[tina m]

Tina, he wrote... Imagine,working class hero,Jealous guy   written

look at those 3 songs stc people buy them for the lyrics theres only the simplest melodies in them
lennon was the serious tortured artist & poor mccartney was just  happy & sentimentle ...so lennon was cool & macartney wasnt ...so people who being cool matters to a lot  think lennon is great

[habiTat]

Across the Universe and Strawberry Fields though...  both Lennon songs, excellent, unusual melodies IMO..
(lyrics a bit dodgy though  )

Agreed, Lennon's later stuff was less innovative, probably not enough pot being smoked 

[S.T.C]

Tina, he wrote... Imagine,working class hero,Jealous guy   written

look at those 3 songs stc people buy them for the lyrics theres only the simplest melodies in them
lennon was the serious tortured artist & poor mccartney was just  happy & sentimentle ...so lennon was cool & macartney wasnt ...so people who being cool matters to a lot  think lennon is great

I agree that JL is perceived as cool in the way that  PC isn`t..but thats got nothing to do with my opinion..you say there simple melodies...but thats why there so brilliant,,,they don`t need an orchestra ..

if you didn`t know these tunes and someone was whistling them in an alley way..you would know straight away you were hearing something great....there from the gut..real songs from a real songwriter...

JL had 10 yrs from the Beatles breaking up to his death..pc has had 42 yrs...judge them on their work not on their personality..

Getting back to the OP...i sort of think DAVID BOWIE..was the best song writer...i think his back catalogue ...supports my view...i don`t see him as my guru cos i don`t try to write songs like he did...

Bob Dylan and Paul Simon are up there..

[Neil C]

Some great calls in the posts, I'd like to add:
Ray Davies
And
Chrissie Hynde
Paddy McAloon
Ian duty
boo hewerdine
Judie Tzuke
George Harrison
Difford & tillbrook
But wher do you stop
 
Neil

[tina m]

if you didn`t know these tunes and someone was whistling them in an alley way..you would know straight away you were hearing something great....there from the gut..real songs from a real songwriter...

well i try & stay away from alley ways so i wouldnt
 but even if i was brave enuff i realy dont think id recognise one of those lennon songs cos theyve got no big melody....but if someone was shouting those lyrics from a alleyway then yes id know it

but ive got nothing against lennon ....lennon & mccartney as the beatles are my fave songwriters ever they are indisputabley the best songwriters

[man of simple pleasures]

Tina, he wrote... Imagine,working class hero,Jealous guy   written

dont forget instant karma!

lennon solo over macca for me but they were both genius songwriters in the beatles!

[stratos]

Nick cave.

I started following his work after murder ballads and this man never fails to impress me.

As for lyrics alone
I know this will not be a very popular choice but it has to be mentioned:

Eminem.

His skill in using and abusing and bending language to fit what he wants to say leave me speechless every time I read his lyrics. Wish he would change musical styles at some point but no luck in that I guess so Nick cave will have to be the one.
Also
close seconds are
Beth Gibbons of portishead and Pete Townsend of The who.

[Reece!]

Im Sorry Mines Is P!nk she tells the truth in her songs like if you heard Dear. Mr Presidant you'd find out what a great songwriter she is

P!NK

[theLostLad]

Richard Thompson for me. I really admire his ability to tell a story through the eyes of a character, and often a character with whom it's difficult to empathise. He's also a great guitarist, both electric and acoustic. I think some of his relatively recent albums have been as good as anything he's done.

[Boydie]

I think P!NK is a really good call - some her stuff is amazingly well written

[James Nighthawk]

I think P!NK is a really good call - some her stuff is amazingly well written

I love P!nk. She is massively underrated in the muso circles. A huge voice that is never off pitch, a great use of irony and emotion in her lyrics, and a showlady and then some. Proof that good music can come from seemingly asinine pop fields.

Her main flaw (business wise) is that she never really developed a clear "persona" for the public to grab. This is perhaps why she is big but not the new Madonna... R&B queen through rough-pop to Rock and then eventually whatever the f#ck she feels like. But I kind of feel she likes being famous enough and no more

This schizophrenia is one of the reasons fans (like me) like her though. That and fabulous live shows!

[Boydie]

I was thinking exactly the same about the persona thing

I get the feeling she was initially "marketed" by her label as an independent woman with the whole "sexy kick boxer" character thing

However I also got the feeling she wanted to concentrate on "the music" rather than the marketing and did her own thing

[James Nighthawk]

The R&B thing was very much her label from what I can tell. Even the music is shiny and fake on album one - I don't think she plays any of it live any more

One of the best gigs I ever saw was P!nk in Hyde park. She is mental and great band.

[montydog]

Neil Young
Joni Mitchell
Ray Davis
Bob Dylan
Hank Williams
Dolly Parton
Neil Diamond
Willie Nelson
Gordon Lightfoot
Brian Wilson
Gillian Welch
Bacharach & David
John Fogerty

[seriousfun]

Burton Cummings.