DrDark wrote:DrDark wrote:Polly is a great performer and songwriter, but her best instrument is her voice.
She's a damn good lyricist as well. This just in via a blog post on PJ's Myspace:
"PJ Harvey In This Week’s NME – April 14th, 2010
We thought you may be interested in checking out the current issue of NME where PJ Harvey is cited as one of the best lyric writers in their feature on Rock’s Greatest Lyricists."
It appears from the nme web site that we may be able to read this edition online next week.
NME has used a photo from this shoot:
Here are the words:
'Now 40 years old, Dorset's PJ Harvey is unlike any lyricist ever, regardless of gender
It seems like law that any successful female lyric writer must be likened to PJ Harvey. But how many would dare to pen a song about infanticide, as PJ did with 'Down By The Water'? Critics have tried to label her a feminist, and with songs like 'Sheela-na-gig' you can see why. Named after disturbing medieval carvings of women, it perverts '60s girl group lyrics that "wash that man right out of my hair". But she's not really a feminist - Polly rarely judges, and often inhabits male as well as female bodies, a notable example being 2007's piano-heavy 'White Chalk'. Any musician worth their salt - whatever gender - should strive for comparison to such an individual lyricist.' LS
KEY LYRIC: "It's hard to walk in the dress, it's noy easy/I'm spilling over like a heavy loaded fruit tree" 'Dress', from 'Dry', 1992