I am here for the worst lyrics follow up too. That would make a great Hudson Valley Squares episode.

Early Fish era Marillion . Not just the lyrics, but the trilling, spitting, theatrical delivery makes that old stuff unbelievably fun to sing.

Cheers Martin & Pete. Great picks. Here are mine: Roger Waters, Neil Peart, Frank Zappa, Ronnie James Dio, BOC, Ray Davies, Lennon & Mc Cartney.

One reason Skynyrd was so good was the lyrics from Ronnie Van Zant. Someone once said if you wanted to know what kind of guy Ronnie was.. Just listen to any 3 Skynyrd songs. Also he never wrote anything down. Just remembered the lyrics during any given show.

The Kinks, Clutch, The Replacements, The Mountain Goats, Smog/Bill Callahan, Alice Donut, NoMeansNo, Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, Alice Cooper, Blue Oyster Cult, Dead Kennedys, Fugazi Also always liked Lemmy's and Phil Lynott's lyrics. Bob Dylan, Warren Zevon, Joni Mitchell, John Prine, Townes Van Zandt in terms of singer/songwriters. As obvious as it is, it's Dylan above all for me, if I'm honest.

Some of my favorites, in no order whatsoever: Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, A Tribe Called Quest, Neil Young, Peter Hammill, Morrissey, Susanne Sundfor, Roger Waters, Nick Drake, Robert Smith, ABBA, Beastie Boys, Thom Yorke, Bjork, Nick Cave, Lou Reed. There are too many, im sure I forgot some of my favorites, these are just the ones that first came to mind. Very peculiar topic, for a lot a people lyrics don't matter as long as they sound good with the music, but for me the lyrics can make a good band into a great one.

Good shout for the Manics Martin, Everything Must Go is probably their most popular/commercially successful album here in the UK with some unusual (Kevin Carter) and surreal (Elvis impersonator Blackpool pier) songs which as you said have lots of lyrics packed into a three/four minute pop/rock song.

Not only was Neil Peart, in my opinion the GOAT of drumming, but he was also a lyrical genius. So well spoken and well read and intelligent. RIP Professor!!

So good to hear Manic Street Preachers get a mention. My introduction was through the release of their single 'If you Tolerate This...' and then I ended up going down that 'rabbit hole' big time. Talk about underrated.

1. Pink Floyd (Waters) 2. Beatles (MacCartney-Lennon) 3. Blue Oyster Cult ( Bloom-Dharma) 4. Marillion ( Fish) 5. Genesis (Gabriel) 6. Dream Theater (Petrucci-Portnoy) 7. Supertramp (Hodgson-Davies) 8. Camel (Latimer) 9. Dire Straits ( Knopfler) 10. Talking Heads (Byrne)

My favourite english writing lyricists: Bob Dylan, Roger Waters, Elvis Costello, Morrissey, Elliott Smith, Regina Spektor, Alex Turner (Arctic Monkeys), Conor Oberst, Jason Isbell My favourite german lyricists: Udo Lindenberg, Rainald Grebe, Tex, Olli Schulz

Kansas(Kerry Livgren primarily, Steve Walsh too, thanks Pete) Supertramp(Rick Davies and Roger Hodgson both, in their styles, were effective) Steely Dan Dire Straits/Mark Knopfler Rush( RIP Neil Peart) Pink Floyd(Roger Waters) Al Stewart(love his historical references) Dan Fogelberg Billy Joel Bob Seger The Doors(as Martin mentioned) The Who(Pete Townsend) Gerry Rafferty The Eagles(Don Henley/Glenn (RIP)Frey) Jethro Tull(Ian Anderson, as Pete mentioned) Heart(Ann and Nancy Wilson, the 1970s, 1990s-on works)

The Who and Pink Floyd are probably my favorite lyric bands.

Great show as always- thanks guys. Grateful Dead mainly due to Robert Hunter but also John Barlow. Rush, Police and Clash opened my 15 year-old mind. Weird Al Yankovic.

1. Captain Beefheart and his Magic Band 2. Rush 3. The Kinks 4. The Beatles 5. The Doors 6. Siouxsie and the Banshees 7. King Crimson 8. Black Sabbath 9. Wire 10. Motorhead

Paul Westerberg could be too clever for his own good but some of his lyrics are pretty damn evocative and certainly helped elevate the Replacements.

My list would include: Neil Young, Iron Maiden, Rush, The Fixx, Genesis, The Who, Pink Floyd, Zeppelin, Springsteen, U2

Ray Davies - the poet laureate of rock n roll. Robbie Robertson - King of Americana from a non-American Nick Lowe - Can do ANY genre Elvis Costello - A renaissance man Van Dyke Parks - added poetry to the music of Brian Wilson's genius. John Cale - The Dylan Thomas of music. Stuart Adamson - made Phil Lynotts Celtic lyrics seem quaint. David Byrne - An uncanny ability to re-invent his lyrics alongside his music Fish - A Bard of the old school. Zevon - EVERY album has a few masterpieces. The Lifell Kill Ya album is just...a poetry book. Warren Zevon and Excitable Boy are just...man. Perfect.

Jim Croce, Thin Lizzy, Fates Warning, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin. Honerable Mention: Jackson Browne

Hello. 1) XTC 2) John Lennon (late period Beatles and solo) 3) Jellyfish 4) Max Webster 5) Elvis Costello 6) Jethro Tull 7) Genesis (early period Peter Gabriel) 8) Elton John 9) Rush 10) Simon and Garfunkel Honorable: Bob Dylan, Frank Zappa and Kansas

Great show Pete and Martin. I would include Supertramp, Steely Dan, Van der Graaf Generator, The Kinks, early Genesis and Peter Gabriel, Neil Young, early Rush.

1. Ian Anderson 2. Van Morrison 3. Warren Zevon 4. Neil Young 5. Elton John/Bernie Taupin 6. Blue Oyster Cult 7. Kansas 8. Styx 9. Graham Parker 10. Smithereens

Not many mentions of Faith No More. They have to be in the list.

This took me back to my youth with a painful thwack of nostalgia Pete and Martin. Oh my days! Get a new album, christen it by rolling a something-or-other on it, gatefold sleeve, follow the lyrics while you listen to it, get up to put side two on, nod sagely, "ticking away, the moments that make up a dull day..." Hey man! That's about me! Put side one on again while you put the posters up... I don't know what I miss most: original vinyl albums or just THE SEVENTIES. Oh my days!

Greatest rock song lyric "Hawkwind "Spirit of the Age" (lyrics by Robert Calvert. Actually it is a combination of two of his poems). I often think that this is a perfect summation of the human condition. Honorable mention for The Kinks - "Waterloo Sunset". I love everything about this song. Greatest Opening line to a song: Jim Morrison "The Crystal Ship" Before you slip into unconsciousness I'd like to have another kiss Some other great rock lyric writers for me include: Nick Drake Mark E Smith / Captain Beefheart Paddy McAloon Ian Dury Ian Curtis etc etc

But, seriously....Dylan. Doesnt matter if you dont like the voice, or harmonica - dude won a Nobel Prize for literature!!!

Also I think I'm going to bust my Blue Oyster Cult cherry this week. 🎯

1. Marillion 2. Pink Floyd 3. Rush 4. Kate Bush 5. Tori Amos 6. Suzanne Vega 7. The Clash 8. Aimee Mann 9. Elvis Costello 10. Del Amitri

Martin, the Manics were MASSIVE here. Britpop was not something that overshadowed them as their real peak (unless you are a Holy Bible fan..) was at the point people were kinda done with Oasis. Still big but not massive. And James would have to put the accent on as Welsh is very different to English. Loads were massive then - it was insanely wonderful. Ocean Colour Scene would be my fave.

I’m not a huge lyric guy myself, but some of my favorite lyricists include Peter Sinfeld, Ray Davies, Pete Townshend, Bob Dylan, Keith Reid, and John Fogerty.

Thank you, Pete & Martin for your opinions and picks. All the damn time. 🎤🎸🎵🎹🥁 Life is better with music.

Lyrics are poems basically, its the vocal melody and delivery that makes or breaks it . That being said , here is some of my favorites. Kevin Moore , Jim Matheos , Ray Alder , Neil Peart , Stephen Pearcy , John Lennon, Joe Jackson , Ric Ocasec .

I'm willing to bet i'm one of the few viewers to have both the full discogs of Manic Street Preachers and Glass Hammer in my collection lol. Great episode guys. Some fave lyric bands/artists: Gord Downie (Tragically Hip) Peter Hammill Bob Dylan Kate Bush Peter Gabriel/70s Genesis Blue Oyster Cult Rush Neil Young Robert Pollard/Guided by Voices Robyn Hitchcock/Soft Boys

Steve kilbey is the Best. Myrrh. Dead mans dream. An interlude .Tantalized.Random Pan. .... Genius.

Popoff and Pardo are at it again with a show slightly surprising since Pete often states he is not much of a 'lyric guy.'. Always some interesting choices when these two get together so thanks once again, gents, for an informative episode. When I was in junior high in the very late 60s, many of the 'younger' teachers of our English classes required us to study song lyrices of the day. Naturally, a couple of those - definitely The Beatles and Simon & Garfunkel - would be on my list just from those days. Some of my other favorites would be Bernie Taupin on the Elton John lyrics, Neil Young, Warren Zevon, Pete Townsend [with and without The Who], Pink Floyd, and Steely Dan since they were just too cool not to know exactly what they were singing. Thanks again, gents. There ya go!

1- Bob Dylan 2- Bruce Springsteen 3- Warren Zevon 4- The Who 5- The Doors 6- Thin Lizzy 7- Blue Oyster Cult 8- Rush 9- Rainbow (3 albums with Dio) 10- Kansas

1) Queensryche - Operation Mindcrime (enough said) 2) Max Webster - (Pye Dubios) 3) Marillion - Fish 4) Queen 5) Thin Lizzy 6) The Doors 7) Tool 8) Rush 9) Pink Floyd 10) Beardfish

That's a great topic!! My top ten in no particular order - RUSH - Iron Maiden - Metallica - Motorhead - The Police - Led Zeppelin - The Doors - Alice In Chains - Pink Floyd - Marilyn Manson

1st 3 LP's of The Manics Pete, some great rockin' songs & profound lyrics. Predated Britpop but got lumped in anyway. For me, great emotive & unique political lyrics matched with ever restless musical rock shapeshifting (therefore unpigeonholeable), none better than New Model Army.

Great show Pete and Martin here are my favorite lyric bands: 1. Blue Oyster Cult 2. King Diamond/Merciful Fate 3. Dream Theater 4. Black Sabbath 5. Iron Maiden 6. Rush 7. Genesis 8. Pink Floyd 9. Testament 10. The Beatles

The Beatles: Lennon, McCartney, and Harrison. The Kinks: Ray Davies, The Rolling Stones: Jagger & Richard, Pink Floyd: Barrett, Waters, and Gilmour, The Who: Townshend, Deep Purple: Gillan, The Doors: Jim Morrison Solo: Dylan, Zappa, Springsteen, Zevon

My favorite video of the week as always

Yes so many Elton John songs Misconstrued over the years But Bernie Taupin is a brilliant lyricist

I'm going to add to the list of people who have already mentioned Roger Waters and Pink Floyd. And my slightly lesser known pick would be Pain Of Salvation.

10 Sonic Youth. Thurston Moore/Kim Gordon 9 Wire. Colin Newman 8 King Crimson (Assortment) 7 Siouxsie and the Banshees 6 Dog Faced Hermans. Marion Coutts 5 Nina Nastasia 4 Killing Joke. Jaz Coleman 3 The Doors. Morrison 2 New Model Army. Justin Sullivan 1 Sparklehorse. Mark Linkous. (Best poetry since Jim Morrison)

Ian Anderson's lyrics are brilliant. Complex and sometimes deliberately tongue in cheek. Also check out Dave Cousins of the Strawbs. Observant, occasionally graphic but always thought provoking. Both poetic lyricists.

Peter Gabriel The Kinks( Ray Davies) Jethro Tull (Ian Anderson) The Doors (Jim Morrison) The Who (Pete Townshend) The Beatles John,Paul,George The Rolling Stones (Jagger/Richards) Yes (Jon Anderson) Led Zeppelin(Robert Plant) Neil Young HM🎤🎤 Rush Elton John w/Bernie Taupen Lynyrd Skynyrd (Ronnie Van Zant) Eurythmics (Annie Lennox/Dave Stewart Little Feat ( Lowell George) 😎🎤

Nick Cave fantastic/amazing lyrics on many of the albums. That man is a genius.

Wow, an MSP mention on SOT, how cool! Thanks Martin!

Mine are 1. Black Sabbath 2. Pink Floyd 3. Blue Oyster Cult 4. The Doors 5. Iron Maiden 6. Motorhead 7. Rush 8. Overkill 9. King Diamond/Mercyful Fate 10. Ronnie James Dio Honorable mention 1. AC/DC-Bon Scott era 2. Slayer 3. Megadeth 4. UFO 5. Alice Cooper

1 Frank Zappa 2 Rush 3 Jethro Tull 4 Pink Floyd 5 King Crimson 6 ELP 7 Yes 8 Black Sabbath 9 The Doors 10 Blue Oyster Cult

The first person that I thought of was Elvis Costello. But then immediately I thought of Neil Finn of Crowded house. Given more time I could’ve come up with many more.

Pink Floyd, Moody Blues, The Who, Renaissance, Beatles, Rolling Stones,

GREAT pick with King Diamond. That's the first that comes to my mind. One of the few instances where I sit down with lyrics sheet and follow along with the music (or sometimes without music even.) Album-long victorian horror story? YES PLEASE!

Guided by Voices, Sun City Girls, Buzzcocks, the Undertones, the Fall, Talking Heads all had lyrics that were original and fascinating.

So cool to hear about manic street preachers, and à little bit about suede, two of my favorite 90s band

Oh and an embarassing omission after my Elton vid this week on my channel in the new Madman Across The Water box- Bernie Taupin. He and Reg were put together as an accident...safe to say it worked. Have to love that Pete, you said you dont always understand Eltons voice...and Martin picks Lemmy after it. ;) He coulda been singing in Swahili for all I know!

Great video and nice to see a mention for Warren Zevon, I bought Learning to Flinch when it came out and was hooked. Laughed when I heard Pete's interpretation of Tiny Dancer. I can't really argue with any of the bands in the comments although I spotted April Wine in somebody's list. To each his own eh?

Bob Dylan must be mentioned but my favourites are Ray Davies of The Kinks, Dave Cousins of The Strawbs, Alan Hull of Lindisfarne, Al Stewart, Jackson Browne, Joni Mitchell and Phil Lynott,

Great choice with Symphony X, Pete. I saw them for the first time last week in North Carolina, and I was completely blown away by their sound, enthusiasm, and overall presentation. While they are Dream Theater-level impressive musically, they are in a league of their own lyrically. I've been reading their lyrics for the past week since the show, and only one word comes to mind: wow! I've read Homer and love his Odyssey, but now I'm up for a little Milton and Dante as well. You might say they inspired me.

Dylan, Lennon, Bowie, Townshend, Davies, Waters, Jethro Tull, Curtis Mayfield, Steely Dan, Waits, Zevon, Joni Mitchell, Randy Newman, Aimee Mann

very interesting and intriguing choice of topic here as for me personally as i have always been music first, then lyrics, and if both=dynamite, and when i started to try and think of a list of 10 bands whose lyrics have moved/touched/helped/educated/given me hope/comforted me and much more, i quickly realized it wasn't going to be an easy task, specially when you've as much music like myself and all of this channels viewers have, i imagine/expect, and in my case having a veeery broad that of music with or without great lyrics, and then you have all the great lyricless music aswell, but in a case like watching some of these episodes and in many other important cases in my life or when it can be a matter of hard to choose a certain amount, i usually go for what comes to my mind first, a stream of conscious kinda thing, so without further a due, and i won't go into great depth or if at all, cause then this would be one of the longest comments ever, but i couldn't help to chip in my perspective so to speak, and in NO particular order and with a handful of honorable mentions at the end, so here goes; Killing Joke (Jaz Coleman & Big Paul Ferguson's lyrics equals HOPE & FREEDOM and the state we're in, and have in several lyrics throught 3 decades even predicted what would and has happened in the world, GENIUSES

Very interesting video. Many of the bands you spoke about, I've never heard. Probably my loss. It's not that I'm against listening to new music, but life has turned out to be shorter than I ever expected. Still, enjoyed hearing about all the bands you discussed.

Patti Smith for Horses alone. Springsteen for his world building.

Kerry Livgren, without question. He is a voracious reader, particularly in the philosophy genre. He was the primary songwriter for Kansas - all prog tunes were Kerry's. Steve Walsh wrote some songs, but they were all straight rock, not prog, and the lyrics have no depth to them. And of course after leaving Kansas, Kerry wrote all the music & lyrics for his 2nd & 3rd major bands - AD and Proto-Kaw. And the lyrics to all his solo work are phenomenal. An incredible lyricist as well as composer, orchestrator, and multi-instrumentalist. Kerry's got it all! Right on Pete.

Before viewing, here are my top 10. This is a tougher assignment and I spent no time doing research. I’m sure I forgot some. 1. The Who 2. Jethro Tull 3. XTC 4. The Kinks 5. Queen 6. Bob Dylan 7. David Bowie 8. R. E. M. 9. Talking Heads 10. Rush

Some people who aren’t aware of the bands history don’t know or realize how great a lyricist Geezer Butler of Sabbath was! Everyone assumes bc they shared writing credits that Ozzy wrote the lyrics but in fact Geezer wrote 90% of them. It’s actually pretty noticeable when you compare Ozzy ‘s solo stuff to Sabbath. Geezer was brilliant!

Ronnie James Dio and Phil Lynott were two incredible lyricists.

Some of my favorite " lyric " bands, some are not in my top ten or twenty bands but I enjoy their lyrics and some are some of my favorite bands. 10. Queensryche 9. Frank Zappa 8. Ozzy Osbourne ( Bob Daisley lyrics, not Ozzy. lol ) 7. Gordon Lightfoot 6. The Who 5. April Wine 4. Thin Lizzy 3. Iron Maiden 2. RUSH 1. Black Sabbath honorable mentions: Bruce Springsteen AC/DC ( I love their lyrics, especially the Bon era, greasy, dirty, ballsy, funny lyrics ) The Beatles etc etc

Ten (plus one) of my favourites. I’m not saying these are examples of poetry, as the lyrics are meant to be listened to within the context of a song, not read. But they are poetic. *Randy Newman* - ‘I Think It’s Going to Rain Today’ Broken windows and empty hallways A pale dead moon in the sky streaked with gray Human kindness is overflowing And I think it's going to rain today *Joni Mitchell* - ‘Amelia’ The drone of flying engines Is a song so wild and blue It scrambles time and seasons if it gets through to you Then your life becomes a travelogue Full of picture post card charms Amelia, it was just a false alarm *Richard Thompson* - ‘How Will I Ever Be Simple Again’ She sat by the banks of the dirty grey river And tried for a fish with a worm on a pin There was nothing but fever and ghosts in the water Oh how will I ever be simple again? *Smokey Robinson and the Miracles* - ‘The Tracks of my Tears’ People say I'm the life of the party 'Cause I tell a joke or two Although I might be laughing loud and hearty Deep inside I'm blue So take a good look at my face You'll see my smile looks out of place If you look closer, it's easy to trace The tracks of my tears *AC/DC* - ‘Touch too Much’ She had the face of an angel Smiling with sin A body of Venus with arms *The Kinks* - ‘Waterloo Sunset’ Every day I look at the world from my window But chilly, chilly is the evening time Waterloo sunset's fine (Waterloo sunset's fine) *Bob Dylan* - ‘Not Dark Yet’ I was born here and I'll die here against my will I know it looks like I'm movin' but I'm standin' still Every nerve in my body is so naked and numb I can't even remember what it was I came here to get away from *The Rolling Stones* - ‘Street Fighting Man’ Hey! Said my name is called disturbance I'll shout and scream, I'll kill the king, I'll rail at all his servants *Ella Fitzgerald* - ‘Let’s Do It (Let’s Fall in Love)’ by Cole Porter Birds do it, bees do it Even educated fleas do it Let's do it, let's fall in love *Supertramp* - ‘If Everyone Was Listening’ The actors and jesters are here The stage is in darkness and clear For raising the curtain And no-one's quite certain whose play it is And just to piss off thousands of people… *Pink Floyd* - ‘Paranoid Eyes’ You believed in their stories of fame, fortune and glory Now you're lost in a haze of alcohol soft middle age The pie in the sky turned out to be miles too high And you hide, hide, hide Behind brown and mild eyes

Killer show. For me. BÖC, The Cure Pornography era, Iron Maiden first six albums, Deathspell Omega, Voivod and Thin Lizzy.

No one ever connected on an emotionally honest level like Paul Westerberg in the Replacements. And what quotable turns of phrases too.

BOC, The Who, Nightwish, Rush, Jethro Tull, The Doors, Little Feat, Grateful Dead, ELP, Alan Parsons Project

My pick would be Kansas/Kerry Livgren. Much of Kerry's lyrics during the classic period, detail his spiritual journey at the time. The Pinnacle, The Wall, On The Other Side, Hold On, etc......Great stuff.

Good lists, guys. I would include most of those bands you mentioned and add bands like Pink Floyd, Eyehategod, My Dying Bride, Mastodon, Sleep, YOB, Budgie, Glen Danzig-era Misfits and Danzig, Ronnie Van Zant-era Lynyrd Skynyrd, and Tool...just to name a few.

1. Neil Peart(Rush),2.Bon Scott(Ac/Dc),3.Dave Mustaine(Megadeth),4.Kim Mitchell(Max Webster),5.Doc Neeson(The Angels/Angel City,6.Dave Hill(Demon),7.John Palumbo(Crack The Sky),8.Tom Cochrane(Red Rider),9.Gary Holton(Heavy Metal Kids),10.Randy Jackson(Zebra)...

My favorite masterclass lyricists in Rock and Metal are: Rob Halford (Judas Priest, Fight, Halford) Ronnie James Dio (Black Sabbath, Dio, Rainbow) Layne Staley (Alice In Chains, Mad Season) Bruce Corbin (Rigor Mortis) Bon Scott (AC/DC) Honorable mentions: Steve Tyler, Geezer Butler, Jeff Hanneman, Klause Meine and Zakk Wylde.

The lyricist who stands out for me is Phil Lynott. I think he was one of the first rock writers to have his lyrics published in book/poetry form. Great show guys, always enjoy Pete and Martin together.

Great Choice Martin Love Blue Oyster Cult lyrics Aliens Vampires Conspiracy Theories Strange Topics Great Band

Steve Harris, Dio, Dave Mustaine, Phil Lynott, Jon Schaefer some of my favourites. Also the Jon Oliva/Paul O’Neil combo in Savatage Great show guys

"Lady Donna she's so pretty" 🤣🤣🤣

VDGG/Peter Hammill, King Crimson (1969-1974), Ultravox (first three albums with John Foxx), Joy Division, Be Bop Deluxe/Bill Nelson, Lou Reed, David Bowie, BOC/Sandy Pearlman, Coil/Jhonn Balance, Current 93/David Tibet. Honorable mentions: Kate Bush, Hawkwind/Robert Calvert/Michael Moorcock, Legendary Pink Dots/Edward Ka-Spel.

It's funny, the thing Martin said about the Manics is what I noticed about them right away. I had a hard time understanding them and reading a long to their lyrics made me think "Wow, this guy likes to sing 15 syllables where only 5 will fit!" Lyricists I love that didn't get mentioned: Elvis Costello, Nick Cave, Mark Hollis (Talk Talk), Mark E Smith (The Fall), Matt Johnson (The The), Steve Albini (Big Black), David Lowrey (Camper Van Beethoven, Cracker), Michael Gira (Swans) and Justin Broadrick (Godflesh, Jesu).

Really interesting show at "The Fun House" today. I have to agree with many of your picks. At the top of my list would be Ian Anderson and Jethro Tull - pure genius. Also Clutch came to mind immediately as well as Lemmy and Motorhead. Martin`s pick of the Stranglers is also one of my favorite lyric bands. A few band I love for their quirky outlook and perspective are Doug Martsch and Built To Spill, and Curt Kirkwood and the Meat Puppets. Their lyrics look at life in a different way. Shout outs go to Lowell George and Little Feat, Alice Cooper, and Steely Dan, all top notch.

Like these kind of shows always get one or two bands i never heard of to go and try out. And the both have good taste you can't go wrong.

For my money, one of the absolute master lyricists of his time was Warrel Dane of Sanctuary/Nevermore. He poured his soul into everything he wrote, thought-provoking and poetic in every way.

1. AC/DC (w/Bon Scott) 2. Blue Oyster Cult 3. Cradle of Filth 4. The Darkness 5. Type O Negative

Fantastic episode!! Glad to see the Manics are represented!! My 1st pick would be Nick Cave. My 2nd pick would be Nick Cave, my 3rd pick would be Nick Cave, and then my 4th pick would have to be Neil Peart of Rush (with honourable mentions to Phil Lynott, Pye Dubois & Roger Waters)

Steely Dan best lyrics. They understood NYC, underhanded references to dope and loneliness were clever, they were brilliant and comical: Is there gas in the car?/Yes, there’s gas in the car /// I detect El Supremo From the room at the top of the stairs /// If you come around No more pain and no regrets Watch the sun go brown Smoking cobalt cigarettes /// The personification of heroid addiction as Dr Wu Are you with me Doctor Wu Are you really just a shadow Of the man that I once knew She is lovely yes she's sly And you're an ordinary guy Has she finally got to you Can you hear me Doctor Just pick any song...FORGET ABOUT IT

I didnt mention Tom Waits and now I want to play with the buses...one of my faves.

Most bands I like inspire me to grab my guitar and jam along, but The Doors ( lyrics by Krieger and Morrison) have always inspired me to try my hand at writing poetry.

Gord Downey of the Tragically Hip was Canada’s insightful poet. And a great band to deliver the message with finesse or impact depending on tone. One day the resident Canadian on this (great) show will shine some love I hope.

A few (no particular order; bands/duos, only): Rush, Sparks, 10cc, Steely Dan, Squeeze, Pink Floyd, Bad Religion, Meshuggah, Megadeth.

1. Alice Cooper 2. Rush 3. Patti Smith 4. BOC 5. Rick Wakeman (those early concept albums) 6. Sex Pistols 7. Kate Bush 8. Charly Garcia 9. Pink Floyd 10. just.cant.decide :)

Great content as always guys! in no particular order these would probably be my picks Black Sabbath King Diamond Pink Floyd Neil Young Tool Rainbow Iron Maiden Alice Cooper Rush DIO

Martin keeps surprising me with his Manics-mention. In that genre I would definitely go for Brett Anderson from Suede to whose lyrics I can relate much more. And of course the mighty Morrissey.

Nobody has better lyrics than Clutch. Neil is a genius. Speaking of side projects...The Company Band. Neil has great lyrics with them too

Great show as always. I think some of the bands/artists had a lot of sarcasm etc in their lyrics and self deprecating to but very interesting.

Good choices . My favourite bands lyrics wise are , in order of preference : Jethro Tull XTC 10 CC Rush Procol Harum Elvis Costello The Who Max Webster Genesis ( specifically the Gabriel era ) The Strawbs Honourable Mentions : Pink Floyd Squeeze The Stranglers Graham Parker Elton John / Bernie Taupin The Doors Al Stewart Be Bop Deluxe Thanks !

Marillion (with Fish), Rush, Riverside (PL), Roger Waters, Bjork