I also don't know that there is a "greatest."
One I particularly like is Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits. In fact, the lyrics on just about every song on the Dire Straits album are well crafted and strong. At least for me. The simple style and clean guitar work are a perfect compliement.
Lions is particulary good, my favorite on the album, and In the Gallery as well. Of course, there is Sultans of Swing. Wild West End, Down to the Waterline...
Lions
Red sun go down way over dirty town
Starling are sweeping around crazy shoals
A girl is there high heeling across the square
Wind blows around in her hair and the flags upon the poles
Waiting in the crowd to cross at the light
She looks around to find a face she can like.
Church bell clinging on trying to get a crowd for Evensong
Nobody cares to depend upon the chime it plays
They're all in the station praying for trains
Cogregations late again
It's getting darker all the time these flagpole days
Drunk old soldier he gives her a fright
He's crazy lion howling for a fight.
Strap hanging gunshot sound
Doors slamming on the overground
Starlings are tough but the lions are made of stone
Her evening paper is horror torn
But there's hope later for Capricorns
Her lucky stars give her just enough to get home
Then she's reading about a swing to the right
But she's thinking about a stranger in the night
I'm thinking about the lions tonight
What happened to the lions.
This line always gives me chills: Starlings are tough but the lions are made of stone
Wild West End
Stepping out to angelluccis for my coffee beans
Checking out the movies and the magazines
Waitress she watches me crossing from the barocco bar
Im getting a pickup for my steel guitar
I saw you walking out shaftesbury avenue
Excuse me for talking I wanna marry you
This is the seventh heaven street to me
Dont be so proud
Youre just another angel in the crowd
And Im walking in he wild west end
Walking with your wild best friend
And my conductress on the number nineteen
She was a honey
Pink toenails and hands all dirty with money
Greasy hair easy smile
Made me feel nineteen for a while
And I went down to chinatown
In the backroom its a mans world
All the money go down
Duck inside the doorway gotta duck to eat
Right now feels alright now
You and me we cant beat
And a gogo dancing girl yes I saw her
The deejay he say here's mandy for ya
I feel alright to see her
But she's paid to do that stuff
She's dancing high I move on by
The close ups can get rough
When youre walking in the wild west end
Charon
