Incubus
Tool
Apc
Everclear
Nine Inch Nails
Smashing Pumpkins.
EDIT: I forgot about SOAD.... thanks to the guy below for reminding me :thumb:

and, for a completely different set of reasons... Misfits. While the top lot i either just associate with or think are very clever and well written... Misfits make me laugh, and that's what they're designed to do.

metallica
mudvayne
incubus
mushroomhead
slipknot
bush
american head charge
queen
tool/apc
soad-(the best in political imo even better than rage but rage is good too)
thrice (has some good stuff)
...and much more i can't think of them all. i'll add when i remember more.

Leonard Cohen - very good lyricist in fact he won an award for his lyrics and he's now between the best in the world.

incubus, listen to "make yourself"

[QUOTE=Pirate Satellite]
I'll go with Bob Dylan, I guess.[/QUOTE]

oh definately yes. songs like 'Tangled up in Blue,' 'Don't Think Twice, It's Alright,' and 'Times They Are A'Changin' among others are untouchable.

i must also sumbit (in addition to Bob and Dismemberment Plan, already mentioned):

Death Cab for Cutie
Dave Matthews
Billy Corgan in any context
Lou Reed (especially with the Velvet Underground)
Elliott Smith
Nick Drake
Isaac Brock of Modest Mouse
Jeff Tweedy of Wilco
Mike Doughty, solo and in Soul Coughing

A few more I've thought of...

Zach de la Rocha-RATM
Claudio Sanchez-Co&Ca
Jeff Buckley
Trent Reznor-NIN
Ian Anderson-Jethro Tull
Eddie Vedder-Pearl Jam
Freddie Mercury-Queen
Thom Yorke

I find it sad that so many bands today (im not gonna bash any specific bands/genres but you know what im talking about) dont seem to think more than 5 minutes to write the lyrics they do. This is just my opinion, but the reason a band appeals to me is because they actually put effort in songwriting and their lyrics, its basically an artform in itself. And they actually have something to say, not just useless whining or beating the same topic over and over with a stick. That being said, where are bands of the likes of smashing pumpkins, rage against the machine, pearl jam, or soundgarden??:( id like to think that the future of music as an artform as we know it is not dead.

soundgarden and tool

how could i forget their partner bands... audioslave and apc

alien ant farm has some interesting lyrics at times.

i'm ashamed that i forgot to mention one of my favorite bands lyrically (and rhythmically, and musically.....and you get the point)..... Coheed and Cambria. i don't know why, but their lyrics never cease to amaze me.

My friend Joey's band, Inked In Blood, have some amazing and poignent lyrics. If you feel up to it, check em out.

[url]http://www.inkedinblood.net[/url]

Jesse Lacey - Brand New
Conor Oberst - Bright Eyes
Rivers Cuomo - Weezer (Only 1992-1997, though)
Geoff Rickly - Thursday

I personally really like Billie Joe Armstrong from Green Day's lyrics.. but that's just me..

HIM, adam song, pfft er an d fandangle (political ska band)

i think
Rage against the machine and
rise against have some of the best lyrics around

Greenday lyrics are good...enough (one of my favourite bands.... couldn't get a **** ticket to their concert..!)

I really like lostprophets - last train home
maybe it's just because I really like the music but i like the lyrics too!

[QUOTE=mr_jackalope]the dismemberment plan easily have the most original and intuitive lyrics written in the last 15 years.[/QUOTE]

And that, as they say, was that.

For what it's worth, I think that Zack de la Rocha (formerly of Rage Against The Machine) is a master lyricist, as is Brian Molko (Placebo).

Slipknot
Tool/APC
Atreyu
Avenged Sevenfold

a fire inside

JON DAVIS!!!
that man is a fvckin genius

[QUOTE=feedthegods666]JON DAVIS!!!
that man is a fvckin genius[/QUOTE]


You're right, they've been my favorite band sice i was 7.

[QUOTE]You're right, they've been my favorite band sice i was 7.[/QUOTE]
god ****...how old are you?

EIFFEL 65!

The story behind that--
I write poetry, and my friend who's into emo said, "Your stuff is almost as good as Bright Eyes's lyrics." (Which is a huge compliment from her) Having never heard any of their songs, I asked another chick, who's a huge Bright Eyes fans, and she said, "Nobody has better lyrics than Bright Eyes." So I was b!tching to my brother about how close minded this chick was, and he said, "Yea well, nobody has better lyrics than Eiffel 65!" :)

Anyways, I say Nightwish and Cradle of Filth. (I can't think of any more right now)

[QUOTE=songwritingrocker]"phatredge-id say bad religion or dead kennedys, their often intellectual, yet catchy"

awesome, awesome! :thumb: bad religion rocks and the dead kennedys are really good too

yeah and before i did forget finch, the early november, mest, afi, and evanescence.......[/QUOTE] mest?! mest lyrics suck

on the topic of bright eyes, yes connors lyrics are good, but a lot of the time he trys to achieve amazing things with lyrics, and ends up only jst hitting the great mark. overall though, really good. hmmmmMMmm, best lyrics...

sting
radiohead
coldplay
OZONE!!! (wtf is that song about, doesnt even make sense in english. some random crap about the linden tree...)
manic street preachers
the streets
dashboard confessoinal
incubus
... and, bright eyes

you have to admit....dashboard has some pretty good lyrics...so does dave matthews

[QUOTE=JessTheDrummer]Bush. Day Two, The cure, sublime i think is funny, but not too great~ Tool, SES, and kinda sadly, i think grateful dead..[/QUOTE]
Yeah, Neil Pert's lyrics for Rush would be great poems without the music.

Modest Mouse has very funny/witty/death related lyrics. I don't know, they give you lots of info.

Coheed and Cambria have a whole story behind their songs, so, it's pretty strange.

[QUOTE=VelvetRevolverChild]EIFFEL 65!

The story behind that--
I write poetry, and my friend who's into emo said, "Your stuff is almost as good as Bright Eyes's lyrics." (Which is a huge compliment from her) Having never heard any of their songs, I asked another chick, who's a huge Bright Eyes fans, and she said, "Nobody has better lyrics than Bright Eyes." So I was b!tching to my brother about how close minded this chick was, and he said, "Yea well, nobody has better lyrics than Eiffel 65!" :)

Anyways, I say Nightwish and Cradle of Filth. (I can't think of any more right now)[/QUOTE]
Your brother is not the coolest guy, is he?

I say Slipknot...if u lissen to their lyrics they are deep.....nothingface, smile empty soul....

Alkaline Trio
Thrice. Yes i said Thrice.

123

and Incubus, and i'm the first person to say these guys, but i absolutely LOVE Red Hot Chili Peppers lyrics. Keidis is really poetic

Billy Corgan and James Maynard Keenan write amazing poetry. :thumb: