Hi!
Many pop songs have rather weak/cheesy lyrics. However, do you know songs (pop/indie pop) that have really good lyrics? (lyrics that you simply like, or are wise/motivating, or have whatever good qualities that makes them good)

 

Can be also from other genres

 

I like simplicity well done, like in this one:

 

Spoiler: Killing Joke - Tiahuanaco

Killing Joke - Tiahuanaco

I was a tourist in the Andes
On my way to Tiahuanaco
Where the balance of a weeping god
Faced east to the rising sun

I looked out the window
And all I could see
Was the face of a girl
She was looking at me

She was begging for food
Then I knew I had found
The weeping god
In the face of a child

As she gestured with her fingers
Her little brother followed suit
And all I did was take my camera
So the image never fades away

I no longer saw the great gate of the sun
Nor the dawn of time when our race had begun
Just black eyes like starving dogs looking at me
A weeping god was all I'd ever see

And as I sat in contemplation beyond all charity
Losing the magic and meaning of living
(the earth and the stars these things are mine)
And when they've drained the earth of all resources
We'll face the music still
For you and I shall be striking memories
In the thoughts of our children's children

I had arrived at my destination
At the gate of the rising sun
We shall again regain in sunset
That balance that we left undone
I stared at the shacks and the shanty town mess
I couldn't help but to think of the West
The balance was lost and my reason went wild
As the weeping god came alive in the child
And I began to weep
And I remember, yeah
The violation

Determination came
Determination, yeah
Determination came
Determination, yeah
Determination, came...

Source: https://genius.com/Killing-joke-tiahuanaco-lyrics

 

There are many...but I'll start with an indie-pop song as per the OP's wishes.

"West Coast Love" — Emotional Oranges

 

I'll include another indie pop song.

"Stay Awake" — Dean Lewis

 

Lee Clayton - Where Is The Justice

 

Elvis Costello - Alison

Oh it's so funny to be seeing you after so long, girl.
And with the way you look I understand
That you are not impressed.
But I heard you let that little friend of mine
Take off your party dress.
I'm not going to get too sentimental
Like those other sticky valentines,
Cause I don't know if you've been loving somebody.
I only know it isn't mine.
Alison, I know this world is killing you.
Oh, Alison, my aim is true.
Well I see you've got a husband now.
Did he leave your pretty fingers lying
In the wedding cake?
You used to hold him right in your hand.
I'll bet he took all he could take.
Sometimes I wish that I could stop you from talking
When I hear the silly things that you say.
I think somebody better put out the big light,
Cause I can't stand to see you this way.
Alison, I know this world is killing you.
Oh, Alison, my aim is true.
My aim is true.

 

she's a spy, spy lady
she spy, spy on me
the spotlight on me
i spy eyes on me

the walk Naomi
but shape of dancer
she say she love me
what’s her intentions?

secret agent, 007
her looks her weapon, she kill with passion
she toys with feelings of men and women
she knows they secrets, she read they weakness
yet she keep follow me, everywhere I go
do I have something? she want to acquire

she's a spy, spy lady
she spy, spy on me
the spotlight on me
i spy eyes on me

the walk Naomi
but shape of dancer
she say she love me
what’s her intentions?

secret weapon, Angelina
way too dangerous, yet so intriguing
i want to try and learn her secrets
but should i trust her? or keep the distance
miss independent, she full of mystery
picture perfect, but looks could be deceiving

she's a spy, spy lady
she spy, spy on me
the spotlight on me
i spy eyes on me

spy on me, spy on me
she make one move, and i'm falling

she go, though my phone, my texts, my calls
she wants, to know, what i keep, on the low

when you get to know me, don’t start being nosy
should’ve seen the red flags, i was being thirsty
should’ve kept my guard up, i was getting cozy
if you get to learn me, don’t you double cross me

hurt me, hurt me, hurt me

please don't, leave me, leave me, please don't

i can, explain, it's all, my fault

 

I like my own songs, I'm recording this right now, LOL!

WORMS

The worms in my head they won't leave me alone
Chewing up my memories, likely eat me to the bone
My pistols are no consequence, emptied my bandolier
They have no eyes to see, no ears to hear nor quiver-quake from fear

And now they're niblin' on our babies
Their sweet flesh 'cause they can
We're 'tween a big rock and a hard place
We can't even make a stand

They hitched a ride on a comet, see that blurred streak in the sky?
When passing high up above us thought they'd give a taste, a try
There's like 8 billion humans but a zillion more of them
They will be taking care of business then be on their way again

On tiny little worm wings
That they grow when bellies full
Then fly right back high up into the sky
When they, those bellys full

There's no one left here among us, worms have eaten all their fill
Not even now a ladybug, cockroach or whipperwill
I really thought we'd end ourselves, the A Bomb, World War Three
Those gottdamn space worms did a job on us, they set our souls a'free

Soon the buildings will a'crumble,
Trees will fill in all the cracks
And once again a virgin paradise
Time's a cleptomaniac

 

Marillion 'Be Hard On Yourself' - An Hour Before It's Dark

Spoiler: LYRICS: Be Hard On Yourself

LYRICS: Be Hard On Yourself

Big ball of rocks and water
Spinning round in space
Blue green and made of magic
Miracles on miracles on miracles with miracles inside
Why would you kill it?

Be hard on yourself
You’ve been spoilt for years
Be hard on yourself
You’ll be glad you did
You’ll be glad you did

Something to pull the sheep across the field
Bag of grass and straw
How can it keep growing?

Be hard on yourself
You’ve been spoilt for years
Be hard on yourself
You’ll be glad you did
You’ll be glad you did

Run towards the things that scare ya
I dare ya
There’s a tear in the big picture
Can’t burn it
Got to fix it
Heard you say life’s what you settle for
Nobody told you
Less can be more

Strap in
Get ready
Foot down
Push the button
Blow it all up
And be hard on yourself

Strap in
Get ready
Foot down
Push the button
Blow it all up
And be hard on yourself

ii Lust For Luxury:

Don’t talk to me of need
Don’t talk to me of want
Don’t talk to me of dreams
The world has seen enough impatient bags of blood
Don’t talk to me of speed
Acceleration never did you any good

The monkey wants a new toy
And that’s all that it knows
Something to pull the sheep across the field

The only way forward is to fall over
Or you can learn to be hard on yourself

The monkey wants a new toy
And that’s all that it knows
The monkey wants a new toy
And that’s all that it knows

Cause of death: lust for luxury
Cause of death: lust for luxury
Cause of death: consumption

iii You Can Learn

The only way forward is to fall over
Or you can learn to be
Or you can learn to be
Hard on yourself

You can do better
You can do better
But do it now

We haven’t got long
We haven’t got long
To the end of the song

Be hard on yourself

Strap in
Get ready
Foot down
Push the button
Blow it all up
Blow it all up

Paint a picture, sing a song,
Plant some flowers in the park
Get out and make it better
You’ve got an hour before it’s dark…

 

There aren't many threads about lyrics. That's probably the hardest part of songwriting IMO.

 

theres a lot in hop-hop and country, those genres have the best lyrics in my opinion. even the more pop structured songs, so ill just pick one from each thats more pop

Wet Dreamz by J.Cole

Spoiler: lyrics

Wasn't nothin' like that
Man, it wasn't nothin' like that first time
She was in my math class
Long hair, brown skin with a fat ass
Sat beside me, used to laugh, had mad jokes
The teacher always got mad so we passed notes
It started off so innocent
She had a vibe and a nigga started diggin' it
I was a youngin, straight crushin', tryna play the shit cool
But a nigga couldn't wait to get to school
'Cause when I seen 'em thighs on her
And them hips on her and them lips on her
Got me daydreaming, man, what
I'm thinkin' how she rides on it, if she sits on it, if she licks on it
Make it hard for me to stand up
As time goes by, attractions getting deep, and
Wet dreaming, thinkin' that I'm smashin', but I'm sleepin'
I want it bad, and I ain't never been obsessed before
She wrote a note that said "You ever had sex before?"
Damn…

And I ain't never did this before, no
And I ain't never did this before, no
And I ain't never did this before, no
And I ain't never did this before, no
And I ain't never did this before, no
I ain't never did this before, no
And I ain't never did this before, no
And I ain't never did this before, no

I wrote back and said, "Of course I had sex before"
Knowing I was frontin'
I said, "I'm like a pro, baby," knowing I was stuntin'
But if I told the truth, I knew that I'd get played out, son
Hadn't been in pussy since the day I came out one
But she don't know that, so she done wrote back and told me
"Oh, you a pro, homie? Well, I want you to show me
My mama gone for the weekend
So, Saturday, baby, we can get to freakin'"
That's when my heart start racing and my body start sweatin'
Baby, you done woke my little man up
I'm thinking how that body look naked
When you laying on the bed
Teacher, please don't make me stand up
I wrote back like "Yeah, baby. Sound like a plan."
Still tryna play it cool, sound like the man
But I was scared to death, my nigga, my stomach turnin'
Talking shit, knowing damn well I was a virgin, fuck

And I ain't never did this before, no
And I ain't never did this before, no
And I ain't never did this before, no
And I ain't never did this before, no
And I ain't never did this before, no
I ain't never did this before, no
And I ain't never did this before, no
And I ain't never did this before, no

You know that feeling when you know you finna bone for the first time?
I'm hoping that she won't notice it's my first time
I'm hoping that my shit is big enough to fuck with
And most of all I'm praying, "God, don't let me bust quick"
I'm watching pornos, tryna see just how to stroke right
Practice putting condoms on, how it go, right?
I'm in her crib, now a nigga palm's sweatin'
With a pocket full of rubbers and an erection
That's when my hands start touchin'
And her face start blushin', and a nigga roll over on top
And then she get my pants unbuckled
And her hands start rubbin' on me, ooh girl, don't stop
It's time for action: pull out the condoms real smooth
Yeah, just how I practiced
But right before I put it in, she flinched and grabbed it
And said, "I wanna get something off my mental
I can tell you're a pro, but baby, be gentle, 'cause..."

'Cause I ain't never did this before, no
And I ain't never did this before, no
And I ain't never did this before, no
And I ain't never did this before, no
And I ain't never did this before, no
I ain't never did this before, no
And I ain't never did this before, no
And I ain't never did this before, no

For Lovin' Me by Gordon Lightfoot

Spoiler: lyrics

That's what you get for lovin' me
That's what you get for lovin' me
Everything you had is gone
As you can see
That's what you get for lovin' me
I ain't the kind to hang around
With any new love that I found
'Cause movin' is my stock in trade
I'm movin' on
I won't think of you when I'm gone
So don't you shed a tear for me
'Cause I ain't the love you thought I'd be
I've got a hundred more like you
So don't be blue
I'll have a thousand 'fore I'm through
Now there you go you're cryin' again
Now there you go you're cryin' again
But then someday when your poor heart
Is on the mend
I just might pass this way again
That's what you get for lovin' me
That's what you get for lovin' me
Everything you had is gone
As you can see
That's what you get for lovin' me
That's what you get for lovin' me

 

Thy Slaughter is A.G. Cook and Finn Keane (Easyfun) both are the main producers for Brat (2024)
Singer is Alaska Reid but Charli XCX also has vocals on Soft Rock (2023)

I think this is good pop ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

Favourite.

https://genius.com/Fontaines-dc-favourite-lyrics

 

Last edited: Mar 11, 2025 at 2:49 PM

A few tracks from Tristam. Maybe these aren't quite "pop" music. But they have IMO good, inspiring lyrics.

Bone Dry

Before We Fade

Far Away

 

I would start with anything from Paul Simon, The Police/Sting, Supertramp/Roger Hodgson, Elton John/Bernie Taupin, even Pink Floyd.

On the more esoteric side, the lyrics of Rush are often quite the mouthful for singers, but beautiful or inspiring to read.
Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye wrote beautiful, poetic and political lyrics. I studied them assiduously, almost religiously.

In school (Berklee), I took a Lyrics writing class with Pat Pattison (who is a master lyricist and legendary teacher), and we studied the lyrics of some 1970s bands like REO Speedwagon, Boston, Styx, Fleetwood Mac, and Journey as well - the range of lyrics varied from masterful to very good, never worse.

Some of my favorite lyrics of all time are from Steely Dan (and/or Donald Fagen as a solo act). Highly recommended if you're not already familiar with their extraordinary catalog.

Here are some examples (taken from different songs and albums):

• I have never met Napoleon
  But I plan to find the time
  
  
• I remember the thirty-five sweet goodbyes
  When you put me on the Wolverine
  Up to Annandale
  It was still September
  When your daddy was quite surprised
  To find you with the working girls
  In the county jail
  I was smoking with the boys upstairs
  When I heard about the whole affair
  
  
• Any major dude with half a heart surely will tell you my friend
  Any minor world that breaks apart falls together again
  When the demon is at your door
  In the morning it won't be there no more
  Any major dude will tell you
  
  
• Babs and Clean Willie were in love they said
  So in love the preacher's face turned red
  Soon everybody knew the thing was dead
  He shouts, she bites, they wrangle through the night
  
  
• Are you with me Doctor Wu
  Are you really just a shadow
  Of the man that I once knew
  
  
• Drive west on Sunset
  To the sea
  Turn that jungle music down
  Just until we're out of town
  This is no one night stand
  It's a real occasion
  Close your eyes and you'll be there
  It's everything they say
  The end of a perfect day
  Distant lights from across the bay
  
  
• Last night I dreamed of an old lover dressed in gray
  I've had this fever now since yesterday
  Wake up darling they're knocking the Colonel's standing in the sun
  With his stupid face the glasses and the gun
  
  
• When we kissed we could hear the sound of thunder
  As we watched the regulars rush the big hotels
  We kissed again as the showers swept the Florida shore
  You opened your umbrella
  But we walked between the raindrops back to your door

 

easy :