Verse versus voices, vices, vistas visited

I hadn't thought to include the relationship between songs and poetry because song lyrics are often verse with music put to it/verses with music put to them. But the opinion as to who among the songwriters and singers is legitimately a poet, varies.

Lauren Martin's piece in Elite Daily is right to include Jim Morrison and Bob Dylan, wiggle wiggling aside. The case isn't as certain with the samples used to demonstrate the chops of Neil Young or Kanye West and, while I agree with the choice of Johnny Cash, the lyrics quoted are by Trent Reznor. Kurt Cobain? The words suit the songs and the whole grunge ethos but I wouldn't call him a poet necessarily. At least not without having to let countless other songwriters into the fold first.

I don't even know whether to credit Elvis Costello as a poet or just a very clever lyricist. I do know that no list should be without Leonard Cohen who of course started life as a poet, acclaimed in his native Canada. I'd also insist on Tom Waits being there. Mark E Smith too strange to categorise beyond John Peel's "The Fall - always different, always the same"

We could add in her Bob Marley so reggae has its spokesman and that way we can sneak in Jello Biafra for punk despite my love for the other DKs and the sound they produced.

Let's round out with Paul Simon for folk, knowing full well that the task is too massive; just as we said at the beginning.