Best Song Lyrics (Part X)

You may have noticed that in the past IX installments of this recurring series, I haven't included anyone from the hip-hop genre.  Nor will I this time.

It isn't that there aren't some candidates.  It's that in order to be considered a great lyricist to me, the songs have to be able to span generations.  Hip-hip simply hasn't been around long enough to qualify.

I thought about this generation span the other day when I heard some teens singing along to James Taylor's recording of You've Got A Friend.  I don't know where they learned it, although I sincerely doubt it came from watching another episode of Glee.  (The one and only one redeeming thing about that show is, it does occasionally bring my generation's music to a younger crowd.)

James Taylor not only has great lyrical music, but he still has an incredible mellow-sounding voice that makes his music even better.  While he has many classics, I prefer the 1970 song Fire And Rain.  While it may seem the song is all about losing a loved one, in fact these last two verses allude to his struggles with depression and addiction:

Won't you look down upon me, Jesus, You've got to help me make a stand.
You've just got to see me through another day.
My body's aching and my time is at hand, and I won't make it any other way.
Oh, I've seen fire and I've seen rain.
I've seen sunny days that I thought would never end.
I've seen lonely times when I could not find a friend,
but I always thought that I'd see you again.

Been walking my mind to an easy time, my back turned towards the sun.
Lord knows when the cold wind blows it'll turn your head around.
Well, there's hours of time on the telephone line, to talk about things to come.
Sweet dreams and flying machines in pieces on the ground.
Oh, I've seen fire and I've seen rain.
I've seen sunny days that I thought would never end.
I've seen lonely times when I could not find a friend,
but I always thought that I'd see you baby, one more time again.