The Greatest Prog Lyricist

Roger Waters, Peter Gabriel and Neil Peart, in my opinion. Then again I haven't listened to as much stuff from most of the other often mentioned names here, or not paid attention to their lyrics.

There are a lot of good German lyricists and songwriters, but unfortunately not in prog. The lyrics of singers like Franz-Josef Degenhardt, Hannes Wader, Wolf Biermann or Reinhard Mey, for example, are excellent, but they, like many others, joined the Liedermacher fraction, which is basically "me, my songs and my guitar"

Peter Hammil is a very good suggestion; but I'd go for Billy Ritchie (Clouds) by a mile.....then again, who chose that band name? If there was a new topic for naff names of bands, Clouds would be high on the list.

Ray Thomas

Thomas Haake

Harry Hood wrote: Formentera Lady wrote: And of course Richard Palmer-James: "Cigarettes, ice cream, figurines of the Virgin Mary" - what else do you want?    That was actually a Robert Fripp lyric, and the only lyric Fripp contributed to King Crimson. And it's far better than anything Richard Palmer James wrote.

Yes, you are right, I just found out, that it is the only line that Robert Fripp wrote. But I like the comment on commercial activities, that is written around it.


Edited by Formentera Lady - September 17 2010 at 07:37

The T wrote: The guys in canvas solaris are great lyricists.  So are the ones in liquid tension experiment.

Jam Carrot, oops I mean Djam Karet have the sort of lyrics I like. 

Exactly what is a prog rock lyric? I shall now sit down and compose a lyric in the progressive rock style. So maybe Christain Vander with his Kobaian themed albums that is also incomprehensible (unless one is fluent in Kobaian - and it has been known...) means he is the greatest.

Yeah, Adrian Belew's ideas... Oh yes, that reminds me, anyone remember when his anti abortion mention in the great disasters of the 20th C lyric divided the KC cKommunity and meant Lark's 4 coda was performed instrumentally.

I like the lyrics of Fish (with Marillion, his solo works I do not know good enough).
Also some of the lyrics of Davies/Hodgson touch me (if it is not "Breakfast in America").
And of course Richard Palmer-James: "Cigarettes, ice cream, figurines of the Virgin Mary" - what else do you want?
Probably Adrian Belew gives the answer: "sex sleep eat drink dream..."
 

fuxi wrote: NecronCommander wrote: Jason Byron (it's more like poetry than lyrics, but whatever) Erm - who else wouldst thou call more like poets?

He's right, though.