Good Song Lyrics

If you look closely enough, good song lyrics are everywhere. Whether they come from a screeching rock anthem or a down-and-dirty club cut, good lyrics can be the difference between an average song an immortal music moment.

1. “And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make” from “The End” by The Beatles Released in 1969, the album “Abbey Road” is a masterwork full of timeless song lyrics. This line is one of the its many highlights, reminding us that in life, you get what you give.
2. “Even the genius asks questions” from “Me Against The World” by 2pac During the last years of 2pac’s short life, he often wrote introspective songs full of self-analysis. This line, from the title track to his 1995 album, is one of the rapper’s most enduring song lyrics.
3. “Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end” from “Closing Time” by Semisonic One-hit-wonders Semisonic had a brief taste of success with their 1998 release “Feeling Strangely Fine.” The album is full of good song lyrics, but this line is perhaps the most poignant. It’s a bravely poetic statement about starting over.
4. “Fathers, be good to your daughters / Daughters will love like you do” from “Daughters” by John Mayer Although his offstage antics often get more attention than his song lyrics, John Mayer is an accomplished writer with a unique view of the human condition. These lyrics, from his 2003 album “Heavier Things,” is a heartfelt plea to parents everywhere.
5. “Freedom’s just another word for nothing left to lose” from “Me And Bobby McGee” by Janis Joplin Although the song was originally released by Roger Miller, the most recognizable source of these lyrics comes from Joplin’s 1971 album “Pearl.” Joplin’s voice brings a relatable quality to the song, making this chorus lyric as good as it can be.
6. “It’s better to burn out than to fade away” from “My My, Hey Hey (Out of the Blue)” by Neil Young This song lyric can come off as a little cynical, and rightfully so. Young tapped into the thought processes of rock and roll excess on his 1979 album “Rust Never Sleeps.” The resulting song lyrics are a poetic description of morbidity, declaring that fame endures more intensely through an early death.
7. “It’s the end of the world as we know it, and I feel fine” from “It’s the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)” by R.E.M. This line comes from a song stuffed full of good song lyrics, all spewed forth at a breakneck pace. The song is the best track on the 1987 album “Document,” and the most important thing the band has ever released.
8. “Once upon a time I was falling in love / Now I’m only falling apart” from “Total Eclipse of the Heart” by Bonnie Tyler Sometimes good song lyrics are just plain depressing, which is the case with these lines from the 1982 album “Faster Than the Speed of Night.” Tyler’s pining vocal gives these lyrics a very relatable quality.
9. “I’ve got a job waiting for my graduation / Fifty thou a year, buys a lot of beer” from “The Future’s So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades” by Timbuk3 A tongue-in-cheek ode to the excesses and dangers of the nuclear age, these song lyrics were a warning against complacency. The 1986 album “Greetings From Timbuk 3” contains little else of note, but these song lyrics are so good that it’s no big deal.
10. “The words of the prophets are written on the subway walls” from “The Sound Of Silence” by Simon and Garfunkel As the soulful troubadours of folk rock, Simon and Garfunkel produced tons of good song lyrics. The 1965 album “Sounds Of Silence” contained this memorable line, depicting a unique view of street-level life.