[t.entertainment.ca.msn.com]

I think he's up there, save Winning Ugly and Let's Work....

"Acclaimed songwriter Sir Tim Rice has ranked British knight Sir Mick Jagger as the greatest lyricist of all time.

The man behind the lyrics for stage hits such as Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Jesus Christ Superstar and Evita and Disney animated movies Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King has revealed he finds inspiration from the Rolling Stones.

In a new list he has compiled for Britain's Daily Mail, Rice names Jagger as the greatest lyricist ahead of Don Black, who came up with the words for the classic James Bond movie themes, Bob Dylan, Cole Porter and Sammy Cahn.

Rice says, "Jagger's underrated as a lyricist because he's such a brilliant performer. The Rolling Stones, probably because they came from the London area, were much more sophisticated than all the Northern groups in their lyrics. Of course, the others soon caught up. Mick was writing stuff like Play With Fire, about an heiress from St John's Wood, and Mother's Little Helper, all about women taking pills, in his early twenties.

"His songs were brutally realistic: 'Don't want you out in my world/Just you be my backstreet girl'. More recently he's written a lot of stuff that could almost be described as sentimental, but which still has a cutting edge."

And Rice is hoping to work with Jagger in the near future on a musical based on the story of Machiavelli, set to the Rolling Stones' hits.

He adds, "It's a possibility. I've spoken to them about it, and I shall discuss it again with Sir Mick."

Copyright (c) WENN 2013, All Rights Reserved."



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2013-04-15 15:47 by treaclefingers.

Rice obviously hasn't read any Jagger lyrics from the last 30 years.

Rice should listen to an American singer named Bob Dylan... but I must admit Jagger IS good : YCAGWYW, Rocks Off or Stray Cat Blues have amazing lyrics.

Funny I was just thinking the same thing recently. He's definitely one of the greatest when you can understand what he's singing or you read the lyrics. I personally prefer it when I can't understand what he's singing since it sounds better, but then its harder to get the meaning. He's gotten clearer intentionally through the years. The guy is a genius and a hard worker so of course he's gonna be brilliant. Plus he gets paid to do it and doesn't have to hold down a day job. At least Mick comes up with his own ideas whereas Bob Dylan just steals lines from books and movies with hardly any of his own thoughts or lines anymore. Then again I can't be sure if Mick does that though. But Dylan for sure does.

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ab
Rice obviously hasn't read any Jagger lyrics from the last 30 years.

haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahahahaha
i bet he has notlistened to most songs of ABB, and more recently Doom and Gloom.

i think he must be a bit deaf.

Up till 1980 indeed, jagger AND keef have written historical songs.

jeroen

>>Bob Dylan just steals lines from books and movies with hardly any of his own thoughts or lines anymore. Then again I can't be sure if Mick does that though. But Dylan for sure does.<<

to dismiss an entire career that way is just plain wrong

The Spider and The Fly is very good...but the question is if Mr Tambourine Man isn't even better....



2 1 2 0

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Come On
The Spider and The Fly is very good...but the question is if Mr Tambourine Man isn't even better....

stop

Mr. Rice...go and check out the writings of Neil Peart...

Satisfaction

Paint It Black

Sympathy For The Devil

Jumpin' Jack Flash

Brown Sugar

There are some great lyrics in these for a start and there are others as well.

Chuck Berry is another great lyric writer and the usual ones like Dylan etc

Hands down the best. Sympathy is by far the best lyrics ever put to a rock song. Nothing comes close. Satisfaction-"...come back later next week cause you see i'm on a losing streak." That's killer. "The sunshine bores the daylights out of me".The list is endless.

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treaclefingers
And Rice is hoping to work with Jagger in the near future on a musical based on the story of Machiavelli, set to the Rolling Stones' hits.

He adds, "It's a possibility. I've spoken to them about it, and I shall discuss it again with Sir Mick." [/color]

This guy sounds like a total kiss ass.

I know Tim Rice. He used to be a cool cat who really loved and knew rock and roll.

We had a long phone conversation several years ago. He was very much SIR Tim Rice. Referring, for no good reason, to "my driver," "my personal assistants" etc. I was dumbfounded.

His Majesty will want to kill me for saying this but I do know the majority of the rock and roll "Sirs" and Tim and Elton are the two most full of themselves when it comes to wanting to be addressed as "Sir."

I still believe that Eric Clapton should be knighted; his influence re guitars and blues was MAJOR. And since he is a relatively humble human being, he would wear the title well.

there should be a coffee table book containing all stones lyrics. and it should have fold out legs to double as a coffee table in case you didn't already have one. i can't believe the stones have missed out on this sales opportunity.

I always thought their strongpoints were music and medodies, not lyrics. Imo when it comes to lyrics, Pink Floyd, Zeppelin and The Who were all better than The Stones.

"Lyin' awake in a cold, cold sweat. Am I overdrawn, am I going in debt?
It gets worse, the older that you get. No escape from the state of confusion I'm in.

What?

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duke richardson
>>Bob Dylan just steals lines from books and movies with hardly any of his own thoughts or lines anymore. Then again I can't be sure if Mick does that though. But Dylan for sure does.<<

to dismiss an entire career that way is just plain wrong

"Sarah" is personal, upfront and brilliant.

How does one even judge who the greatest lyricist of all time is? Is there a machine that calculates it?

And what about Johnnnnnnnnnn and Paullllllllllllllllllllllllllllll

One of 'em, for sure. But I'd probably 5-10 in front of him.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2013-04-15 20:46 by Tonyz.

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GumbootCloggeroo
How does one even judge who the greatest lyricist of all time is? Is there a machine that calculates it?

Yes. this one.

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GumbootCloggeroo
How does one even judge who the greatest lyricist of all time is? Is there a machine that calculates it?

It's not really scientific but in some cases it's quite obvious. Listen to a Justin Bieber song then listen to a Pink Floyd song. Which are the lyrics that took some time to come up with and which are just silly pop song lyrics?

"Lyin' awake in a cold, cold sweat. Am I overdrawn, am I going in debt?
It gets worse, the older that you get. No escape from the state of confusion I'm in.

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FrankM
I always thought their strongpoints were music and medodies, not lyrics. Imo when it comes to lyrics, Pink Floyd, Zeppelin and The Who were all better than The Stones.

i never even listen to the stones lyrics. i just hear, "blah, blah, blah." is jagger actually singing something interesting?

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GravityBoy

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duke richardson
>>Bob Dylan just steals lines from books and movies with hardly any of his own thoughts or lines anymore. Then again I can't be sure if Mick does that though. But Dylan for sure does.<<

to dismiss an entire career that way is just plain wrong

"Sarah" is personal, upfront and brilliant.

it's not as personal as "Sara," though....

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GRNRBITW

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GravityBoy

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duke richardson
>>Bob Dylan just steals lines from books and movies with hardly any of his own thoughts or lines anymore. Then again I can't be sure if Mick does that though. But Dylan for sure does.<<

to dismiss an entire career that way is just plain wrong

"Sarah" is personal, upfront and brilliant.

it's not as personal as "Sara," though....

Much much more.

Did you never hear it?

It's on a bootleg.

No knock against Mick, but I'd put Lennon, McCartney, Dylan, Taupin, Paul Simon, Townshend, Billy Joel, Sting, Petty, Springsteen, Neil Young and others ahead of him in the lyric-writing department.

As someoene else mentioned, for the Stones it's been more about the great music and melodies than the lyrics.

Jagger could have done fantastic texts for adds, but he is no lyricist, he has never tried or claimed to be one. The only lyricists in popular music seem to be Leonard Cohen and Bob Dylan.

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mtaylor
And what about Johnnnnnnnnnn and Paullllllllllllllllllllllllllllll

John lydon and paul vicious from the sex pistols

jeroen

Mick has come up with some really clever stuff, I think one of his strong points is improvising and ad-libing. He's brilliant at that. And that stuff can end up being on the record. I've read that he came up with the words to Miss You right on the spot. Not the greatest of all time but I think he's really talented as a lyricist.



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 2013-04-15 22:26 by ryanpow.

C'mon windmelody, you're much smarter than that! I know. I read your posts.
Jagger is a fine lyricist. A few dog songs but most are good to great.

You single out Cohen, Dylan. What about Paul Simon...and quite a few more?