Good folk music lyrics , let me explain further though. I've only discovered a love for folk music recently and wanted to learn as much as i could about it and i've been mainly focusing on the music part and not the lyrics , so really what i'm asking is what are the main themes and styles of folk music lyrics and who would be good examples of lyric writing apart from dylan because i really don't know that many folk players. thanks and peace !
look into David Rovics Ellis Paul (life stores, not political- except Kiss the sun) Sam Shaber Eliza Gylkison (i've terribly mangled that spelling...) Arlo Guthrie Woody Guthrie (Dylan's influence) Pete Seeger Townes Van Zandt Ani Di Franco acoustic Michael Franti Jesse Winchester
most folk artists have a specific style of writing that goes along with their lyrics. Dylans lyrics can be anything from a profound political statement to complete and utter nonsense. You should give these a try: allen ginsberg m. ward devil makes three iron and wine devendra banhart 6 organs of admittance the last 2 are a little more psychadelic at heart but theyre good nonetheless.
and frm my side of the pond - bert jansch , davy graham , john martyn , fairport convention ,martin carthy , pentangle.... i was going to say nick drake but im not sure if you would say he was folk he's seperate somehow ,hard to explain but he was amazing!
Elliott Smith, Fairport Convention, and Neil Young (especially albums like "After the Gold Rush") I like a lot of Donovan lyrics too. But then, for every song with brilliant lyrics, there's another song that is completely off the wall.
you should be listening to leonard cohen and joanna newsome. and then also now a days there is a whole genre called "folk punk" and that includes bands like johnny hobo and the freight trains, wingnut dishwasher union, ghost mice, nana grizol, defiance ohio, the andrew jackson jihad.
