There are a lot of good songwriters out there, but many of their lyrics fall flat when read as poetry. Here is a list of my 10 favorite artists whose words are able (or at least nearly able) to transcend the scaffolding of recorded music to the printed page:
1. Leonard Cohen (This one seems pretty obvious)
2. Joanna Newsom
3. Bill Callahan (Smog)
4. Phil Elvrum (The Microphones)
5. Jeff Mangum (Neutral Milk Hotel)
6. Tom Waits
7. Lou Reed (Velvet Underground)
8. Gillian Welch
9. David Thomas (Pere Ubu)
10. John Darnielle (Mountain Goats)
