Anyone still do insightful or intelligent lyrics?

This is in a little different direction, but I think Isaak Brock of Modest Mouse writes some really great stuff about space, god, and cockroaches. Not as linear as most, but crazily genius.

Leonard Cohen and Tom Waits

I've always found Richard Thompson's lyrics to be very insightful, though they tend to be a little caustic. I would also second Sarah McLachlan, more mainstream than Richard Thompson, but just as insightful.

Some of my nominations:

XTC continue to be some of the wittiest lyricists around (okay - so they've been around for close to 30 years, but they're still going)

Martin Newell (read poems on his website)

Roddy Frame (Aztec Camera)

Martin Phillips (The Chills - last release back in '96)

Bob Dylan, as if he required mention in this context. "Love and Theft' is as good, lyrically, as popular music gets. And that's about as good lyrically as music gets, period.

They Might be Giants are very smart and very clever, though insightful would perhaps be going a bit too far. Ani Difranco, when she isn't being too preachy, can write a moving, wise lyric -- check out some of the songs from Dilate.

Tom Waits, of course.

Wilco, Freakwater as well.

Almost certaily some of the best work in "song" writing is being done in rap and hip hop. But I am totally ignorant of that stuff, so can't say. Anyway, that's where most of teh creative, young talent is going, as well as the hacks.

By the way, I think the "they just don't write 'em like they used to" line is probably nonsense. Really top drawer work is always rare. We think there used to me more of it, because it made a lasting impression then, while the vast majority of the past's crap faded away; on the other hand, we are bombarded constantly with all of what's out there now, good and (mostly) bad. And also because we are not in a position to appreiate something genuinely new and good immediately, so it may go under the radar until we learn to hear it well.

RM