Who do you think is a better lyricist, Barney or Ian?

Bernard Sumner or Ian Curtis?

Who's better? Tough to answer considering the contrast in styles. Like chalk and cheese, except neither of those can sing. Personally I feel Ian's lyrics were more complex, deeper perhaps, and had a special something. Barney's are not as dark and more airy. Ian was perfect for Joy Division and the same goes for Barney and New Order. Barney could never sing some JD songs with the effect and tone Ian did, while I can't imagine Ian doing Temptation. Depends what mood I’m in really – New Order for some uplifting synth shit or Curtis for some deadpan punk. :)

everytime i see you falling , i get down on my knees and pray

best lyrics ever. barneys lyrics make it for me.

Originally posted by Wasim Younis Who's better? Tough to answer considering the contrast in styles. Like chalk and cheese, except neither of those can sing. Personally I feel Ian's lyrics were more complex, deeper perhaps, and had a special something. Barney's are not as dark and more airy. Ian was perfect for Joy Division and the same goes for Barney and New Order. Barney could never sing some JD songs with the effect and tone Ian did, while I can't imagine Ian doing Temptation. Depends what mood I’m in really – New Order for some uplifting synth shit or Curtis for some deadpan punk. :)

I think Ian had something to say,where as Barney can write meaningless lyrics,but his delivery makes them great. Its a tough call,but i think Sumner pips it cos he writes things we can relate to.

did anyone hear that tx new order? i like the bit where tennant said that the best pop lyrics make you feel ok about feeling sad, and regret is one of the best examples of that.

depends on your mood really. some of bs lyrics are a bit embarassing "see that bird has flown too high, pretty soon it will be tired"

they're both different....both are great in their own way

Barney

I love you, you love me, were best friends, like fiends should be.

With a great big kiss and a hug from me to you.

Won't you say you love me too?

Classic

A view without a room unveils the truth so soon

Er, classic! In Frank Skinner's definition of 'classic'!

Originally posted by steve52 I think Ian had something to say,where as Barney can write meaningless lyrics,but his delivery makes them great. Its a tough call,but i think Sumner pips it cos he writes things we can relate to.

Not sure what you mean ClockC--' meaningless lyrics'..... that..... 'we can relate to' 'Ian had something to say' --If Barney had nothing to say he wouldn't be writing songs now, would he? Here are two people writing songs that reflect how they see their own world and emotions as far as I can see

I think Ian's one of the greatest lyricists in 'pop music' history - you read his lyrics in Touching From A Distance or the Heart And Soul booklet and they stand by themselves without the music. Barney, I think, writes lyrics for pop songs and without the music they're nothing - read the words to, for instance, Thieves Like Us and (imho) they're not up to much but put them with the music and they're great. The two of them are occupying fundamentally different ground - Ian probably couldn't have written throwaway lyrics like Barney can and Barney's attempts at copying Ian's lyric style on Movement weren't particularly successful.

Originally posted by Philip Collins I think Ian's one of the greatest lyricists in 'pop music' history - you read his lyrics in Touching From A Distance or the Heart And Soul booklet and they stand by themselves without the music. Barney, I think, writes lyrics for pop songs and without the music they're nothing - read the words to, for instance, Thieves Like Us and (imho) they're not up to much but put them with the music and they're great. The two of them are occupying fundamentally different ground - Ian probably couldn't have written throwaway lyrics like Barney can and Barney's attempts at copying Ian's lyric style on Movement weren't particularly successful.

Well put--Ian was a poet and Barney is a lyricist?

Originally posted by Dee > Originally posted by Philip Collins> I think Ian's one of the greatest lyricists in 'pop music' history - you read his lyrics in Touching From A Distance or the Heart And Soul booklet and they stand by themselves without the music. Barney, I think, writes lyrics for pop songs and without the music they're nothing - read the words to, for instance, Thieves Like Us and (imho) they're not up to much but put them with the music and they're great. The two of them are occupying fundamentally different ground - Ian probably couldn't have written throwaway lyrics like Barney can and Barney's attempts at copying Ian's lyric style on Movement weren't particularly successful.

Well put--Ian was a poet and Barney is a lyricist? Kind of, except that I'd say that Ian's words work as both poetry and song lyrics, which is no mean feat...Decades for instance is a great example of this - to my mind it's something that could have come out of a Wilfred Owen poem yet it also fits so well with the music being played.

'His days are worth forgetting more than not'

well, it looks like just about everybody agrees that both are great in their own right.

Ian is hands-down the winner for best lyrics. His words are creative, poetic, eerily personal, and filled with imagery that sparks my imagination. Barney, on the other hand, writes typical pop lyrics that mean very little, but he does have a glimmer of inspiration every now and then (i.e., TPK, VP); his lyrics also have a distinct sense of humor that says he's just taking the piss when it comes to lyrics anyway (i.e., Every Little Counts), so we shouldn't take his lyrics with anywhere near as much import as Ian's.

For me , Ian But if anyone will give a fuck in 60 years time, I dont know, will he stand alongside so called greats ? Be nice to think some future generations may seek out his work and pass it along to a fellow traveller, then again he wrote lyrics for a pop band when alls said and done

Barney`s meaningless lyrics we can relate to:

"You caught me at a bad time,so why dont you piss off..."

"I think you are a pig,you should be in a zoo..."

See what i mean?

I used to think IAN but over the years BARNEY found the righ KEY (if that's the term?) to sing him and is CLASS now.

i'd say ian. barney's lyrics can be embarassingly bad at times. having said that, i'm not always in the mood for ian's introspective lyrics and barney's lyrics can be quite endearing. as mentioned above: 'i think you are a pig, you should be in a zoo.' silly...but cute.

Well, I don't remember if Ian wrote stupid things like "here comes love, it's like honey / you can't buy it with money"...

Anyway, they're both terrible dancers.

Originally posted by Wasim Younis Who's better? Tough to answer considering the contrast in styles. Like chalk and cheese, except neither of those can sing. Personally I feel Ian's lyrics were more complex, deeper perhaps, and had a special something. Barney's are not as dark and more airy. Ian was perfect for Joy Division and the same goes for Barney and New Order. Barney could never sing some JD songs with the effect and tone Ian did, while I can't imagine Ian doing Temptation. Depends what mood I’m in really – New Order for some uplifting synth shit or Curtis for some deadpan punk. :)

my point of view, too

I cannot compare the two. They are totally diiferent. Yes Ian was a poet. Barney is capable of producing some brilliant lyrics as well. However, he is not above producing some as some consider less than perfect or humerous lyrics. That is becaues he writes how he feels at a particular moment.

Is there any doubt about this at all?? Ian Curtis definitely... although I didn't really like his voice. Bernard Sumner OCCASIONALLY writes brilliant lyrics (when he can be arsed) but normally resorts to abstract bullshit and pure lame arsed rhyming.

I've always said and felt Ian was the better lyricist overall, with deeper lyrics and Barney was the better singer with the delivery. Really though, just depends on the mood you are in.

Its like asking:" who's better...God or the Devil?" they are just so different and their both good at what they do. They both move me, just like they do you Im sure. I a fan of both, I guess it just depends what mood Im in or something(?)