Based purely on songwriting, who was better in their prime? Leonard Cohen or Oscar de la Mozza?

R

Roy G. Biv

Guest
I had this discussion with a prominent theologian today. He said he believed Cohen to be the better songwriter. I agreed with him. While Morrissey's songs are coherent and thought provoking, Cohen's lyrics are more poetic and compelling.
 
Morrissey is the better lyricist. Morrissey understands the meaning of pop music and tailors his poetry into that medium to oft-astonishing effect. He can write in more styles that Cohen, from throwaway glam, to beautifully emotive rock, to wickedly passive-aggressive pop. His body of work stands today as a "way of life" more than simply a collection of songs or poems. Morrisseyism really ought to be an intellectual movement, if it is not already.

Morrissey also manages to use his voice to better effect in conveying the meaning of his words, the shimmering hurt in his voice when he sings "mother I can feel the soil falling over my head" or the sound of pure disgust when he sings "Disappointed" live "I have lived my whole life in ruins because of people who are *nice*" This is, I know, not strictly about the lyrics, but the delivery of a pop song is all important.

Cohen is a fine, fine writer, but Morrissey is, for me, the better lyricist.

Broken

> I had this discussion with a prominent theologian today. He said he
> believed Cohen to be the better songwriter. I agreed with him. While
> Morrissey's songs are coherent and thought provoking, Cohen's lyrics are
> more poetic and compelling.
 
> Morrissey is the better lyricist. Morrissey understands the meaning of pop
> music and tailors his poetry into that medium to oft-astonishing effect.
> He can write in more styles that Cohen, from throwaway glam, to
> beautifully emotive rock, to wickedly passive-aggressive pop. His body of
> work stands today as a "way of life" more than simply a
> collection of songs or poems. Morrisseyism really ought to be an
> intellectual movement, if it is not already.

> Morrissey also manages to use his voice to better effect in conveying the
> meaning of his words, the shimmering hurt in his voice when he sings
> "mother I can feel the soil falling over my head" or the sound
> of pure disgust when he sings "Disappointed" live "I have
> lived my whole life in ruins because of people who are *nice*" This
> is, I know, not strictly about the lyrics, but the delivery of a pop song
> is all important.

> Cohen is a fine, fine writer, but Morrissey is, for me, the better
> lyricist.

> Broken

Bravo, Broken.
 
I'm tossing out all my Leonard Cohen albums. That was too good to rebut.
 
Yeah, but who would win in a fight?
Would Leonard throw moz from the fifth floor window of the Tower of Song? or would Moz bury cohen's bones in a quarry after punching him with his hand in a (boxing) glove?
.....sorry.....I know.
 
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