Billie Joe's lyrical ability

[arrie44]

Just wanting to gauge the true feeling about Billie Joe's lyrical ability. I was reading the comments under the news items of 21CB's Lyrics Release and somebody compared him the Bob Dylan and Kurt Cobain.

I've always felt Billie goes a bit over his skis with his lyrics starting with AI. To me it seems like he tries to say profound things, but there is no real point to most of it, or maybe it has meaning to him and he leaves it up to everyone else to come up with their own interpretation. That's all well and good, but that's not a skilled lyricist. He does some nice word play ("Fallen from grace/Right on my face"), but when I think of great lyrics I look at Sting and Maynard of Tool.

I'm not denying Billie can write a killer song, I'm an enormous Green Day fan, but when I saw that comment I had to speak up. He's an average lyricist at best in my opinion. What do you guys think, and be real.

[Astrid.]

I don't really care. As long as they make good music I think it's fine.

And if he wants the interpretations of others, that's totally fine with me. I mean, Mike and Tré are in the band too you know?

[Juan]

First of all, lyrical greatness is a subjective matter, it revolts around opinions, some could say that Dylan is shit and that...any other given lyricist is better. For what I care I prefer Graffin's or Brett's lyrics to any other.

[greendaytone]

All i can say is i've been able to relate to Green Day's lyrics more than any other band i know. For that reason, i haven't really looked close enough at other artists, so i couldn't farily say he is better than those. But i'd argue he's definitely better than average. The lyrics of the bands i hear on the radio like Kaiser Chiefs, Franz Ferdinand and the like are blown away by Green Day lyrics wise, in my opinion. I think the stuff Billie Joe comes up with is brilliant.

[Juan]

oh, and another thing, Billie is great at details and emotion, particularly angst

[Hermione]

For me, he's the greatest lyricist. His words speak to me like nothing else, and I might not be able to put my finger on exactly what it is, but it sure is something special he has. He puts his heart and soul into his songs and writes with total honesty and conviction, I've never come across any other songwriter who does so in quite the same way.

I think he's up there with all the greats, no question

[CarmenPunkGirl]

I really like Billie' lyrics. And i think it's a good thing that he leaves it up to people to come up with their own interpretation.

I like to think twice about what he was trying to say

[J'net]

All i can say is i've been able to relate to Green Day's lyrics more than any other band i know. For that reason, i haven't really looked close enough at other artists, so i couldn't farily say he is better than those. But i'd say he's better than average. The lyrics of the bands i hear on the radio like Kaiser Chiefs, Franz Ferdinand and the like are blown away by Green Day lyrics wise, in my opinion. I think the stuff Billie Joe comes up with is brilliant.

I agree, and there's a brilliance in being able to write a lyric that resonates with so many people simply because it's open to individual interpretation. I've noticed how many people seem to identify SO closely with BJ. I think that's because his songs speak to the hearts of a multitude as well as having so many amusing little moments and clever plays on words (as well as sometimes being deceptively simple). But they are also very personal to him, and that's another thing I love about them. I don't see his songs as being contrived to please others - they are real and from deep down in his soul - which is another thing that causes them to feel personal to others.

[Kimpsu]

Nothing can ever top the lyrics Dookie has

[Juliette]

Honestly, I think he can write some amazing lyrics, but he also knows how to mess around and just have fun or take the piss with them.

[Starbug]

I think he's a brilliant lyricist, always have. I get more from his lyrics than I've gotten from any other band or lyricist. 'I beg to differ on the contrary I agree with every word that you say' 'Scream at me until my ears bleed I'm taking heed just for you' 'And there's nothing wrong with me, this is how I'm supposed to be, in a land of make believe that don't believe in me' I think the lyrics to JOS are genius lol

[arrie44]

oh, and another thing, Billie is great at details and emotion, particularly angst

Totally agree with that. There are songwriters that I would say have deeper and more clever lyrics that Billie, but they don't sing them with half the heart and soul that Billie does. You're exactly right, he PROJECTS emotion like almost no other.

[WrenchNinja]

For me, he's the greatest lyricist. His words speak to me like nothing else, and I might not be able to put my finger on exactly what it is, but it sure is something special he has. He puts his heart and soul into his songs and writes with total honesty and conviction, I've never come across any other songwriter who does so in quite the same way.

I think he's up there with all the greats, no question

I could not agree with this post more.

[Nele]

I think Billie's lyrics are amazing. I guess everybody has other opinions to that. And maybe it's a surprise but I think there are even people out there who don't like Billie's lyrics.

But serious, I like that most of his lyrics are so personal. He even wrote songs about that day Mike broke his arms and when you look closer the lyrics have a pretty deep meaning.

In my opinion he did that way too less on AI. But when I listen to 1039 SOSH, there's like every song a personal event. Some lyricists may write more about not so personal things and I like that also but I can't relate to them so much.

[arrie44]

I think he's a brilliant lyricist, always have. I get more from his lyrics than I've gotten from any other band or lyricist. 'I beg to differ on the contrary I agree with every word that you say' 'Scream at me until my ears bleed I'm taking heed just for you' 'And there's nothing wrong with me, this is how I'm supposed to be, in a land of make believe that don't believe in me' I think the lyrics to JOS are genius lol

Yeah the lyrics pre-AI was when I thought he was at his best, especially Insomniac and Dookie. I feel like with AI and this new one he saw how much they were advancing musically and felt he had to make the lyrics match that same level, and he couldn't really do it. A good example of some of his best work is Fashion Victim, very clever and cool lyrics and a very direct point to it.

[iLozza!]

For me, he's the greatest lyricist. His words speak to me like nothing else, and I might not be able to put my finger on exactly what it is, but it sure is something special he has. He puts his heart and soul into his songs and writes with total honesty and conviction, I've never come across any other songwriter who does so in quite the same way.

I think he's up there with all the greats, no question

This.

He can certainly get what's on his mind into a song, no doubt about it. =]

[Tubbie Head]

Billie Joe plays with the words as a painter like Leonardo Da Vinci plays with his oils, I mean, everyone can imagine different things of a painting and appreciate it in different ways, we can also associate with feelings that it transmits relating with what the painting shows.. For me that’s art, and yeah, not only Billie writes amazing lyrics, but he do it as no other!

He writes about stuff that he lives or lived with; what he thinks it’s important, and also does an amazing thing, he not only puts his heart into every single line of a song, but also do it in a way that we can hear it and make our own interpretation of it, and send the words directly into our own heart, our life… He is a pure artist, and we can't compare him with anybody else , it’s him, there is no other Billie!

[mechanicalman]

He's no Noel Gallagher.

[Yussef]

Kurt Cobain's lyrics were shit.

He's no Noel Gallagher.

LOL

I missed you Guy.

[justcause]

Where do I even begin? Ok, the first thing is that he never wastes one single word, and all of his words are powerful. When I first read thru the lyrics of 21CB - totally blown away by them - Dylan came to mind, and I'm thinking, 'yeah, he's up there now'. But really, I wouldn't compare him to anyone else, because he's just who he is, a one-off. He was a natural from the beginning, but he works at it and he evolves. He can write in many different ways, but even when it sounds simple, there are always shades and depths. He kicks ass.

[CarmenPunkGirl]

His metaphors are great, he takes an ideea and turns it into something special.

[Katarina.]

Where do I even begin? Ok, the first thing is that he never wastes one single word, and all of his words are powerful. When I first read thru the lyrics of 21CB - totally blown away by them - Dylan came to mind, and I'm thinking, 'yeah, he's up there now'. But really, I wouldn't compare him to anyone else, because he's just who he is, a one-off. He was a natural from the beginning, but he works at it and he evolves. He can write in many different ways, but even when it sounds simple, there are always shades and depths. He kicks ass.

I totally agree with this.

[J'net]

Where do I even begin? Ok, the first thing is that he never wastes one single word, and all of his words are powerful. When I first read thru the lyrics of 21CB - totally blown away by them - Dylan came to mind, and I'm thinking, 'yeah, he's up there now'. But really, I wouldn't compare him to anyone else, because he's just who he is, a one-off. He was a natural from the beginning, but he works at it and he evolves. He can write in many different ways, but even when it sounds simple, there are always shades and depths. He kicks ass.

Now that's the response I've been waiting for .

[Juan]

Kurt Cobain's lyrics were shit.

Serve The Servants...oh no

[Angela.]

Personally, I think Billie's lyrics are amazing. Billie has an extraordinary ability to be able to write a song that everybody can relate to very easily. To this day, I've never had a person besides Billie Joe write lyrics that I could relate to so easily. And not only that, but his use of sarcasm, truthfulness, dementedness, and beauty are great, as well. Simply put: Billie has an extreme talent/gift in writing lyrics that can convey emotions and experiences into songs so clearly and in a way that can make everybody relate and feel certain emotions (anger, happiness, etc). And I'm sorry if that didn't make much sense.