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This week’s question is inspired by Al B. from Seattle, who said this in a recent subscriber chat: “I’d love to read a discussion of the role of lyrics in music and the enjoyment of music. Obviously a ranking of indie lyricists would be lots of fun and give us lots to argue about.”
I decided to make this conversation a little more interesting by limiting it to lyricists under the age of 40. Because without the age restriction, it’s a little too easy to fall back on the same usual suspects. At least that’s what I found when I ran myself through the paces. In fact, as I was brainstorming names and then Googling their ages, I immediately noticed how many names existed just outside the “under 40” zone, including several high-quality candidates — Ezra Koenig, Lana Del Rey, Andy Shauf, Alex Turner, Ryan Davis — situated in the immediately adjacent “40 to 45” lane.
Writing lyrics actually seems like a skill that ought to improve with age. How many people in their 20s or even 30s really have anything all that worthwhile to share in terms of wisdom or witticisms? Plenty, it turns out. Nevertheless, it does seem a little extra special for a songwriter to have that aspect of their craft on lockdown relatively early on. (There are plenty of songwriters I really like who are merely solid or just serviceable in this department.)
Before we get to my top 10 best lyricists under 40 right now, I wanted to share five common links between my picks. These were things I realized after I came up with my list, which I compiled on instinct without too much deep consideration. I really wanted to go with the writers who have spoken to me in clear, obvious and powerful ways. The ones who came to mind the quickest seemed to do these things the most. And then I noticed that they generally shared the following attributes.
1. Quotability
Probably the single most important attribute: “Can I actually recite lines this person wrote from memory?” If you can write lines that lodge themselves in the mind, you belong here.
2. Sense of humor
You don’t have to be laugh out loud funny, but I find some sense of wit is critical for great lyricists. This can come from wordplay. Or it can be a gift for one-liners. Or it might be an eye for ironic or sardonic observations. Often the humor is deeply melancholic. But some sense of humor means you have a sense of perspective on the world, and that’s what great songwriting is.
3. You paint a picture
Can I see your song as you sing it? Does each verse feel like a scene from a movie? Does it ground me a specific place or time? Those are the kinds of lyrics that stick with me the most.
4. Your songs have a strong auteurist sensibility
Similar to film directors, great songwriters are drawn to common themes that connect their songs as a body of work. It’s the key “what makes you you” element.
5. Your words, at their worst, at least don’t detract from the music
Along with quotability, a vitally important attribute. If I’m not quoting you from this specific song, at least don’t make me hate the music because you’re saying something distractingly stupid on top of it.
Okay, here are my top 10 choices. Let me know your picks in the comments!
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