[Tim Clausz]

For what it's worth, I think Brian's point was a very
good one: that most artists cannot deliver great
lyrical content as consistently as the Oils do.  

I think Brian used Bono/U2 as an example to show that
even great artists can occasionally write
less-than-stellar lyrics.  He first cited some great
lyrics from "One" and compared them to some that are
not as good from the same song.  I think maybe some
may have missed his point because he picked a band
that is widely revered and has written many incredible
songs.  

At the risk of ruining my argument, I'd cite Peter
Gabriel as another example.  He is someone who has
written some brilliant lyrics, and yet some pretty
lame ones (especially on 1992's Us).  

For example, from "Come Talk to Me":

The earthly power sucks shadowed milk from sleepy
tears undone
>From nippled skin as smooth as silk the bugles blown
as one

I can't imagine anyone who doesn't find that
cringe-inducing.  

I always wondered what accounts for such lapses in
lyric-writing.  I could almost excuse it if the artist
is prolific... but in Gabriel's case, Us came out SIX
years after his previous studio album.  His new album
Up has a few instances on it too, but overall I think
it is much better lyrically.  

Anyway, I think that the Oils have consistently good
lyrics that, even when not perfect, are not
disappointing or embarrassing.  And I think that there
they are one of the few artists who do not
occasionally resort to silly cliches or overused
words.  

Tim




--- Brian Jacobs <suncrush@lycos.com> wrote:
> I was thinking today, one of my favorite things
> about the Oils is the fact that their lyrics are so
> consistently good.  And, when they do miss, they
> aren't cringe-worthy.  This came to me as I was
> listening to Achtung Baby.  Consider "One" where
> this most triumphant lyric:
> 
> Have you come here for forgivness?
> Have you come to raise the dead?
> Have you come here to play Jesus
> To the lepers in your head?
> 
> is followed immediately by this "gem":
> 
> Did I ask too much?
> More than a lot?
> You gave me nothing
> Now it's all I got.
> 
> therefore ruining what started off as one hell of a
> verse.
> 
> What?  In the year-and-a-half you worked on this
> record you couldn't come up with anything better
> than "more than a lot?"
> 
> I know Mr. Hirst would never pen something that
> awful, and if he did, Jim would most assuredly hit
> him with a blunt object if he ever tried to put it
> on the album.
> 



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