouldn’t have to bring up my so badly broken heart


And all those months I just wanted to sleep


And though spring, it did come slowly, I guess it did it's part


My heart has thawed and continues to beat."





I missed it the first time, but when I found out the writer of this had a bad cocaine addiction, it all became clear.





A Scale, A Mirror and those Indifferent Clocks:





"And it’s inadequate to describe where I am


In the room of my house


Where the light has never been


Waiting for this day to end


And these clocks keep unwinding


And completely ignore


Everything that we hate or adore


Once the page of a calendar is turned it’s no more


So tell me, then, what was it for?


Oh, tell me, what was it for?"





And my personal favorite, "If Winter Ends"





"I dreamt of a fever,


One that would cure me of this cold, winter set heart


With heat to melt these frozen tears


And burned with reasons as to carry on.


Into these twisted months I plunge without a light to follow,


But I swear that I would follow anything


If it would just get me out of here.





And so you get six months to adapt,


And then you get two more to leave town.


In the event that you do adapt


We still might not want you around.





And I fell for the promise of a life with a purpose


But I know that that is impossible now,


And so I drink to stay warm


And to kill selected memories


Because I just can’t think anymore about that or about her tonight.





I give myself three days to feel better


Or I swear I'll drive right off a ******* cliff


Because if I can’t make myself feel better


Then how can I expect anyone else to give a ****?





And I scream for the sunlight or a car to take me anywhere


Just get me past this dead and eternal snow


Because I swear that I am dying, slowly, but it's happening


So if there is a perfect spring that’s waiting somewhere


Just take me there --


and lie to me and say it’s going to be all right,


It's going to be all right, yeah, you worry too much, kid


It's going to be all right."
Reply:The Godfather of lyrics would have to be Bob Dylan.





How many roads must a man walk down


Before you call him a man


How many seas must a white dove sail


Before she sleeps in the sand


Yes and how many times must the cannonballs fly


Before they're forever banned


The answer my friend is blowin' in the wind


The answer is blowin' in the wind





Leonard Cohen is also most excellent.
Reply:I currently love the lyrics of the Cold War Kids:





"Slither to sea, speakin' in tongues.


Deft as a surgeon's knife carvin' through bone.


Pregnant with doubt, you figured out tricks of the trade to make whispers shout.


Mouth full of sweets rottin' your teeth,


lift up the rug and sweep it underneath."


I don't know exactly what it is I just love the imagery, especially the line: "Deft as a surgeon's knife cavin' through bone."


It sort of reminds me of a nursery rhyme, except for adults...plus the music lends itself to this idea.
Reply:NAZARETH





for example


STAR


from the


NO MEAN CITY ALBUM





also


DREAM ON


is beautiful as well





to hear sound samples of the


nazareth tribute album


go to


http://www.myspace.com/mannycharlton
Reply:There are many, matchbox 20, Nickleback, Delta Goodrem, Kelly Clarkson, there are too many to mention, but listen to their music, even pink with dear mr. president is great, all about the poor and wars and pride and social issues, spend your weekend listening to songs on yahoo music and you'll soon find some really great ones, goodluck and good on you for dragging teaching into this century, kids learn when they are interested in whats being taught, so relating to music is a really superb idea, good on you!
Reply:I like Esoteric's.


--


(Creation Through Destruction)





Night surrounds me,


As I sit alone,


In the indecipherable darkness.


I smell the noise of past.





Vivacity of the wind begets clear my mind.


In eternal isolation.


Those that pretend to care, kill you,


And leave you for being dead.





I seek, for where am I?


The throes of death swirl within me,


And I smile.....





Life, raped by disease.


Cast out.


No place for me here.


I create my kingdom.


Creation through destruction,


Cut out the heart of the Christian disease.





Knowledge my fortune,


I channel the strength of my will.





The lure of the moonlight,


Streams forth, with abundance of strength.


I bask in it's essence,


Devouring the force,


Succouring my veins.


I traverse to the beckon of my desire.





Destruction.


This stagnant humanity serves only to frustrate.


Unfit to stand alone, huddled in their masses,


Synonymous in their worthless existence.





The time will come to pass.


Creation of life,


Destruction of the disease.


-


(The Blood of the Eyes)





I have not seen myself for ages.


This empty shell cares no longer for life.


Slowly replacing the flesh with steel,


So that I may carry on...


Unfettered by this mortality.





The air no longer carries favour,


The water that passes these lips


Keeps only this mortal shell alive.





For hope has been not here,


Nor raised in it's form.





And all is lost again.


Eradicate the shadows, That dements these thoughts.


And if I were to enter slumber?


Only sleep, guarded by a sense I may never wake,


Slipping into narcoleptic state.





Seas of tormented bliss,


Ebb away from these barren shores.





Nothing remains.





Only pieces of this intimate jigsaw





...And 'tis upon me again.





The clock ticks on


And still I remain.


Death wrenched upon my eyes,


To the birth of a second sight.





Visions surround,


The haze of my labyrinth,


Angles of dimensions unreal, unseen.





Blood, in the deep of my eyes,


Fires within the mountain.





'Tis within my grasp.


The point that will shall eventually reach,


And shall have no return




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