«Today’s Lyrics Are Pathetically Bad» Rick Beato

@ezwind 

Can anyone reasonably argue that today's young songwriters are putting out music with lyrics comparable to those songs? I doubt it.

How much effort have you put into exploring contemporary songwriters? 

I haven't read through the entire thread and I'm not singling you out here, but I am going to point out an elephant in the room. None of us are wholly immune to favoring what we like -- what is familiar -- and regarding it as "best". I've noted this tendency in myself over and over. 

An example of a superb contemporary lyricist:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hbyc4vSimlo&list=OLAK5uy_nupQhyPmczHDy01DZww9h857BXmNekeNU&index=2

We’re Only In It for the Money

And boy was Frank Zappa ahead of his time. And just in case anyone is confused about my statement here? I love me some Frank Zappa 

Frank Zappa - Don't Eat The Yellow Snow

@stuartk, +1 for the post and the rip!

How à propos! And everyone please excuse my very, very bad French, this Saturday... You can tell that young’un listened to a whole lot of Joni...

Here are a couple of more song writers I just thought of that I personally like what I have heard from them:

Ray LaMontagne was born in ’73 and according to Wiki his first CD was released in ’04 and since then he has released at least seven more "studio albums" and some EPs and some singles. I say "at least" because it appears to me as if the wiki article is a bit dated. I slowed down considerably on buying CDs in the post 2001 world, but of the two of his I did buy, the one I like the most (and it is up there on my rack where I keep my favorite go-to CDs) is God Willin’ & The Creek Don’t Rise.

Mia Doi Todd was born in ’75 and her first two CDs were released in ’97 and ’99; After those two, and up until ’21 she released nine more "studio albums" and some singles and two "remix albums" and one soundtrack (Music for A Midsummer Night’s Dream 2018). (I do not know if she has any post ’21 "studio albums".) As I’ve typed previously, I do not listen to the radio much any more nor do I buy many CDs these days, but on one of the rare times I was listening to the radio and hearing her sing My Baby Lives In Paris, that was enough for me to buy Cosmic Ocean Ship and in my opinion the CD is made up of solid writing.

My best friends introduce me to Zappa when i had 15 years old, he was more educated musically so to speak...

I under-appreciated completely  it to say the least but today i gave him his due...

I just spoke to this friend this week about this song ... He was the one who spoke to me about Cosmo Sheldrake...

You dont want to loose friend from 60 years ago , he beat my wife by 10 years (this year) ...

Frank Zappa - Don’t Eat The Yellow Snow