Greatest Songwriter in History

[FAST FRED]

longtex, when Little Richard (who didn't write it) brought that song to the studio, the words were "Tutti Frutti, good booty...."

The session producer demanded a lyric rewrite. so the record could get radio play.

If lyrics alone were the only, or even the main, measure of good songwriting, I think the winner might well be Bob Dylan.

But, IMHO, giving equal value for both the music and the words in songwriting puts Lennon/McCartney significantly ahead of Dylan.

Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller should be up there near the top too, along with Holland, Holland & Dozier, Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson, Brian Wilson and Chuck Berry.

After thinking of those, I googled this link to see how I did compared to this listing as far as Rock songwriters are concerned.:

The Link


The Link

Personal favorites of mine include John Fogerty, Buddy Holly, Van Morrison, James Taylor, Paul Simon and the songwriters in The Pretenders, The Band, Aerosmith, Guns 'n' Roses and Pink Floyd.

Burt Bacharach, with Hal David and other collaborators, deserves a thought, if Rock songs aren't all we're discussing.

Think of George and Ira Gershwin too.

Plus Rogers & Hammerstein and Lerner & Loewe.

 

[Wild Bill]

I read the news today oh boy, about how OU sucked, and we made the grade,
And though the news was rather sad, Well, I just had to laugh. I saw the photograph.

He blew his mind out in a car. He didn't notice that the lights had changed. A crowd of people stood and stared, They'd seen his face before--- Nobody was really sure if he was from the House of Lords.

I saw a game today oh boy, the Longhorn Army had just won the war, A crowd of people turned away, but I just had to look, having read the book ---
I'd love to turn -------- you ----------- on --------------------

Woke up, got out of bed, dragged a comb across my head. Found my way

downstairs and drank a cup, and looking up I noticed I was late. Found my

coat and grabbed my hat. made the bus in seconds flat, Found my way up-

stairs and had a smoke, and somebody spoke and I went into a dream. --------

Ah ah ah ah......................................................................................................................

I read the news today oh boy, four thousand holes in Blackburn Lancashire, And though the holes were rather small, They had to count them all -----
Now they know how many holes it takes to fill the Albert Hall.
I'd love to --------- turn --------------you -------------------on -------------------

 

[accuratehorn]

I think Harry Nillson may have won the title:

You're burstin' my heart
I'm laughin' so hard
So **** ou.
All I want to do
Is ruin your good time
so boo-hoo.

You wanna boogaloo
Down in Dallas
Win a game or two--ooh!

You're burstin' my heart
I'm laughin' so hard
But **** ou
You're burstin' my heart
I'm laughin' so hard
Ooh!--ooh!--

You showed your lard ***
You're holding our linemen too

You wanna buy 'em a car
And a lot of stuff
I've had enough
Of ou--ooh!
You blew it by three
On national TV
So **** ou

Stoops tried to have his day
Mack said no way, Jose
There's nothin' left for ou!
You're burstin' my heart
I'm laughin' so hard
So **** ou

Sooners sucked all the way
They're three and three today
There's nothin' left to do--ooh!
You're burstin' my heart
I'm laughin' so hard
But I hate ou

 

[HornDawg1957]

Sorry. George and Ira Gershwin, hands down.

 

[rickysrun]

Willie

 

[Bevo-Stevo]

Lennon/McCartney. And 2nd place ain't even close.

Christ, you know it ain't easy
you know how hard it can be
The way things are going,
ou will never beat UT

 

[CedarParkFan]

See him wasted on the sidewalk in his jacket and his jeans,
Wearin' yesterday's misfortunes like a smile
Once he had a future full of money, love, and dreams,
Which he spent like they was goin' outa style
And he keeps right on a'changin' for the better or the worse,
Searchin' for a shrine he's never found
Never knowin' if believin' is a blessin' or a curse,
Or if the goin' up was worth the comin' down

CHORUS:
He's a poet, he's a picker
He's a prophet, he's a pusher
He's a pilgrim and a preacher, and a problem when he's stoned
He's a walkin' contradiction, partly truth and partly fiction,
Takin' ev'ry wrong direction on his lonely way back home.

He has tasted good and evil in your bedrooms and your bars,
And he's traded in tomorrow for today
Runnin' from his devils, Lord, and reachin' for the stars,
And losin' all he's loved along the way
But if this world keeps right on turnin' for the better or the worse,
And all he ever gets is older and around
From the rockin' of the cradle to the rollin' of the hearse,
The goin' up was worth the comin' down

CHORUS:
He's a poet, he's a picker
He's a prophet, he's a pusher
He's a pilgrim and a preacher, and a problem when he's stoned
He's a walkin' contradiction, partly truth and partly fiction,
Takin' ev'ry wrong direction on his lonely way back home.
There's a lotta wrong directions on that lonely way back home

 

[Statalyzer]

 

[TexasGolf]

Bee Gees

 

[Wild Bill]

In reply to:

---

---

 

[huisache]

The Gershwins

then probably Cole Porter

Charles Trenet third

Of people alive, maybe Cohen, maybe Dylan

I love them all