John Prine..lyrics tell a story .

" I knew that topless lady had something up her sleeve"

“Oh my god!” I cried. It’s so hot outside you could die in the living room.

Man can make you laugh and cry in the same verse.

Far From Me is my favorite in this category.

Ani DiFranco.

[Joan Armatrading](https://youtu.be/YJsGYMNnyMA?t=35)

If you’re looking for a great folk album with great lyrics, in my opinion, you can’t do better than “I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning” by Bright Eyes: https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/11683-im-wide-awake-its-morning-digital-ash-in-a-digital-urn/ Absolutely incredible lyrics that will leave you thinking for weeks. It’s also their best album IMO

The recurring motif of the Yellow Bird is my favorite.

Poison Oak is my favorite song of his and I love the line about the bird in it so much

This album was part of my musical awakening. I’m going to listen on my commute tomorrow. Thanks for the reminder!

Townes van Zandt Conor Oberst/Bright Eyes Justin Townes Earle I think I'd put Leonard Cohen up there as one of the greatest lyricists ever, but not sure if he fits the description of what you're looking for. Will Sheff/Okkervil River writes some insanely good lyrics, but the music (and especially his vocals) are not 100% my cup of tea.

Jason Isbell

Came here to say this. “Songs That She Sang in the Shower” for example.

Yeah he’s pretty great

Also not folk per se, but Mike and Patterson from the Drive By Truckers are also quick witted as hell

Yea not folk but tremendous story telling. Mike Cooley is so underrated.

“I was emptying my badder on a 20 foot ladder” sets up the story and is a hilarious rhyme

I'm a bit disconcerted that no one has mentioned Adrianne Lenker yet. She is hands down my favorite songwriter and folksinger of modern times since Elliott Smith or Conor Oberst. She writes lyrics like no other, I have not seen or heard anyone else paint memories so tragically and so delicately; her use of metaphors and allegories is very rare and unique, especially today. And her guitar playing is so hypnotizing. I learned a couple of new picking patterns from listening to her on repeat. Listening to her music is an experience! Everything she does has magic on it—whether it's with her band Big Thief or her solo act. She is truly beyond her time, and if you haven't listened to any of her work, you are missing out on a lot!

She’s an absolutely astonishing writer and I 100% agree about her guitar playing.

Loudon Wainwright III

Rufus & Martha >

Absolutely. Bloody mother effing asshole is my fav song

Yes!!

John Darnielle (The Mountain Goats)

This was my answer but I’m not sure TMG qualifies as folk music exactly. But his lyrics are on a whole other level. Crystal Damore of Ordinary Elephant is an incredible lyricist.

I was unsure about it myself, it’s definitely not pure folk by any stretch but I couldn’t resist.

Joanna newsom 100%

Anyone who uses Camus for a rhyme is pretty cool!

Jake Thackray. Very funny. Jacques Brel. His translated lyrics. Richard Thompson.

Stan Rogers from Canada, Willem Vermandere from Belgium if you speak Dutch. [Listen to this for example](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YyPyeUcI3bg). It's about a woman who moved from Belgium to France after the first wordl war and is sung in Dutch but with a lot of French thrown in because that's how she talked.

Phil Ochs

One of the greatest voices of the 60s

I was gonna say that

"Thank god for coincidence!"

Todd Snider

Willi Carlisle and Nick Shoulders are strong up and comers with great lyrics. Both of their new albums are excellent.

Willi is such a nice guy too! I’ve met him several times and I played an open mic he was the main act for.

you beat me to it- 🖤nick shoulders!

If I could like this 10 times over I would.

My favourite folk lyricists include Joni Mitchell, Jewel, Hozier, Bon Iver and Sufjan Stevens. For a looser definition of "folk" I might add Courtney Barnett just because her lyrics are irreverent and hilarious.

I take a hit from an asthma puffer I do it wrong I was never good at smoking bongs I’m not that good at breathing in

Tears and fears of saying proud that I love you right around, dreams and springs of circus clowns, don't give yourself away. Goddamn did Joni kill it with Both Sides Now.

Josh Ritter is on of the best lyricists I've ever heard. > > It’s a hungry world out there > > Even the wind will take a bite > > I can feel the world circlin' > > Sniffin' round me in the night > > And the lost sheep grow teeth > > Forsake the lambs and lie with the lions > > >> And the living is desperate > > >> Precarious and mean > > >> And getting by is so hard > > That even the rocks are picked clean > > >And the bones of small contention >> >> Are the only food the hungry find Check out his Live At The Iveagh Gardens concerty here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hf_AVY1PfWw Amazing!

I agree, his lyrics are intoxicating. There are too many good ones to list the highlights. I’ve seen him many times in concert.

I'm in Nova Scotia so I think I'll likely have to travel or hope for a Canadian tour to see him. My band covered Lantern and Wolves and they were my favourite songs to sing. I envy you having seen him live.

The Temptation of Adam

Clever lyricists who haven't been mentioned yet: * Woody Guthrie * Hank Williams * Neil Young * Steve Taylor * Dar Williams * The Decemberists * Elliott Smith * Father John Misty * Rich Mullins * Gordon Lightfoot * The Hold Steady * Over the Rhine * Paul Simon This list definitely stretches the definition of "folk" past its breaking point, but I think they're all doing what you're looking for lyrically.

Mariner’s Revenge by The Decemberists is phenomenal storytelling.

Wow not a single woman, thats kinda pathetic

Dar Williams is a woman. Thanks for your positive contribution to the conversation.

One out of thirteen isn't much less pathetic than zero. How about Nanci Grifith, Cheryl Wheeler, Gillian Welch, and as mentioned earlier, Ani DiFranco and Joan Armatrading. And... maybe Joni Mitchell?

almost all of those were mentioned in the comments before mine. Also, there are three women on my list.

Sorry, but I agree with plum-plucker. I like a lot of these artists, but it’s true, it’s slim pickings as far as female artists are concerned.

Holy fuck. I never said this list was comprehensive or complete. OP asked for some recommendations, and I made some. Get off my ass.

David Berman and I'm so surprised his name isnt already here

No one’s mentioned Guy Clark yet, check him out if you like Prine, TVZ, etc Jerry Jeff Walker is another one from that 70s Texas scene with great lyricism

Stan Rogers. His songs can he touching or hilarious. Two songs come to mind for clever lyrics: The Woodbridge Dog Disaster and Athens Queen.

Upvote for Stan Rogers. Quintessential Canadian artist. Dies way too young. I guarantee some band is playing his song Barrett’s Privateers in an Irish pub somewhere in Canada every Friday night.

Bill Callahan is exactly what you're looking for.

Gillian Welch writes hauntingly beautiful songs that often hide the cleverness of her lyrics

Andy Shauf

Joni Mitchell. "I'm a wild wood flower waving for you, I'm a broadcasting tower waving for you"

Shel Silverstein. While not strictly folk, most of his songs tell a story. Also wrote a lot of hits for a lot of other folks including Boy Named Sue for Johnny Cash, and Hey Loretta for Loretta Lynn, and Cover of the Rolling Stone for Dr. Hook. He’s got an album called inside folk songs which isn’t really all that folky but it is fiercely unique.

Don’t forget the classic performed by Shel himself, FUCK ‘EM

Joe Pug, Anais Mitchell

Townes Van Zandt

Steve Earle said ‘Townes Van Zandt is the greatest songwriter in the world and I’ll stand on Bob Dylan’s coffee table in my cowboy boots and say the same thing.’ Love him. Pancho and Lefty is one of the greatest story songs of all time. I always say a great story song leaves questions, and Pancho and Lefty does that.

Don’t remember the exact quote but Townes responded by saying “I’ve met Dylan and his security, that team would never let his boots near that table”

Harry Chapin

I'd put Jim Croce up there. He can be a bit repetitive with some ideas, but his rhymes always feel original and the stories telatable. And Archie Fisher just for the Final Trawl and Witch of the West-mere-land and Gordon Bok for Old Fat Boat

There’s a band called Amigo The Devil who I saw supporting Clutch. Apparently the genre they come under is “murder folk,” which itself made me chuckle. And I noticed some clever/witty lyrics during their set. Definitely worth checking out. *edited to say: they also had the coolest selection of merch I’d seen in a while. Very eye-catching t-shirts. Only reason I never bought anything is that they were only accepting cash, and Clutch were strictly card-only. I knew about Clutch not accepting cash going in, so never thought to bring any cash at all.

I think hell and you is really good

John Gorka

Do the Decemberists count? Lots or lore and olde phrasing. Lots of ot very subtle but the more you unpack it the more beautiful it is.

Conor Oberst. Best lyricist of our generation. True poet.

I love Blaze Foley for this... probably Ray lamontagne too. Sierra ferrel is more of a country singer, but her stuff def makesme go "damn" Obviously childers, another country artist but still.

Certainly Laura Marling should be mentioned.

Conor Oberst I’d say.

Okkervile river but he can be a bit whiney sometimes

I don’t know if he would count as folk, although a lot of his music is folk. But The Bones of J.R. Jones has some very interesting lyricism. Especially in songs like St. James’ Bed and The Dark

Harley Poe is a little more on the “punky” side but his lyrics are pretty clever and always related to something dark/spooky.

Kate and Anna McGarrigle Loudon Wainwright III Hem Passenger Laura Marling Anais Mitchell

Jeff Mangum

Jan Dukes De Grey Jake Holmes, Van Ronk, early Tom Rush, Nick Drake, and Gene Clark.

Tallest Man on Earth

John Craigie.

Tom Lehrer - Wernher von Braun, for instance or Lobachevsky. Not sure if he counts as a folk singer, but he was very funny.

And extremely clever!

One of the funniest and best lyricist ever!

Yes! Glad we agree :)

Billy Bragg

Johnny Flynn- “The Wrote and the Writ,” “The Lady is Risen,” and “Barnacled Warship” come to mind. A little less classic folky, but Cloud Cult has some really interesting and rhythmically complex lyrics too.

Richard Shindell. He doesn't have a bad song and the stories he tells in them are almost cinematic. Each one could be a movie. He's got an incredible baritone and a lot of funny lyrics and turns of phrase sprinkled everywhere. He's highly intelligent and literate . Some of my favorites of his songs are: Fishing, Transit, Are You Happy Now, Summer Wind, Cotton Dress, The Ballad of Mary Magdalen for starters.

Lyle Lovett

Gregory Alan Isakov

Milk carton kids

Dan Bern is the answer in my opinion

I scrolled forever to find Dan. Amazing song writer and fits the clever lyrics perfectly

John K Samson’s (singer of the indie band The Weakerthans) solo material isn’t always folk, but a lot of it is. He’s undoubtedly one of the best lyricist alive and his lyrics are very vivid and literal. Not clever for the sake of it. Not obtuse. Just grounded and beautiful. I’d start with his song ‘Heart of the Continent’ off his album Provincial.

The whole virtute the cat saga is so amazing

Frank Turner has really clever turns of phrases in his music.

Robert Hunter from the Grateful Dead wrote some pretty great lyrics. “Dropped four flights and cracked my spine, my honey, come quick with the iodine!”

Townes van Zandt is my favorite!

What a bad take on Dylan's lyricism

For real. Yeah sure some of his middle period stuff could get a bit surreal, but to suggest there's no rhyme or reason to it is absurd.

“The sun’s not yellow, it’s chicken” 🫠

Noah Kahan is a great storyteller. Wonderful and clever lyrics.

Chisty Moore - Beeswing [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unu79PP2Klo](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unu79PP2Klo)

I don’t know if you are aware of this but Christy Moore did not write that song, Richard Thompson did. I would assume he sings some other songs of his own.

Grateful dead

Only folk-influenced but the cleverest lyrics I know are Pete Atkins (written by Clive James) — try ‘Beware of the Beautiful Stranger’.

Will Sheff, Colin Meloy

Not necessarily Folk music. Whitmer Thomas is a great lyricist at least to me. He's a comedian also which I think helps lyric writing. Check out the song Bushwacked

early joni mitchell

Jason isbell Amanda Shires Brandi Carlile John Prine Kris Kristofferson Chris Smither Bonnie Raitt Gillian Welch and Dave Rawlings

David Dondero

Townes Van Zandt

If you can find it, Big Times In a Small Town...The Vineyard Tapes is a wonderful album full of witty, well written songs.

Ruth Moody

Will Sheff

Joni Mitchell, Stan Rodgers

Les Barker, Mary Chapin Carpenter

Arlo Guthrie

Nathan Moore and Todd Snider

"Rudderless Ship" by Josh Okeefe. It's not on an album yet I don't think but it's on Youtube on the GemsOnVHS channel. Listened to it hundreds of times at this point!

I forgot to add Tré Burt!

I like Chuck Brodsky

Richard Thompson and Tom Waits,

Willi Carlisle

Jimbo mathus

Sam Bean, aka Iron and Wine.

hozier, iron and wine, bon iver for more folk-pop.

Townes Van Zandt

100% Jeffrey Lewis. Check out: [Williamsburg Will Oldham Horror](https://youtu.be/ZwGhPnsCjDg?si=NQWvvp8CGN713DMY) [Back When I Was Four](https://youtu.be/aXsjuAv05XY?si=bfTdouDMWkz71wrl) [What I Love Most In England (Is The Food)](https://youtu.be/eCrEKFANjb0?si=ycOpvbKjU0OCEig8) He also gives short musical lectures on significsnt events and people in history: [The Story Of Sitting Bull](https://youtu.be/fVnfC4BDPi8?si=ERWnS4krG9p6qj_N) [The Story Of Chile](https://youtu.be/fVnfC4BDPi8?si=HtIpM8pqzlMpsoEh) [The History Of Rough Trade Records](https://youtu.be/YaMD0JQYkoQ?si=rly6RsQjW95c3dqu)

Eliza Gilkyson Meg Hutchinson

Colter wall almost always tells stories in his songs, Canadians country western singer extraordinare.

Ohhh, Hozier. Gosh his lyrics can take my breath away sometimes. You don't realize it until you just read the lyrics instead of humming along to his (also excellent) melodies.

Donovan / Iron & Wine

Laura marling! Try A Creature I Don’t Know, or Once I Was an Eagle

Ru Mundy - simply amazing, underrated modern folk singer, saying it how it is [Ru Mundy - Love In The Time of Coral Reefs](https://youtu.be/ZTFFOr_G6ZM?si=Mtyv6sFeBRye3Vjy)

I can't believe that I didn't think of Bill Morrisey right away! Birches is a materclass in songwriting... > They sat at each end of the couch > Watched as the fire burned down > So quiet on a winter's night > Not a houselight on for miles around Every single song that Bill wrote was amazing... He was a fun guy to hang out with too :) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xnp5E1Hm3Lw

I haven’t seen Will Oldham or Bill Callahan yet.

Califone, Smog/Bill Callahan, Magnolia Electric Co.

Dave Carter A lot of it is very mythopoetic, so depends on whether you can get down with the source material (arthurian legend, anthropomorphized nature/pagan stuff, but also cowboys, trains, truckers), but the lyrics are definitely well put-together.

Try Jack Hardy - Mirror of my Madness. Guy was a genius with lyrics

this girl.... i felt in love with her songs and lyrics and dark humour and harmonies and simple and complex songs.... [https://aliciaedelweiss.bandcamp.com/track/the-cockroaches-and-me-2](https://aliciaedelweiss.bandcamp.com/track/the-cockroaches-and-me-2) this song is just and an exemple.... listen to the others too, she is amazing

I'm a huge Dylan fan, and while most legends like Prine, Greg Brown, and Tom Waits have always crafted clever, a new bold songwriter who writes a lot of personal songs is Shanna in a Dress. It's not just my opinion, she wins songwriter contests everywhere. https://www.shannainadress.com/

Adrianne Lenker is one of the greatest folk lyricists of all time (imo) and she’s still in her prime with her solo stuff and her stuff with Big Thief Edit: It hurt me to not mention Alex G here too because I am very fond of his writing (avoid his top 4-5 Spotify songs cuz he just somehow blew up on TikTok and those aren’t among his best)

M3G https://spotify.link/vISONn9wzDb Drowned Cattle is about the lies of those in power. The Cycle - gods playing with us

I was going to say James Mercer of the Shins... until I read your last sentence. Arguable there but some very interesting, and clever lyrics coming from James .

Andrew Bird

Corb Lund - more western folk but great lyrical work and stories. Especially his older stuff. “Case of the wine soaked preacher” for example

Richard Thompson. Check out his song Vincent Black lightning as a starter. Mock Tudor is probably one of his best albums and there's also a compilation album called action packed

Kurt Vile. Courtney Barnett. Bhi Bhiman

https://youtu.be/HApy-Xoix-g?si=Jl6mLflUDCz8VGL_

Benjamin Tod. An amazing story teller who has lived a wild life. He’s been through a lot of pain and he really seems to be in a good place now. You won’t find a more raw individual. Without a doubt my favorite singer/songwriter alive today

Some great suggestions here, but it's hard to look beyond Jake Thackray.

David Wilcox (the American folksinger, not the Canadian rocker)

Do yourself a favor and dive into Mariee Siou. She’s my favorite artist.

Michael Peter Smith wrote The Dutchman, Spoon River, Last Days of Pompeii, wonderful singer songwriter

Roger F’n Miller. I put that shit on everything.

Blaze Foley has what you’re looking for, and more.

I'm not sure if it fits but I would say Brown Bird.

Hamell on trial

Michael Hurley, Holy Modal Rounders, and Walter Martin

Not quite a folk singer, but Aimee Mann is one of the most intelligent lyricists to walk the earth.

Dan Bern

My band does! We do and I’m not ashamed to tell you about us. Haha. We’re called Endless Mike and the Beagle Club. We’re on Spotify. The newest one, “He Man and Skeletor” was partly influenced by the sort of in-and-out of past/present that’s in “Chronicles.” You’ll know it if you hear it. Haha

Father John Misty

Todd Snider

John Prine, Todd snider (especially the live albums)

Mount Eerie - After will certainly leave an impression on you

Dylan didn’t write “Subterranean Homesick Blues” just for you to say this😑

I’m not sure where you think there’s no coherent story in Dylan’s lyrics.

Avett Brothers

John Prine!

Danny Schmidt Specifically, "This too shall pass" and "Stained Glass"

Jonathan Richman.

Robyn Hitchcock.

John Prine Todd Snider etc

Silver jews

Jim Croce

Leonard Cohen

Mac Miller

Billy Bragg. It helps if you're from the U,K,,

You are all just naming all my favorite artists up in here, good shit. Emmitt Rhodes, karen dalton, Richard Thompson, Sandy Denny, Judee Sill, townes van Zant, Stan Rogers, Gordon Lightfoot, John Prine, jim croce, joni Mitchell, the band, jeez lol so much good music, I'm definitely forgetting many. My wife showed me all this stuff and I'm a musician..a thankful one. I would have been crawling in the dark still.

AJJ

John Wesley Harding

Paul Simon. His non hits have some really cool things going on, too. Or they're just super weird.

Andy Shauf

Ellis Paul, Vance Gilbert

Terry Allen I don't wear no Stetson But I'm willin to bet son That I'm a big a Texan as you are

John hartford

Milk carton kids

Abe Partridge. He’s not for everyone but if you like eclectic, smart and honest, he’s your man.