writers that inspire you- just out of curiosty (Page 1 of 2)

Lyrically for me it's John Prine, Bob Dylan, Peter Gabriel, Robert Hunter(Grateful Dead lyricist), Gordon Lightfoot, Warren Zevon, Neil Young, Tom Petty, Neil Peart, Eddie Vedder, Paul Simon, Alison Krauss, Bonnie Raitt, Lucinda Williams, Tom Waitts, Bruce Springsteen, Greg Allman, Eric Clapton, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Bono, Ozzy Osborne, Ronnie James Dio, Muddy Waters, Keb Mo, Jimi Hendrix, David Bowie, Kurt Cobain.....tomorrow I'd probably give you a whole new list with a few people relisted.

Musically it's everything my ears have had the pleasure of hearing from my country and bluegrass as a young child, the rap, funk, and R&B of my early teens, the heavy metal and hard blues rock of my late teens and early twenties, the classical guitar absorption of my late teens and early twenties, the psychedellic and southern rock phase of my mid to late twenties, the punk, grunge, alternative, experimental and industrial of my late twenties to early thirties, to my current audible consumption of everything from my past and my infinite evolving likes of new music today.(not necessarily new, but new to my ears)

I guess everyone I've heard songs by has had an input!  I particularly like Bob Dylan and Eminem for words/rhythm but not necessarily content, darn those boys are good!

believe it or not, I stand in awe of yourself for the phrasing in your songs, and for the bleak poems of JasonHague here on Chordie too

I'm inspired musically by all I hear but limited by talent and patience to simple chord transitions and melodies.

cheers

Australian? He's a Scot living in Australia, I believe.

Writers who inspire me are ones who can write a song that I can see in my head when I play. One favorite of mine if Jackson Browne; his songs For a Dancer, Looking into You and Fountain of Sorrow, all three I can see in my head when I listen. I still get misty eyed listening to the words "...'Cause I know that you'd  rather we were dancing"

For me it's writers like Jimmy Rankin, Brownie Maghee, John Allen Cameron, Matt Minglewood  artists i've listened to for a long time. I've collected a lot of old blues artists over the years so that is a big influnce on me. Just love the simplicity
that an acoustic and a blues harp brings in music. I think I'll have this blues addiction for the rest of my life.

....Badeye.

Harry Chapin, Jim Croce, Neil Young, Carol King, James Taylor, Old Doll, Glen Frey and Don Henley....to name a few.  Here in NZ my favourite, is Greg Johnson.

It depends.
If I use my electric guitar, I am more inspired by Creedence Clearwater Revival, Clapton, Led Zeppelin, and all kinds of rock and blues.
If I use my acoustic: DYLAN, PINK FLOYD, NEIL YOUNG + A LOT OF SONGS NOT KNOWING THE PERFORMER
If I use both guitars, I'm inspired by an OLD DOC PHIL

The person to inspire me to write my first song was Syd Barrett.
I listened to his insane but well thought lyrics and thought to myself if he can get away with stuff like " I know a mouse and he hasen't got a house, I dont know why I cal him Gerald"
Then I could too, so my weird song writing began in 1985.

that is who inspired me to write. My favourite songwriters that I have taken a little bit from them I tihnk are:

Roger Waters.
The corries,
Shane McGowan from the pogues
Pete Towshend
John Prine
Jake Burns
Joe Strummer
Red hot chili peppers

there are so many great writers, some that have already been mentioned,
Johnny Cash, TOm PAxton, Steve Harris, ac/dc , ray davies, paul weller, dylan,

good topic Hannah.

Ken

Thats awesome . I have a thing for random lyrycs  I guess....
Saw some great names here, its interesting to me to see the influences and how they show themselves in the different styles I see here on chordie.

All You Need is Love

That was Pink Floyd's Bike from Piper At The Gates Of Dawn - Their first album.  Check it out it's very good!

for me it has to merle haggard. he has a great way of expressing feelings when writing and you almost think it`s you he`s singing about.there`s a guy from liverpool called charlie landsborough and you need to read his lyrics.he has a way of telling a story through other peopls eyes.one comes to mind about a young blind girl when she asks her dad what colour is the wind.man the way he writes those lyrics you think he was blind himself.there are some great one liners in songs too that make you sit upand take notice.i think to myself at times i wish i had written that line.