And onto the good stuff

What makes a good lyric(s). Well to me a catchy rhyme can only help. I don't think they have to be clever, just work well. In Donnie Darko, Drew Barrymore's character says that the most beautiful combination of words in the world are 'cellar door'. Well not to me, but what I mean is that some words just work well together.

I love The Clash and some of their lyrics just make brilliant songs even brillianter. 'Death Or Glory' for instance:

Every cheap hood strikes a bargain with the world
and ends up making payments on a sofa or a girl
Love and hate tattooed across the knuckles of his hands
Hands that slap his kids around 'cause they don't understand...

I saw a great advert on boreme.com for some poofter drink called Quinn's. It's all very Disney-like with some catchy toon, but some snappy lyrics:

I don't know but I've been told there's a fever on the mire
There's not a lot of self control there's dicord in the choir

Pure poetry. One that's always stuck with me, a little soppy but lovely stuff from The Psychedelic Furs' 'Pretty In Pink':

Caroline talks to you softly sometimes
she says I love you and too much
She doesn't have anything you'd want to steal
...well... nothing you can touch

(must admit I am not a big fan of using names in songs, but I'll let this one go).

Half Man Half Biscuit could should have a blog on their own, but here's a sample from 'We Built This Village On A Trad.Arr Tune' - the title in itself is genius:

It's a cricketing farce with a thickening plot
Act 1: Scene 1, Brenda Blethyn gets shot

And from 'I Love You Because You Look Like Jim Reeves':

Sold my soul for an Artic Roll
Went to hell on a red skidoo
Did the Shake'n'Vac and broke me F***in' back
and now my library books are 9 weeks overdue

The whole of The Decemberists 'A Cautionary Tale' is marvellous, but:

And they tell her not to say a thing
To cousin, kindred, kith or kin or she'll end up dead
And they throw her thirty dollars and return her to the habour
Where she goes to bed, and this is how you're fed

Got to do some work now but will certainly be adding to this one.