Which songwriter speaks to your soul?

Hi - I love music and what makes the biggest impression on me are the lyrics, so my question is who's songwriting really speaks to your soul - the core of your being. Which songwriter's songs make perfect sense to you and it feels as if they are writing about/for you?

For me it is Adam Duritz - when I listen to him it's like he sums up exactly what goes on in my head. I know you're all going to rip me off about this but in my humble opinion he is the greatest songwriter.

Who's lyrics do this for all of you?

 

Ah I love Adam Duritz. He's amazing. Lately, though, his songs for movies I think have gone downhill (I mean c'mon, Accidentally in Love?). However, I love the older albums from the 90s like August and Everything After.

For me, it's a tie between Juanes and the Cranberries (I don't remember the lead singer's name but she wrote the songs). Juanes writes somewhat corny Spanish love songs but they're so good. The Cranberries adress issues like war, especially the Northern Ireland Conflict, and other topics in a poetic way.

 

Yeh - I'm with you on the new stuff, it is crap but I like everything up till the Hard Candy album. He came to South Africa a couple of months back and I went to the concert - it was awesome.

Her name is Dolores and she does address relevant issues

 

Maynard; nobody else touches me like Maynard...

 

Mille Petrozza from Kreator. Good actively left-winged metal is very, very rare.

 

Hi Hail - I'm going to go look and see if I can find any Kreator, I've never heard them and I love metal so I'd like to have a listen to them

 

You should, they're my favourite thrash metal band. I saw them live and they rocked, and the icing on the cake was when frontman Mille dedicated their song "Flag of hate" against all racists and in particular against George Bush.

 

Leonard Cohen if find speaks to me most. To a lesser extent Cat power.

 

simple plan *coughs* "Bullshit"

nah um i love portishead, jeff buckley, groove armada rox my sox!
i actually like leonard cohen on a hungover afternoon just chillin...

and definitely Led Zeppelin...oh yeah, it gets me!

 

id say garcia/ hunter ben harper/ trey/marshall and dylan oh yes and umphreys

 

Neil Young.

 

for me it's a toss up between Robert Hunter and Richard Thompson

1952 Vincent Black Lightning
~Richard Thompson

Oh says Red Molly to James "That's a fine motorbike.
A girl could feel special on any such like"
Says James to Red Molly "My hat's off to you
It's a Vincent Black Lightning, 1952.
And I've seen you at the corners and cafes it seems
Red hair and black leather, my favourite colour scheme"
And he pulled her on behind and down to Boxhill they did ride
Oh says James to Red Molly "Here's a ring for your right hand
But I'll tell you in earnest I'm a dangerous man.
For I've fought with the law since I was seventeen,
I robbed many a man to get my Vincent machine.
Now I'm 21 years, I might make 22
And I don't mind dying, but for the love of you.
And if fate should break my stride
Then I'll give you my Vincent to ride"

"Come down, come down, Red Molly" called Sergeant McRae
"For they've taken young James Adie for armed robbery.
Shotgun blast hit his chest, left nothing inside.
Oh come down, Red Molly to his dying bedside"
When she came to the hospital, there wasn't much left
He was running out of road, he was running out of breath
But he smiled to see her cry
He said "I'll give you my Vincent to ride"

Says James "In my opinion, there's nothing in this world
Beats a 52 Vincent and a red headed girl.
Now Nortons and Indians and Greeves won't do,
Ah, they don't have a soul like a Vincent 52"
Oh he reached for her hand and he slipped her the keys
Said "I've got no further use for these.
I see angels on Ariels in leather and chrome,
Swooping down from heaven to carry me home"
And he gave her one last kiss and died
And he gave her his Vincent to ride.

 

Robert Pollard (Guided by Voices) for when I'm in a good mood, or actually; I just love his world, and like going there.
John Lennon, just because he's beautiful.
Elliot Smith for when I'm down.
Thomas Haake (from Meshuggha) for when I'm pissed off angry.
Steve Malkmus (Pavement) for when I'm feeling silly.

and drum and bass in general when I feel like dancing.

 

connor oberst or joni mitchell... depends on the state of me at the time.

 

ben harper and ray laMontagne

 

Paul, John, and George.

I've fallen in love with Brian Wilson's writing, too.

 

For me, it's gotta be Matthew Good. Not so much his later stuff as his older folk stuff, before the Matthew Good Band.

 

Ani speaks for my soul, Tori speaks to it. Hawksley Workman speaks to other parts.

 

Ani DiFranco, Ben Harper, and John Lennon