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Lyrically, Why is This Quality?

A look at lyrics on the level of verse

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This list is curated with the idea in mind that pop music — in the general sense of the term — has largely displaced poetry from its traditional creative position. Song lyrics, therefore, occupying the space that verse once served, are of much greater importance than is generally given, and many of them represent the heights of twentieth century art, even when analyzed without their accompanying music. Like the poetry of old, then, the poetry of now, found as it is in the lyrics of pop songs, is worthy of close scrutiny and even study.

This list is neither a listing of best songs nor most important songs, and it is also not a collection of the best in song lyrics. Rather, the songs here are those with lyrics deemed to have high-quality but also some obscurity, such that there may be some confusion as to why, lyrically, a particular song represents quality verse.

The current list is not to be considered final nor exhaustive, and it is edited and added to regularly.

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