Rock and Roll, Poetry, and Eddie Vedder

(I’m going to be doing a series of 5 posts about rock and roll and poetry.  Here’s the first…)

Rock and roll is poetry.  Some of it’s crap poetry, but some of it will blow your socks off.  Sometimes you can get a whole new appreciation for a song or artist by reading the lyrics on their own.  Take for example the following snippets of Pearl Jam lyrics, which are amazing.  If you like them, you can read the entire set of lyrics for each song at the links provided.

Wishlist:

I wish I was a neutron bomb, for once I could go off
I wish I was a sacrifice but somehow still lived on
I wish I was a sentimental ornament you hung on
The christmas tree…

Black:

Sheets of empty canvas, untouched sheets of clay
Were laid spread out before me as her body once did
All five horizons revolved around her soul
As the earth to the sun

Man of the Hour:

Tidal waves don’t beg forgiveness
Crashed and on their way
Father he enjoyed collisions; others walked away

Which rock group’s or artist’s lyrics do you enjoy?  Whose lyrics do you think sound the most poetic?

____________________

This is the first in a 5-part series of posts regarding poetry and rock and roll.  See related posts:

(2) Van Halen (A Poem)
(3) Rock Out to Yeats
(4) New Rock and Roll Poetry Book: Third Rail

4 Comments

  1. Pingback by Van Halen (A Poem) « A Bunch of Wordz on December 14, 2007 10:12 pm

    [...] (1) Rock and Roll, Poetry, and Eddie Vedder [...]

  2. Pingback by Rock Out to Yeats « A Bunch of Wordz on December 15, 2007 12:29 pm

    [...] Rock and Roll, Poetry, and Eddie Vedder (2) Van Halen (A [...]

  3. Pingback by New Rock and Roll Poetry Book: Third Rail « A Bunch of Wordz on December 17, 2007 9:55 am

    [...] Rock and Roll, Poetry, and Eddie Vedder (2) Van Halen (A Poem) (3) Rock Out to [...]

  4. Comment by Glenn Ingersoll on December 22, 2007 2:26 pm

    I know I pay more attention when I hear interesting lyrics even when I don’t care so much for the tune.

    An easy pick for good lyrics (& tune): John Wesley Harding
    http://www.johnwesleyharding.com/

    You win the argument
    At the end of every night
    I never know the perfect time
    To hit the bedside light
    Then we lie awake
    Watch headlights climb the blinds

    I thought that I was right but now I know
    I’m wrong about everything
    I think that I can sing
    And when you hear the song,
    you’ll wanna sing along

    I think you’ll like our song, but I’m wrong

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