Prog's Most Controversial Lyricist

Yep, Zappa lyrics are controversial. Brilliant lyrics.

Some of the posts have been talking about controversy pertaining to whether they are any good or not, and others about controversy pertaining to content. I'm discussing the latter.

The Musical Box has somewhat controversial content, but it's a ghost story. The Lamia? That gets a little dicey - Oh Lamia, your flesh I will take as my food. It is the scent of garlic that lingers on my chocolate fingers - but it's maybe not beyond the bounds of what we might anticipate from a vampire story. The Colony of Slippermen? Madonna move over. Peter Gabriel trumped you.

Textbook wrote: I thought the controversy with Waters was over him alledgedly being a dickhead, not the quality of his lyrics.

Anthony doesn't like Waters because he has sad lyrics. 

Dayvenkirq wrote: ^ I don't know if that's true that Roger treated his fellow musicians like that. There may have been some brawling, but that ... . Sounds like an exaggeration to me.

Well, he actually behaved like a true Narcissist. Everybody was to blame but himself.
On that tangent, you can say that his lyrics about empathy and social conciousness are just nice words. He just doesn't care about the people who surrounds him.
A true hypocrite if you like.
Don't think that makes his lyrics controversial though. Neither does the fact that he recently bought an island in the Carribean, for development into luxory holiday homes.
I guess, if you earn a lot of money, you have to invest them in some ways, a Lear Jet or a football team (sic), (or fancy flats in London ( he's made his money work there as well).    

Dave Cousins of The Strawbs was always a favorite of mine for lyrics like this:

Before Jon Anderson discovered the the Earth Mother and love is all around us his lyrics were thought evoking,stimulating and full of wonderment.Hammill in his glory days again was a lyricist I loved,but Fish for me is the best and consistently so,' Vodka intimate an affair with isolation ' what an opening line from a lyrical masterpiece.

Insane insomniac plagued by prescient dreams.

Anthony wrote: Textbook wrote: I thought the controversy with Waters was over him alledgedly being a dickhead, not the quality of his lyrics. And that's exactly what makes Waters' lyrics controversial. A 'dickhead' like him criticising poiticians while treating his fellow bandmembers like dirt is mere hypocrisy.

Anthony are you still in love with the gorgeous Heather? Havent been on the Dutch Prog for years and am seldom on here but good to see your'e still flaunting yourself with your picture.

CordofLifeA11 wrote: Peter Hammill. I understand from a philosophical perspective, that a lyricist can only write 'poetry' from his own experience, but I swear this is all that Peter does! He talks all the time, and never about in anything in particular. In this respect, I have to say he's so unrelatable in what he says, other than by intangible emotions, and such.

I was starting to wonder if I'd have to throw Hammill into the ring myself.  I entirely get what you mean and if you really pay attention, the lyrics rarely match the emotion of the music he sets.  Just sit back and listen to Killer (especially in live versions).  Jackson is squealing out something fierce on alto when Hammill's talking about living alone and craving companionship.  It's just an unnatural choice.

BassoonAng wrote: Just sit back and listen to Killer (especially in live versions).  Jackson is squealing out something fierce on alto when Hammill's talking about living alone and craving companionship.  It's just an unnatural choice.

Part of the charm. And Man-Erg remedies this issue perfectly.

M27Barney wrote: Four pages and not one person has Mentioned..... Neil Morse.............another example of how main-stream religion has made everybody (including all those who've contributed to this thread)....imune to to the total bullsh*t that is fed to children every-day.....(and gullible adults of course)...... When everybody laughs (until the hoots of derision can be heard in every corner of the globe!) at the pathetic thought-control books of the monotheistic religions, THAT is the day that mankind has truly arrived at the gates of true enlightenment......